An Interview With Model and Pop Star, Nick Hissom On His Debut Music and His Rise In The Music Biz and More!

​Top model and now mega pop star Nick Hissom recently released his highly anticipated EP titled ​ Love Energy ​nationwide on May 6. The five ­track project features his hit song “One” as well as his  brand new single “Where You Are.” The British born 23­-year-­old, teamed up with multi­diamond producer Steve Morales and together they created a project that reflects Hissom’s most honest self.

“I put my entire heart and soul into my music, it is a sonic expression of my personality,” says Nick. “That’s why I named my album ​ Love Energy, because  literally all my love and energy went into it, and I want the music to create love  and inspiration in everybody who hears it.” 

Throughout the month of May, the former Tommy Hilfiger model will embark on a promo tour in support of the EP. Hissom will visit major markets including ​ Miami, New York, and Los Angeles, amongst others, before his final performance in Las Vegas leading up to the Billboard Music Awards.

Music goers were introduced to his music last year, when he debuted his first single “One” at Malibu Mansion hosted by Cumulus Radio at the American Music Awards. He shared the stage with industry favorites including Nick Jonas, Tori Kelly and Fall Out Boy. Following his performance, “One” was added to the  nationally syndicated Zach Sang Show, a Top 40 and Pop Culture talk show  airing on Westwood One, Cumulus, and many others. Shortly after, the track  broke into the Top 100 and secured Hissom a Las Vegas residency at the  exclusive XS Las Vegas at the Wynn.

 For more information on Nick Hissom, please go to ​ www.nickhissom.com​ . @nickhissom  http://www.nickhissom.com/  www.facebook.com/nickhissomofficial  www.instagram.com/nickhissom/  https://soundcloud.com/nickhissom

Learn more about Nick in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! So, how’s 2016 been treating you and your music so far? What were some of the highlights of 2015 for you?

Of course, thank you for having me! 2016 has been very hectic, but also really fun. I finished the EP in mid January, and from that day on it’s been all about building an amazing and dedicated team and figuring out how we’re going to get the world to hear the music! It’s been a grind, but I’m so excited to finally be releasing it after all these years in the studio.

2015 was an incredible year; I got to perform at Malibu Mansion at the AMAs, started a residency at XS Las Vegas, and heard my songs on the radio for the first time ever! What a rush! I’m thankful for 2015, and excited for 2016!

Growing up, did you always want to be a musician? Can you recall your earliest musical memory?

Pursuing music has always been in the back of my mind, and I have always loved singing and songwriting; however, because my family is so business-orientated I was always afraid to pursue it. But, once I started college at UPenn in Philadelphia, I discovered a new-found freedom to explore my creativity, and so that’s when my musical journey truly began.

My earliest musical memories were Disney songs and listening to Michael Jackson in the car with my Dad. I used to run around the house cleaning while singing “Whistle While You Work” and “Hakuna Matata” from Snow White and the Lion King – I was a very weird child!

Next month, you will be releasing your EP, “Love Energy”. How does that feel? How long did you work on these songs?

It took almost 6 years of constant songwriting, studio sessions, redeye flights, and a slew of bad songs before I even started to find my own sound as an artist. My breakthrough moment was when I met my executive producer Steve Morales (Christina, Enrique, Celine) in April 2015 and together we discovered what “Nick Hissom” really sounded like. Our first song together was “Love Energy”, which became the title track of my EP. Steve became my Executive Producer, and since we’ve spent the past year working almost exclusively with one another.

I’ve never been more excited about anything then I am to share “Love Energy” with the world after all this time. It’s crazy… I still have all the voice notes on my phone of Steve and I humming melodies from our first studio sessions a year ago, and now those voice notes are songs – my favorite songs.

Can you talk about what it was like to reveal your single, “One” at the Malibu Mansion party last fall? What was the inspiration for that song?

I was incredibly nervous! Stepping on stage alongside Tori Kelly, Nick Jonas, and Fall Out Boy as a totally new artist was terrifying. I knew I had a lot to live up to, and so I prepared for months working on my dancing, vocals, story-telling, sound engineering, production etc. – there’s SO much that goes into every single performance. And I want every performance to inspire, so I put a lot of pressure on myself.

Thankfully the hard work paid off and it was an amazing show! When I stepped off that stage I just ran and gave my vocal coach Mindy and my team the biggest hug and we were all totally overwhelmed. I couldn’t believe that I – normal kid who was not the lead role in the school plays, not a kid with musical parents, or a kid who’d been playing instruments his whole life – had managed to push myself and pull it off just like the rest of ’em! It was one of the most special moments of my life.

The inspiration for “One” was to create confidence in others. I don’t consider myself a naturally sexy guy at all, but when I first heard “One” and dove into the writing I immediately felt empowered, sexy, and cool. I thought to myself – if this song makes a nerdy dude like me feel like Justin Timberlake, then maybe it’ll do that for other people too! When I see people moving to my song and loving that moment, loving who they are, loving their body and self and feeling amazing it makes it all worth it for me. I think music affects us all in very similar, but also in very different ways.

How did you your experience as a model has helped prepare you for the life of an artist? What’s completely different from that lifestyle?

Everything! Despite the fact that fashion and music always come hand-in-hand there’s very little in common between being a model and being a musician. One is about your looks, one is about your creativity expressed in sonic form. I switched from modeling to music because I wanted people to connect with my heart, not only with my looks. That being said, my experience as a model taught me a lot about rejection, and whether you’re an artist or a model or an actor (or anything in life really) you are going to be rejected a lot and by everyone. So you have to learn how to take rejection in stride, stay true to yourself, and persevere. Modeling taught me how to deal with rejection and better myself from a very early age. I’m so thankful for everything I learnt as a model, and still remain close with the fashion industry.

What was it like working with the legendary producer, Dallas Austin?

Dallas was the first ever big-time producer that gave me a chance, so I will always and forever be grateful to him for believing in me. Even though we never released any of the songs we did together, they are still some of my best. When I met Dallas, he saw a raw talent sat front of him and I guess that inspired him to work with me.

It was a breakthrough moment in my career; after almost 2 years of running around without a direction I finally had a credible industry believer. It only takes one, and then from there even though not everyone will work with you – at least they’ll listen to your demos. That was the chance I needed! I’m still close with Dallas to this day, and we may even get back in the studio together while finishing the album!

What was your show like in Vegas with Alesso? Will you performing a lot more there throughout the summer?

It felt great to be back on stage at XS! Having Alesso there was amazing too because he adds so much to the hype and energy in the room; of course I’m also a fan of his music. I’ll be performing twice a month in Vegas throughout April and May, plus doing a string of shows in New York, Miami, LA, and a few other cities while promoting “Love Energy” the EP. I’m excited about my summer shows in June and July too because I’ll get to throw pool parties! I can’t wait! My second single off the EP is called “Falling” and it has such a fun tropical vibe so I’m really looking forward to sharing those feel-good summer moments with everyone!

How was Coachella? Did you get to check out a lot of artists?

It was my first time ever going this year! I really loved Coachella because it’s such a unique opportunity to see once-in-a-lifetime guest performances. It’s cool that a lot of celebrities pop in and experiment with their sets too! I was blown away by Sia, and my friends and I enjoyed watching Rhianna and Calvin Harris. Ke$ha’s performance with Zedd was also very powerful, and I admire her for standing up for herself and women everywhere. Other than that, I spent a lot of time hopping between tents checking out a bunch of new artists on the scene. I also got to check out Kylie Jenner’s party with Paper Magazine too!

Who are some of your all-time favorite artists? Who would you love to collaborate with in the future?

There are too many to name, but to name a few; Michael Jackson, Enrique Iglesias, Beyoncé, Frank Sinatra, One Republic, Whitney Houston, Katy Perry – the list goes on. There are so many incredible artists that I look up to and that inspire me on a daily basis. To see truly passionate people doing what they love and being the best at it is an experience in itself. When they sing you feel every word and every note, you feel the music in your heart.

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope listeners are taking away from your songs?

I want my music to create love, happiness, and inspiration in others. When I began my musical career, I wanted to connect with the most amount of people in the most meaningful way possible. As the universal language, music speaks to everyone’s feelings and emotions and heals all. And so if people can hear my music and feel a little happier, a little more inspired by the world, and feel a genuine connection between us then I will have succeeded. That’s why I named my album “Love Energy”; because all my love and energy went into it, and I want the music itself to create love in others when they hear it.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

I want them to know that I care about them in a very deep and genuine way. That I make music with the world in mind and with the desire to connect with others; not just to sing about my own experiences, but to relate to yours. And that I hope that they love the music as much as I do and that it makes them happy. I work really hard at what I do, and I’m in love with what I do – and I hope that we can all share in that journey and believe in one another together.

Thank you so much for your time. Much love.