q&a: nick huggins

Sound in five words:
Curious, quiet and observational sounds.

Early inspiration:
When I was a teenager living in a country town, the ABC screened a live gig of ‘The Necks’. By the end of the half hour set, I had moved from the couch to be parked right in front of the TV with my mouth open. I’d never seen anything so strange or beautiful, it opened up a whole new world of music to me.

Other interests:
I’m a sucker for discarded, dusty stationary and going surfboard riding with my brother and my mate Tom. The Geelong Football Club also receives a lot of my love and attention. I have night time dreams where I’m somehow inexplicably playing in the forward pocket in the grand final. I wake up kicking the blankets off like a football hero! It’s nice to have something in your life that reminds you of being a kid.

Who do you admire:
I admire my parents for their integrity and generosity.

Greatest achievement:
Greatest achievement would be being a part in the community around the ‘Two Bright Lakes’ label. It is a shared dream that has come to fruition in ways none of us could have expected.

Song you wish you’d written:
‘Sunday Bus’ by Kid Sam is an incredible piece of songwriting. An archetypal Australian song about flawed characters that manages to convey all the horror of their situation without making judgements or grand statements. Kieran Ryan blows my mind every time he sings.

Couldn’t live without:
I couldn’t live without a bit of daydreaming.

Best advice you’ve recieved:
The best advice I’ve ever received was to follow my musical intuition, even though it makes no financial sense. There is nothing as good as getting to do the thing you love every single day.

Do women have it tough in music:
I think the music industry can tend to treat female performers with a different set of criteria, which would drive me crazy if I was subjected to that. I know so many amazing women involved in the music world, who make great things happen behind the scenes. Hazel Brown from Otouto and Two Bright Lakes is an inspiration in her dedication and creative fearlessness. I think there are great role models out there for women to be involved in the music business without playing up to stereotypes or gender expectations.

A question you’ve always wanted to be asked:
I’ve always wanted to be asked to write music for an artful surfing film. Surfing is such a pure and graceful activity, but often surfing films have pumped up and sporty soundtracks. I’d love to score a film with exploratory arrangements and quiet surprising sounds. Recently I’ve been watching youtube clips of surfing and replacing the  music with the gorgeous sounds of Mick Turner’s new record. Great fun!

Nick Huggins’ sophomore album, Five Lights, is out now through Two Bright Lakes / Remote Control. You can find out more about him here!