SLOANE Brings New Pop Era for Nick Rosen
Photo courtesy of SLOANE
SLOANE, the solo venture of Nick Rosen, released “Too Young To Be Lonely” last month. The single comes as the follow-up to a first single, “Old Hands New Face” over a year ago on his debut EP, Music To Cry To While You Smile. The track is a pop-infused, electronic feat that explores the downfall of a relationship and subsequent rejection of hurt feelings.
Rosen points to The 1975 and Bleachers as influences for this project. He shared, “I never think I want my songs to sound a certain way, I just try to listen close enough to what the music is telling me and try to find a way to best support the story that I’m trying to tell, whether that ends up sound pop or jazz or whatever.”
With infectious beats and face mask to boot, SLOANE feels like somewhat of a departure from Rosen’s origins. A self-proclaimed “L.A. gutter punk”, he was introduced to Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra at the age of sixteen, delving into the world of jazz. His pursuit of the bass culminated in a performance at The Sayers Club in Los Angeles with members of the Arkestra. Rosen describes the show as, “...open and honest, and playing our hearts out while telling the real stories with our instruments and voice.”
Rosen went on to perform with jazz legends Bennie Maupin, Arthur Blythe, and Neils Cline, as well as aid musician Henry Grimes in returning to the stage. Following this work, he served as music director for NBC’s live specials, “Fourth of July” and “Christmas in Rockefeller Center”. Since his debut with the Arkestra, he has worked as music director at The Sayers Club and performed alongside the likes of Prince, will.i.am., Bruno Mars, and Jamie Foxx.
“Too Young To Be Lonely” reflects the likes of modern pop music, with modified vocals and infectious drum beats matched by Conan Gray or Lauv. However, Rosen’s previous work set him up for this release. Having worked with Michael Giacchino on composing scores for Super 8, Star Trek, and LOST, Rosen was no stranger to storytelling instrumentally as well as efficiently conveying that story.
“This helps me when I’m working on songs, solo or in sessions, because there is very little lag time between me thinking of an idea and being able to record it perfectly,” he stated.
SLOANE is the freedom Rosen was searching for, a chance to fill up his lyrics with personal honesty. The pixelated covering that adorns his face in all images and performances is just another tactic in furthering his truth. The artistic decision was made to, “...represent that when I am (or we all are) going through various traumas, breakups, financial hardships, etc. it can be difficult to see myself clearly.” He reiterated that the purpose of the mask was not to disguise his identity, but to make his work feel relatable and customizable for all listeners.
Despite COVID-19 setbacks, Rosen is excited to release one song a month through October in anticipation of his second EP, Too Young To Be Lonely. Keep an eye out for future collaborations and continual work on solo releases under SLOANE.
“Too Young To Be Lonely” is available on Apple Music and Spotify.
Follow Sloane: