The short version of the story is that Nick Driver grew up on a farm in Zebulon, started a rock band in high school, trained classically (for guitar and vocals) in college, played hardcore for a spell, and then decided to scrap all the genre pretense and band histrionics for a more personal approach. Now lauded for his Americana, singer/songwriter feel, Driver’s recorded two records (2010’s Warm is Your Color and 2011’s A Kind of Love This World Could Never Burn) and toured the country sharing his music. This NC native is steady mastering the hustle, but can he answer our five questions? See for yourself after the jump!
1. If your band were one of the Golden Girls, which would it be?
Golden Girls! If my band was one of the Golden Girls it would have to be Rose (Betty White’s character). She’s such a good hearted person, but has no clue what’s going on half of the time. I think my band would fall under that particular persona– and I think that is a great thing. We are your friendly, neighborhood band that rarely fights, and honestly, we have no idea if people are laughing at us, so we just keep playing music because we love it like Rose loves life! 🙂
2. When did you start to think music might really be something more than a bedroom hobby?
I wanted to play music for as long as I can remember. When I was really young (like 6 years old or something), I remember my mom filmed me singing “Achy Breaky Heart†by Billy Ray Cyrus. That always comes back to bite me when I am hanging out with my family at Christmas time. I guess around 1999 is when it hit me that this is what I want to do. I never really turned back, and I never really had a back up plan. Everyone always tells musicians to have a back up plan, but I don’t know if I really believe in back up plans. After all, if you don’t go after what you really want to do in life, then the only person you are cheating is yourself.
3. Describe your ambition.
Ambition according to the dictionary is 1) desire for rank, fame, or power (or) 2) a desire to achieve a particular end. I am not really after a desire for rank or fame or power I guess….I am more interested in the second definition: a desire to achieve a particular end. The end result for me would be to be remembered in the music community for being a songwriter for the cause of LOVE. I guess I have more of a humbled Achilles syndrome to a certain degree. I want to be the best. I want to be better than everyone around me that plays shows with me. Our drive is something that has taken me and my band to play for Sirius XM Radio the Coffee House station in NYC, to play the American Music Festival with Tony Bennett, Blake Shelton, to play for Apple events in Monterey, CA and to play Los Angeles multiple times throughout last year. As corny as this might sound, my granddad told me one time that “Drive†is part of my last name, so I have no choice but to have it; it’s who I am.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
Jamie King from Swift is a big influence on me and my music. He’s the most talented producer I’ve ever worked. Edward Norton, I watch Fight Club on the regular because it keeps my focus on (plus, it’s a killer movie). Not that I would ever blow up credit buildings to restart everyone’s cards…but it’s the moral. It’s a story of an individual who worked hard at something and found so many followers even if it was extreme. He believed in it. He believed he was right. I read a lot of the poetry from Sylvia Plath. She was intense. I make loads of sunshine type songs, but a lot of my influences have a tendency to be a little bit on the darker, edgier side of things. I think it’s just a balance. You can’t go around being happy or sad forever, its all about balance. But I do want my music and art to bring people happiness if only for the 3 minutes they are listening to it. I guess with my art, I want to express that the simple things in life are the best. I want to make love and relationships sound like an interesting concept like they truly are.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)
I wanted to be a Ninja. I use to be this hardcore Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan and play this video game called Ninja Gaiden I, II, III. And I always wanted to mimic them. I would get off the school bus, and run into my house and put my little red eye bandanna thing over my fan and pick up some fake sais because I loved Rafael. I’d walk around in the woods and hit trees with my fake weapons and pretend they were foot soldiers. Hahaha. It didn’t turn out too good now that I’m a grown man. I can’t go around dressed up like a Ninja Turtle because that would freak people out.
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Wander down the The Nightlight to hear the Nick Driver Band tonight, Thursday, October, 13th. And by all means, give Nick a high five when you see him!