Nasmore
Interview conducted on March 16, 2022
By Dan Locke
Nasmore is a composer, songwriter, and music producer from Canada. He loves experimenting with different styles and techniques and works together with great singers and musicians all over the world.
What is your upbringing?
I grew up too fast. I was a 5-year-old kid when our family friend, a conservatory of performing arts professor, discovered a perfect pitch in me and the tendency to feel and understand the music. Based on her recommendations, I was sent to a special music school where I received formal and comprehensive musical education from the age of 5 until I turned 17.
How did you discover music?
Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, and hundreds more constituted my world throughout my childhood. My professor was very conservative, coming from the old school of musicians who dedicated their whole lives to music without compromise. I learned music history and composition and spent countless hours playing the piano every day. And I was performing 6-8 performances every year, including solo concerts.
How did you start to write music?
After school, my career had a 90-degree turn, away from music and into the IT world, and it’s been so until late 2020 when I felt that I had lots to “say” in musical terms. I attribute it to the pandemic, lockdowns, and the need to keep active. So I decided to purchase the instruments and went back to school. Only this time, my teachers were me, myself and Google.
Describe your music.
Even though I’m not consciously aiming for it, it comes out with a few original features that make it recognizable. My style seamlessly blends the elements of pop, hip-hop, rock, and R&B. And quite frequently, my classical education comes out so that you can hear cello or violin throughout the song. I don’t constrain myself to the boundaries of a particular genre, and I’m choosing the genres for my next piece as if I were choosing cuisine for my next dinner.
What was your first performance like?
I was terrified – a 7-year-old kid playing in front of five hundred professionals, seeing nothing but the keyboard, thinking of nothing but my fingers touching the keys. Apparently, it went well. It was my first introduction to applause and compliments. But most important words were “very good” coming from my professor because it was as rare and unique as ‘Madonna’ Da Vinci.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve. Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
Yes, I do.
What makes a good songwriter?
I attribute it to the excellent taste and the ability to write music that comes from your soul. Anyone can learn to write music today with modern digital tools. But only a few manage to touch the soul of the listener.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Notre Dame De Paris Fire. Yes, I did.
What is the process of writing your music?
Before I start writing, I get a visual of a future song: a movie-like scene, a conversation, a place or an environment. Usually, I try to memorize these ideas to come back to work on them later. The rest is probably not any different than other producers.
Tell me about the songs- The Deal and Let’s get Freaky. And how was it to work with Cris Hodges
I worked with Cris on multiple songs – “Black Dress,” “Your Bullet,” “Say Goodbye,” “Let’s get freaky,” and “Adrenaline Storm.” Cris is brilliant and very versatile. His vocal instrument is very powerful and could sound anything from heavy metal to Michael Jackson. Sometimes we disagree but always find the way through. “#the_deal” was initially made for Cris to sing. Still, after experimenting with rap in “Adrenaline Storm,” I realized that if I stepped away from the cinematic rock vocals and went with soft melodic rap, I could make “#the deal” sound unique. So, I offered it to RyanMusiq, and his work on it was fantastic!
What are you feeling about streaming music?
I think there is no way musicians and fans can live without it. It’s everywhere, and it’s convenient. Even more important, it opens the doors up to new and independent musicians and makes it easy to share their music.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
I guess it’s hard to forget something you never knew about)) People who know music notation for sure understand what # stands for. But I think metadata hashtags are critical in the digital music world. With over 60000 new tracks released every day, hashtags could be very helpful in navigating through the moods, vibes, and characters.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I suspect vinyl turned into a niche for people who understand what music crafting means, who don’t buy music in bulk by signing up to one of the digital platforms. I would love to make a vinyl one day. But I also find that digital technologies are getting more and more advanced, and sometimes even a professional cannot distinguish between the live sound and one recorded with a plugin.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
“Still loving you” by Scorpions. This is an excellent example of a crafted song that shows pure talent in every note.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I don’t think Covid-19 killed live music. It just let it rest and accumulate strength only to come back even more powerful.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
It introduced some new efficiencies to the music production where musicians had to acquire new skills working remotely. And indeed, it gave a significant boost to digital music platforms.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I was writing music and spending lots of time collaborating with my partners. It was a pretty busy and exciting time.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I don’t think it was any different than before the Covid except maybe the access to gyms. But gyms are not indispensable because there is always another way to keep active.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Music is my hobby.
Recently the virus has come back with the Delta outbreak, then you Omicron, which as cause many people in the industry to worry about the future of live music. How would you like live shows to be held and still keep you and fans safe?
I think Covid is to stay with us this way or another. Hopefully, it will turn into something like the regular flu. But the lesson is learned, and we have to follow all the best practices. And if so, it will help us to stay healthy regardless of the type of virus flying around.
Is pay-to-play still a thing? Now pay to play also means things like a playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Unfortunately, it is. Music platforms are pretty bad at offering equal jumpstart conditions to artists. What happens if you release a new song and your promotion budget is slim, and you have no significant fan base? At best, the music will get five streams, of which all five will be yourself, your wife, your best friend, and your mom and dad. So what’s next? Likely countless efforts to get few streams, frequently unsuccessful.
The show Star Trek introduced people to the holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with.
Today holograms are already being used in a variety of way, such as medical systems, education, art, security and defense
Performers like Tupac, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Marylin Monroe, and Whitney Houston have done it already. The band ABBA just announced that they will be doing a comeback together after nearly 40 years as holograms on their next tour. With ABBA it was with the help of George Lucas .
If the cost was down to the point you could do it also, would you be willing to do Holographic concerts in our living room?
I’m sure this technology is worthy of becoming a part of the musical scene. However, I see it a bit differently. Better not in one’s living room but some venue, so that one concert could be happening in multiple cities across the globe. One thing is very important to keep in mind – it must be interactive. Otherwise, it’s not much different than watching it on TV.
In the past, if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
Music is my hobby that gradually takes over my schedule. I have a good job outside of music, which is quite common among independent artists. But hypothetically speaking, if music was the only career, I would probably move on to establish a label or some promotion entity and help independent artists.
What is your happy place?
Home.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, John Legend, ZZ Top and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180 song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited . Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offering by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
On January 19, 2021 Hipgnosis Song Management acquired 80% of Kenny Chesney’s recorded music royalties, covering the country superstar’s discography from his 1994 debut In My Wildest Dreams through 2017’s Live in No Shoes Nation.
Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby. He did not want to sell his publishing rights. In addition, it was not an easy thing for him to do. However, by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off his shoulders. He could pay off his house and cover other bills. Now he does not have to work for a living. It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands, which hurts his ability to play guitar.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
If the funds help you to serve a good cause – then yes. I think every artist goes through stages: seed, raise, peak, decline.
So what do you do when you realize you are at that decline stage?
I’m speculating here, but I think capitalizing on their catalogue assets and investing in something new would make sense.
There are many platforms out there that allow artists to get their music heard. Artist Republik, DistroKid, Tunecore & plenty others offer distribution services. These services enable independent artists to put their music on some of the most popular streaming services globally, from Spotify to Apple Music & everything in between. If you’ve been in any part of the music industry in recent years, you probably know someone that has distributed a song.
Spotify reports that in 2021 there are about 8 million artists on the platform. Of those 8 million artists, about 57,000 are raking in a whopping 90% of the total revenue from streams. That means that .71% of the artists on Spotify are making good money. In 2020, there was a total of around $5 billion paid out to artists on the Spotify platform alone.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT was be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
I don’t think 80 million tracks vs 100 million makes a huge difference. These are big numbers regardless. It isn’t easy to get heard already and will be even more difficult. Unfortunately, music is a business, and business requires investment. I notice platforms like Instagram and Tiktok take musical content more and more seriously. So maybe there is a chance for independent artists to find their audience on these platforms faster than on others.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like a dance challenges and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment.
TikTok has became a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners. In which it has become a place for music artist to earn revenue when people use their music. Which in many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to huge boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.
TikTok does this with the the algorithmically generates a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch.
Because a song can go viral because of this.
Sony Music and Warner Music Group- , The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
Yes, I would use it regardless. Their algorithm seems to be more advanced and fairer.
Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer.The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
Some of the on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, and Mick Jagger.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary,Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
Indeed, the idea has potential. But its success hugely depends on execution. I guess we will see.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
I just want to thank you for the good questions and for the opportunity to share my thoughts
