[Friday Feature] nicholas Franchise: Interview + New Album 'Return on Investment'

9 Apr

IMOGEN STAINES - 9 APR 2021

It’s time to Release The Franchise.

2018 gave us Setup; 2021 is blessing us with its follow-up, Return On Investment. Woozy and romantic, the album is an impressive evolution of nicholas Franchise's signature 'pop-raunch-rock' sound. Yes, Return On Investment is built on guitars, but adjectives like 'surf', 'jangle' and 'bbq' most certainly do not apply.

So what can you expect, then? Soft and dreamy but with a beat that demands to be heard, almost seen: when you put Return On Investment on, you are quite simply going places. Nick Davies, the Wellington-based musician and producer behind nicholas Franchise, takes you high and happy with “Getup”, grounds you with “Worry ‘Bout” and breaks your heart just a little bit with “Talking To Her” (his personal favourite) and “Felt The Same”.

The songs on Return On Investment were written over the last four years between stints in Dunedin, Portland, South America and Wellington. They were recorded in his Wellington bedroom studio, including a two-week session in a one-bedroom Airbnb in Porirua.

His lyrics are raw, to the point, often sweet and quietly charming. He’s definitely not shy about his romanticism, describing it as ‘such an easy and natural zone to find a nerve.’ There’s more than a hint of early 2000s house music in there, coupled with a vocal style reminiscent of Prince of Lo-Fi Julian Casablancas (Lou Reed is king, in case you were wondering).

A self-professed ‘lone wolf’, who describes love as ‘cool’, Nick has made a kind of dynamic magic out of being alone and emotional and popped it all together in one place for your listening pleasure. The vibe is warm, personal and rich, and fun without being flippant. He may have put it best himself when he described the album as full of ‘repressed passion’.

Get us to the ‘dance angst sweaty bop marathon’ that is a nicholas Franchise live show - now.

nicholas Franchise plays a five show "Unleash The Franchise" Tour in April. Tickets are available from Under The Radar.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT NZ TOUR DATES

April 16 Starters, Dunedin

April 17 Darkroom, Chch

April 23 San Fran, Wellington

April 30 Whammy, Auckland

May 1 Mount Social Club, Mount Maunganui

Listen to the album and read the May Magazine interview with Nick of nicholas Franchise below!

IMOGEN: YOU MENTION EARLY 2000S HOUSE MUSIC AS AN INFLUENCE. WHAT OTHER INFLUENCES DID YOU FIND YOURSELF DRAWING ON FOR THE ALBUM?

Nick: I’d say the main influences that seem to stick with me are Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Strokes, Tame Impala and Mac DeMarco. They seem to have dug their heels pretty hard since late teenhood. It doesn’t feel so much that I look to them when creating, more that they just seem to have set up shop a while back.

NF ON POP-RAUNCH-ROCK: ‘IT’S YOUR DENIAL OF AN EMO PHASE IN TEENHOOD NOW EMERGING IN SOME DIFFERENT FORM IN YOUR TWENTIES.’ INTRIGUINGLY PUT! CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THIS A LITTLE? WHAT WOULDN’T LEAVE EMO TEEN NICK ALONE UNTIL IT HAD TO MAKE ITSELF KNOWN IN YOUR TWENTIES?

Haha yes, well in my teens, I had no interest in emo culture, thought it was no good. But looking back now I think I was not dissimilar in what I was up to - at the same time I was absolutely thrashing Forget by Twin Shadow & running in the rain every other night. That album is so romantic and broody and I was fully sworn to that vibe. There’s a repressed passion to it all, whether you accept it or not- and pop-raunch-rock is your best therapy to get that demon out!

YOUR SOUND IS UPBEAT, BUT I WOULDN’T BELIEVE YOU IF YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT TOO! HOW DOWNBEAT CAN POP-RAUNCH-ROCK POTENTIALLY BE?

Oh the genre is so wide reaching, you’re too right that you’ll see the lows just as much as any of the highs. Got to slow it down if you really want to get the raunch factor, got to shed a tear every once and a while.

(interview cont’d below video)

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE ALBUM? IF SO, WHY? IF NOT, WHY NOT?

Yes I think it’s “Talking to Her”. I’d dreamed of how that would sound for so long since 2018 and now it’s in the iPod very much as imagined, that feels good!

IN FIVE WORDS, CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOUR LIVE SHOWS ARE LIKE?

Dance angst sweaty bop marathon

WHO IS IN YOUR BAND?

We have Conor Geany/Friendlies on bass and backing vocals, Moha Winders on lead guitar, Juan Quintero on Drums, Natalia Malinowski on synths and Keys.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE EMERGING KIWI ARTISTS?

Theo Gold. My good friend and collaborator, but honestly putting aside the personal relationship, musically he is seriously clean and refreshing, cuts through the NZ scene, his album drops soon and it goooes. The Doll MC from Christchurch I’ve just discovered and am very very stoked on, huge energy to respect. Also a refresher, for NZ rock in particular.

LOOKING AT RETURN ON INVESTMENT AS A WHOLE, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

The chords and some of the guitar work in the song writing I’m proud of, I like unconventional arrangements that work. But mostly proud of getting it finished and out there. It’s not perfect but I’ve learnt a lot about making moves and getting things done in the process. Feels great to have something to give.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR NICHOLAS FRANCHISE?

Enjoying some untied and free recording & writing. Falling in love with playing instruments again. Maybe some collaboration!

THIS ISN’T A QUESTION, BUT THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS ALBUM IN GENERAL, AND GETUP IN PARTICULAR. I COULDN’T TURN IT OFF.

Too kind much love to you MM

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