FFO: Nice Guy – Alone

After a brief hiatus, Teesside indie-rockers Nice Guy return to the fold with their brand new single, Alone. The song is about self-care and not needing validation in your personal and professional lives, and that a little bit of solitude can be good to give you the freedom needed to love yourself.

Sonically, the song with its soaring, reverb-drenched guitar sounds and dynamic beats provides a rich backdrop for lead singer Michael McCluskey’s tender, melodious drawl that becomes increasingly more poignant and impassioned in the catchy and affecting chorus. 

Here, the band try to encapsulate the sound of this single, using three other tracks…

The Walkmen – The Rat

The Walkmen generally released music that tended to be a little more laid back and contemplative, so when they released ‘The Rat’ it was a shock. Everything about it, from the chaotic drums and the feverish guitar to Hamilton’s snarling delivery. It’s just a wall of noise from start to finish, interspersed with hard-hitting lyrics. Who wouldn’t draw inspiration from that? We want that chaos. 

Dogs – Winston Smith

Based on the protagonist from the utterly harrowing ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ by George Orwell, which for some reason I decided to put myself through reading again. Lyrically it’s just incredible, detailing the story inside out and painting a vivid picture of every scene. I think it’s important to A) say something with your music and B) not be too obvious with it.  Otherwise you’re another one of those bands that throw in a rhyme for the sake of it. Any band that adds a ‘WOAH’ into their music should take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror and ask if that was the best they could do. 

Christophe Deschamps – I’ve Been Waiting For So Long 

Truth be told, I’ve no idea who this song actually belongs to, as I’ve only ever been able to find it on YouTube. But it’s quintessential soul music. I love soul, it’s always so melodic and has so much passion in it. We try to weave as much melody into our songs as we can, it helps when your guitarist can pluck notes out of thin air without thinking about it. So this kind of music invariably seeps into what we do, whether it’s in the writing process or the finished article.