Welcome to the world of Nolan Gross, where music and magic collide. Let’s dive into his creative endeavors and catch a grip of his evolution in the world of music. What sets Nolan apart from the rest? First, Nolan’s body of instrumentation offers an experience that captures a breath of fresh air. Remarkably, his music is more than just a sound, it’s a feeling. Moreover, Nolan stated: “The music that I create originates from my emotions and the sensations that I want to convey through my music.” As a listener and music-lover myself, I truly admire how versatile his sound selection goes. Focally, a lot of his sounds are deeply connected with the music of the 70s. Now that was quite a superficial era that still greatly shifts the trajectory of today’s music. One can definitely hear some elements of the 70s when playing Nolan’s sound. But, press shuffle and you’ll hear a range of moods from punk rock to gentle and melodious, upbeat, pop, dance, or rap sounds. Just wow, his mind truly has the capacity to put his mood into the flesh; creatively, music.
What sparked the interest? Nolan shared that he was always drawn by music throughout his childhood. He shared that his parents would take him to concerts of his favorite bands. To hear that he has attended over 200 concerts throughout his life precisely expresses his enthusiasm for music. Anyone who has ever attended a concert can definitely catch that awe-inspiring feeling and desire to be on stage; nonetheless, having that supportive audience in front of you and giving them the time of their lives is inspiring. Having such enthusiasm and love for music is very tangible, especially with Nolan’s experience in acting and performing at a very young age. Nolan created his first song at the age of 16. Nolan disclosed, “On my 16th birthday, my dad’s friend, who was a rockstar back in the day, saw a video of me crying over a gift my dad got me and he asked, “Why is Nolan not making music? He has so much emotion, and if he can harness that into music, he would be such an amazing songwriter and performer.”” From that experience, Nolan has executed two albums and has been performing ever since. Inspiration and recognition from another rockstar sparked the fire within Nolan’s potential to start creating music.
Every artist has their own creative process of executing a project or idea. Nolan’s creative process is only nourished and accomplished through his congenial intentions. Inspiringly, he creates a few ideas and forms them into a more comprehensive vision. He shared to me, “I am simply a vessel and channel for the art to come through rather than being the one who must control every aspect of it. There is no right or wrong way to create. If you are being guided to do something, you simply have to trust your decisions and what will ultimately suit the project you are working on the best.” All things considered, TRUST the process. Creating is no difficulty for Nolan; however, never does it bring ease for an artist to possess such an amount of content. It is normal to have some bit of anxiety pulse through the mind when limiting what you want to release. To an extent, I can relate to that feeling of putting so much time and energy into something that expresses you; nonetheless, it can truly be daunting when releasing a particular piece of product after keeping it to oneself for so long. To prevail, Nolan stated, “...if you are creating for your own pleasure, it shouldn’t matter (criticism). And even if a few people are positively affected by it, that’s enough for me.” This marvelously moved me. It is enough to know that even a few people are positively affected by your creations.
Check out his eye-catching website: www.nolangross.com. One can tell that he put his time and effort into constructing this website. For this website construction, Nolan shared the obstacles he faces in the creative process. Shifting perspectives, he took on the obstacles as an opportunity to learn and create something better. The challenges he experienced offered him the innate strength for perseverance and gained greater gratification in his work. In connection to breaking through creative blocks, Nolan shared an outstanding piece of advice and perspective on life. We both agree that in our current age, we are all caught up in so much bandwidth. So much to where it can take us away from our inner self and present moment. He poses the standpoint in taking a step back and connecting with nature as a way to make changes within ourselves. Moreover, a way to enjoy the space that we are currently in. In association to an advice given to himself: “Look up!” affirms the idea of taking a step back and connecting with the present moment. The notion of looking up can be interpreted in a way of moving forward; as well as, mindfully seeking for answers through questions. On how one can take it: Look up the answer! Or, look up and reach for the sky! Indefinitely, we both agree that knowledge is easier to absorb learning from others. It’s never wrong to ask questions and find answers from individuals who have experience. There is always an opportunity to grow.
As part of growing as an artist, performing live to an audience is a pivotal moment. Nolan first began performing songs in 2020. He embarked in the journey of live performance in his first home tour during lockdown. He played his songs in Utah, Las Vegas, and Laguna Beach. You can hear his electrifying energy and exhilaration that propels the crowd’s spirit. With this spirit transpired, it honed in together an intimate crowd that soon created quite a fan-base. His band, AZUARE, performed in Abbot Kinney on a nightly-basis towards the end of 2022. Not only that, they did so in a space that fit with their overall vibe. I was blessed enough to get to experience one of their shows in this kind of space. In the pictures included, you’ll notice the space they were in. The space included bio-harmonic beds that infused the sub-frequencies for their sound system. Moreover, what was very eye-catching was the stacks of vintage TV’s that offered colorful visuals. They had their auto-tuned wireless mics that amplified the live performances. It truly was a dream space, especially a space that also had vintage clothing hanging on the walls. Nolan shared how his band was able to feature his friend Shwayze during this period of performing in Abbot Kinney. They all performed shows in California, Venice West, and were able to connect with their audiences. Nolan states that he hopes to perform overseas in the future. Above and beyond, just like his performances.
Take a moment to listen to Nolan’s latest single from 2022, “BEST FRIENDS”. This song was well-assembled and orchestrated. With a fine tempo and a striking production from start to finish. It was an honor to hear this song transpire live and truly witness his devotion to music. Within the process of creating this song, he experienced such a reflection that offered him the ability to express his emotions. He reveals how this song harbored the feeling of being dismissed and unseen from others. Expressing this allowed him to convey and learn from the experiences. It makes sense how he is able to look at the bright side just like his insight, “Look UP!”. This insight opens a flow of creative ideas and allows him to find ways to emulate that feeling. The song, “BEST FRIENDS,” truly exemplifies that process. When I first listened to the song, the drums and guitar encapsulated such a feeling of being transported to a different place. In comparison to the song “ALIBI” by his band, AZUARE, you can catch the same vibe as “BEST FRIENDS”. It was such a blessing to truly experience in front of my eyes when his band performed “ALIBI”. They told me their wonderful experience of performing in Abbot Kinney for two months. There is a strong atmosphere of pure bliss when they perform this song together. Also, it hits with a sort of wonder to the eye with his outstanding visuals in the background.
In consideration to performing, Nolan would love to open for artists like The 1975, Jean Dawson, Dominic Fike, and Toro y Moi. You can just tell that his sounds would greatly create a perfect introduction to these artists as he exhibits a kind of vibe that assimilates to their genre of music. Nolan admires artists that are well known for their ability to tell stories and create immersive sounds. More examples of artists include Tyler the Creator, Dijon, Mk.Gee, and BROCKHAMPTON. Learning from them, Nolan captures that ability to draw from his own experience and allows the audience to access their own feelings. If he had a choice on who he'd collaborate with, it would be with Justin Vernon from Bon Iver. He has been one of his favorite musical artists for a long time. Nolan stated, “His music and art have altered the way I perceive music, and collaborating with him would be a dream come true.” Nolan is a musical whiz who has apprehended ways to keep your brain engaged and interested. Going back to his versatile sounds of music; he truly has quite a selection. Ranging his category of sounds from rock, upbeat, dance, or rap. With having a deep connection to Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, has shaped a large interest within his music. One can definitely hear elements of these sounds in his library.
It is true when people say: Anything is possible, as long as we put our mind to it. Just like his creative process and his notion of being a vessel of creation; moreover, he has many talents using these qualities. Even without a music career, he first embarked his journey in acting and performing on stage. He has the capacity to adapt to many skills that involve creative direction and design. In his aspirations, architecture and interior design are skills that he would see himself excel. If music wasn’t around what would he do? Nolan states that, “I would be studying architecture. It is such a useful skill to have as it translates into so many other aspects of this world.” He has indulged in creating pop-up spaces. He declared, “...if you know what you like and know how to make a space flow correctly, you can give the person experiencing the space certain types of experience.” With Virgil Abloh being one of his favorite creators and architects; he found such fascination in his simple yet complex ideas. Virgil is quite an individual who truly exemplifies the notion of thinking outside the box. In spite of that, having these out-of-ordinary ideas offered individuals the opportunity to engage in his abstractions. With these ideas and abstractions, it absolutely made people reflect on their day-to-day life. Through architecture, Nolan truly believes that he is able to branch out into creating objects and affect the way individuals take on the world. In addition to creating, Nolan has quite an affinity for clothing design and fashion. You can identify many hand-made pieces through his collection of clothes. Similarly, his style is versatile like his music library! Nolan says that he will eventually have a more established clothing brand formulated by himself. Recently he made clothes involving patches and hand-sewn pieces. Take a gander at his website to find these pieces. Nolan shared, “Recently, I hand-sewed a whole collection of vintage pieces and it was an incredibly fulfilling experience to recycle what was already on this Earth. I want to continue doing that on a larger scale while still being sustainable.” This process of upcycling with vintage clothes; is a task that many individuals today are admiring to wear. Fashionable and sustainable, reuse and reduce! With the same affinity in fashion, I had the blessed opportunity to walk into his space where he performs and sells his pieces. He has worked alongside his close friend Sam Gregor, founder of Mind Liquid Studios, screen-printing all kinds of vintage clothes. Together they work well in the space where they are each other's backbone and support system. In my eyes, a kinship that helps each other grow; metaphysically, fashionably, and musically. The two work so well in the media, growing together within their own businesses. With experience built already in fashion, I am certain that he will excel in the fashion industry through having one-of-a-kind pieces, pop-up stores, and even blending the world of furniture together.
With the internet, it offers much accessibility and openness to connect with the world. In addition, Nolan believes that navigating the music business with the internet can greatly cause a single artist to have much exposure. As we all know, the app TikTok has made many artists famous overnight. With TikTok being a leading platform for individuals to share their creative products; an artist can receive a surge of streams without necessarily building a loyal fanbase. As a digital magazine, we can all agree that the internet is a tool to get exposure and offer fans the accessibility to reach their songs. With the emergence of many artists entering the world of TikTok, it greatly affects the way there is always something new. With new hits offering inspiration for setting new ways to expand the sound of music. Now, it is much faster with the opportunity for billions of individuals in this world to want and listen to music. Nolan stated, “The key is to keep going, not giving up because of numbers or any of the metrics, and to stay consistent in promoting your work.” In such a manner, an artist must constantly uphold a sound that will essentially distinguish their legacy due to the constant changes in trends and new sounds. If there was any way he could alter the music industry, it would be the way consumerism is being put out there. He believes that it truly isn't fair sometimes, for the reason being that there are many artists that are not getting the recognition they deserve. He continues saying that many artists today are having difficulty living off of their music. Nonetheless, Nolan wishes that the industry would invest more in good art and give artists the support they need to succeed.
Nearing the end of the interview, Nolan shared that he hoped to release his second album this year. As he tells me, it is his favorite project that he has created. In this following album he shares that his album will be full of emotions and stories from his life. Moreover, with it being a second album– he enters this process with maturity and knowledge on how to execute what’s next. Upon creating this project for nearly three years, he has been holding and waiting for the right time to release the album. Like I mentioned before, he worked on his website, nolangross.com. When entering this website, it showcases the culmination of his life; thus being his creative projects, music, and clothing for sale. In my words simply, it is eye-candy. The website includes a history and collection of his music videos. My favorite page to look at are his recap videos and photos. Another entrancing page is the ‘Pop-Ups’ page. There you’ll see images and visuals of the spaces he performs in. In addition, the collaborative mission to sell clothes that he and Sam assembled. Did you see that Mind Liquid wrapped BMW e30?! Glaring and dazzling to incorporate in the pop-up. Top-notch interior designing right there. The website even has a built-in online store where you can find a selection of vintage pieces that he altered and upcycled. Overall, full of impressive content to check out. With this well developed website, I’m yet to harvest what he has sowed for us in his next album. Be thrilled everyone!
Lastly, what does “Not a Phase” mean to Nolan? In his words fully, “When something is timeless, it feels like it’s meant to stay for a long time without straying from its original essence. Whether it’s in art or life, we all experience phases, changes, and evolutions, but when you know who you are, it stops being just a phase and becomes your reality. I love the mantra, “Not A Phase”, because it reflects our society’s need to dive deeper into ourselves through the phases we all go through.” Well put and beautifully said. For an incredible artist and creative like Nolan Gross, the sky is exactly where he stands. Not on solid ground. He stands in the position where he looks up beyond the sky, and can see beyond his sunrise. More so meaning, there is always more and something greater than ourselves. Hope and endless possibilities. Thank you Nolan Gross for being that star. Keep going. Much love, Not A Phase Magazine.