Hawke's Bay Compilation Record showcase - Nick Herbison
Nick Herbison appears to be a very typical Hawkes Bay-born and bred, with a love for surfing and working in the Viticultural industry and a laid-back vibe he fits the image perfectly.
However the 25 year old has an edge to his character that others don’t - he is a singer-songwriter and self-producer.
Describing his music as “Easy listening, indie folk with an emphasis on relatable, life inspired lyricism”
With a deep yet calming sound that could be compared with the greatness of John Mayer, Herbison’s sound still stands out on its own as something special.
When discussing other musicians, Herbison explains Jack Johnson, Ben Howard, Ben Harper, and Matt Corby are just a few who inspire him.
Starting his music journey as a young boy, he explains it was his mother who pushed him.
“I first began playing guitar when I was in primary school from the age of 10. My mother was excited for me to learn the guitar”
Attending Napier Boys High School, Herbison explains that his Guitar Teacher David Boston had a massive influence on the musician he has become.
“He influenced me greatly with learning how to play scales and finger pick”
While he didn’t attend University to study music he did complete a three year Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology, however music comes as a passion he is more than happy to pursue in his time off.
Herbison’s music is a reflection of who he is and the journey he has gone on through in discovering his musical identity.
“I am most proud of staying true to who I am as a person and musician and allowing my musical journey to unfold naturally and unforced”
“I’m proud of the natural progression in my music because I know that I am being true to myself. I think it’s important for artists to stay true to the type of music they want to create rather than what is popular or in fashion.
This natural and unforced style is reflected in his song Bravelands, which is featured on the Under the Sun Vol. 2 record.
“The sound of the song came about the emotions I was going through during the writing process”
“For Bravelands it is a very vulnerable song where I talk about my battle with fear. A main hook in the song is ‘if I control my fear, the path I walk is clear’. Basically saying I can walk any path as long as I am not submitting to fear which I guess is what the bravelands is a metaphor for.”
The song has an intro that will instantly make you listen as Herbison explains why he chose this particular sound.
“The intro has birds tweeting in it because I tend to attach the sounds of birds singing with being at peace of mind.”
Having worked collaboratively previously, Herbison is aware of the processes that are involved in creating a song, however, Bravelands was entirely his work.
“I have worked collaboratively with producer and artist Finn Roberts to create my first EP that I released in 2019. I have also collaborated with artists such as Hugh McKendrey, Brad Roberts, Nick Castles, and Alan Ebyarimpa who have featured musically in my songs.”
His future is exciting as he describes what he hopes it may bring.
“My short-term goals as a solo artist are to record some singles with Producer/artist Thomas Oliver and to keep performing live. My long-term goals are to potentially travel to parts of the world to play live music.”
The Hawke’s Bay Compilation Record- Under the Sun, Vol. 2 was produced by Backline Chartable Trust.
This record would not have been produced without the help of additional funding through Lion foundation, EIT Te Pukenga (Ideaschool) and Aramex.
There is an event being held at Paisley Stage, Napier to celebrate the completion of the vinyl. It will be on 23rd March 2023.
For more information about this event, and about our local musicians check out the Hawke’s Bay Music Hub website and Facebook page.
