Sydney based indie pop singer Nick Ward has been signed to major label EMI, and they’ll release his debut album later this year.
Announcing the news Ward said he’d come to realise that he needed a bigger partner to realise his ambitions, but the deal with EMI allows him to maintain his creative control.
“This project has been independent since day one; made possible by a café job, grants, publishing advances, a licensing deal and production/mix work. It’s also been made possible by my manager, and my incredible friends, who’ve helped me on every shoot, every concert, and every release. I am one small piece of a loving community that makes up Nick Ward.
“When I started to write this new project, I slowly realised that the scope and ambition required the investment of a much larger partner. When we started meeting with labels, I realised that I would still be able to maintain creative control of the music, and would be able to realise ideas that would not have been possible before.
Ward said he was looking forward to working with the Managing Director of EMI Australia, Mark Holland.
“Mark is someone I really admire, for his work with other artists, his humanity and kindness, and for his impeccable taste. He gets it. We both want to make something that lasts, in an industry where art currently feels so fleeting.
“The DIY mentality is such a huge part of this project, and we don’t want that to change at all. It’s still just my friends and I, working out of our bedrooms. The music and art will always come first and never be compromised – we want to build a long career, not a viral moment.
“This new music is easily the best thing we’ve ever made and it’s in very safe hands.” Ward said.
The label boss also shared his excitement about the new collaboration.
“Nick Ward is already what I consider a true music-lifer, putting his all into every project he works on as an artist, writer, and producer.” Holland said.
“He’s got an amazing vision and scope for the whole process, and I was totally enamoured by the Everything I Wish I Told You and Brand New You projects. His forthcoming music is absolute genius, and we’re humbled to be working with him and excited to show off his talents globally.”
Ward emerged with his brand of emo bedroom pop on triple Unearthed, releasing multiple tracks and refining his sound across debut EP Everything I Wish I Told You. Then came 2022’s Brand New You which music critics raved about.
On his first EP the musician had a song named after actress Abrey Plaza, best known for her work on the TV series Parks and Recreation and more recently The White Lotus.
There’s also lots of queer references in his work including a short track named My Own Private Interlude and another called Holding the Man.Â
On I Want to Myself or Nothing at All he sings about coming out to his friends which as the lyrics “Remember in the days when I wished I was straight, and I wished I was like the people I hate.”
The song was inspired by Nick Ward’s high school years at an all-boys school.
While when his song PRINCESSÂ was released back in 2021 Ward told Triple J that he’d moved on from questions of “Who am I?” to exploring who he could be.
“Rather than answering my previously explored questions of ‘Who am I?’, this song is me finally understanding what I can be,” he continues. “I’ve spent the majority of my life questioning my identity and gender, and this song feels like such a concrete statement.” Ward said.
“Growing up around Australian masculinity and patriarchal values, I’ve often felt so self conscious about how I don’t fit in – ‘PRINCESS’ is me embracing the beauty and power of being your own type of man.”
Fans of the musician won’t have to wait long for his debut album to arrive, but if you’re just discover Nick Ward there’s a rich back catalogue of his work to explore.
OIP Staff
You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.
