Nick Waterhouse | Episode 23 | Skullcandy

You Feel Me?

Nick Waterhouse’s warm recordings take me back to hearing my dad’s records in the basement as a child, where his vintage Sansui stereo made everything sound like the soundtrack to a Scorsese film. He blends influences from days past to make records that deal with modern problems in a classic way. His latest self-titled record takes everything he’s learned over the last three and perfects into a masterclass of precise minimalism. Nick’s approach is admittedly utilitarian. He purposefully makes sure not to get too obsessive with guitar mastery, so that he can worry about less about how technical his licks are and more about making the instrument emote. He understands and acknowledges the limitations of his voice, but makes sure every grunt and growl an extended note brings takes the listener on the same emotional journey he’s on. He works with what’s accessible to bring the sounds in his head to life. I talked to Nick about his upbringing in Orange County, and his coming-of-age-movie-worthy summer job in the dying days of the major record store chains. We talk about his pivotal days in San Francisco post dot com boom, pre new tech boom, where he DJ’d in a very particular rock n’ roll warehouse scene. We also discuss the misconceptions people have about him as an artist and the stigma of being labeled “retro.” All that and more this week on “You Feel Me.”

Highlights:

0:28: Becoming a record store nerd

1:45: discovering music through sampling

3:40 Bro culture in Orange County

6:34: Music post WWll

7:05: living with a death wish in Southern California

12:55: growing up in an LA family

19:40: High School jobs

25:08: First Band Experience

31:54: Moving to San Francisco

36:12: Author dreams

43:45: Digger hip-hop shows

46:43: Producing music post college

49:14: Life as a working musician

54:15: The content business vs the music business

57:43: Releasing a self titled album