Q&A with NICK de la HOYDE – With Comparisons to Macklemore & Justin Timberlake + 100K Instagram fans, This Sydney Favorite Is Ready For International Success.

With comparisons to Macklemore and Justin Timberlake and 100,ooo Instagram fans, Sydney fave NICK DE LA HOYDE is ready for international success with his Passion EP.

“Nick is at once humble, energetic, but confident in his abilities – the three hallmarks of a successful rapper.” (Kellan Miller, AllHipHop.com)

Blending the sounds of hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word, while also featuring introspective lyrics that read like personal journal entries, de la Hoyde’s songs express the angst and triumphs that come with youth, dreams, and determination.

By performing his songs online and through his self-made videos, de la Hoyde has made a name for himself. He has built a strong and loyal fan base, one that continues to grow on a weekly basis. While this growth has been evident across all of de la Hoyde’s social media sites, it has been most notable on Instagram, where he has gained more than 100k followers in just twelve months.

As a debut EP, Passion is a powerful musical statement. de la Hoyde’s deep lyrical content is met by an equally emotive bed of music, combining the talents of production siblings Joseph and John de la Hoyde and renowned hip-hop producer Lemoyne “LA” Alexander. The result is a unique and refreshing blend of hip-hop, pop, and alternative rock, one that evokes visions of the future while remaining keenly aware of the past.

All Access Music writer, Nicole DeRosa had a chance to catch up with Nick. Read more in their interview below!

Hi Nick! How are you today? What’s on the agenda today besides our interview?

Hey Nicole! I am really good thank you. My day has been pretty chilled out to be honest. I have to do an online broadcast later but other than that its just a quiet one.

So, first things first, how’s your summer been so far? Any highlights that stand out in your mind?

Well, over here in Sydney its currently winter. 😉  Although Aussie winters aren’t to cold compared to most. I have pretty much been locked away either in the studio or in my room writing and recording new material. And doing a fair bit of online broadcasting.

For those that are not familiar with you and your music, who or what was the catalyst (inspiration) for you to want to live the life of a musical gypsy?

“So pretty much when I was 15, I moved to Barcelona Spain on my own to pursue a career in football (soccer). After being there over a year I started to struggle with emotions of being away from home and, at the time, not being able to communicate in Spanish. So in a way for me to deal with that I use to write all my thoughts and emotions down on paper.”

After awhile I had so much written down they started to turn into lyrics. I eventually realized that I had something going and continued to write. I had no idea I could sing at the time so I would just rhyme out the lyrics I would write. Soon after I bought myself a microphone and started to record and release my music and short videos onto the internet.

Who have been your inspirations growing up that also inspire you today?

My biggest inspirations in my life would have to be my family. Not only are they all working so hard at achieving their goals, they pick me up every time I’m down and make sure I’m always on track with my life. I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it wasn’t for them.

What did you learn between your previous work and playing live, that you felt you wanted to infuse into your soon-to-b released EP, Passion?

“My debut EP, Passion was a statement. Its my blood sweat and tears. I want people to feel that anything is possible and if you really believe in yourself it can happen. I guess you could say Passion is a sign of hope.”

What was the inspiration for your new single, “By My Side”?

My inspiration behind writing my single “By My Side” was all to do with music.
The song and video have a big twist behind it. As most listeners would believe the song was written about a girl. But it was actually written about music, and that music will always be there “By My Side”

Did you help come up with the treatment for the video for “By My Side” as well?

It was after a few coffee meetings and long chats with myself, my manager and Bruno Kataoka, the video’s director and producer, where we came up together with the idea behind the video for “By My Side”. We are stoked to have Bruno working with us because he is an absolute genius at what he does.

What was the first album you bought yourself?

I cannot recall the first album I ever bought because I was lucky to have 2 older brothers that would buy the music and load it onto an CD or iPod for me. I was really open to music genres as a kid and would listen to just about anything. Although, I do remember listening to a lot of old school Eminem and Linkin Park.

What was the first song you fell in love with and why?

One of the first ever songs that I fell in love with would have to be “Crawling” by Linkin Park. I’d have to say it just hit the spot for me as a kid. I loved the heaviness of the music and the melodic raps through out the song.

What’s on tap next for you? What are you most excited about for this year?

I guess for me I’m just going to continue to record and release, so you can expect a lot more music and music videos form me as well as a lot of online gigs and face to face live performance as well. I am hoping to take the live show on the road internationally soon and can’t wait to get a chance to tour the USA.

To learn more about NICK de la HOYDE , visit him HERE