Artist Interview: Nick Thomas of the Spill Canvas
The Spill Canvas released “Formalities” the latest album by this South Dakota foursome. We had the chance to talk with Guitarist and Lead Singer Nick Thomas last week about the new album, touring and their upcoming hometown show with Lifehouse. Check out the review below and get your copy of Formalities available now on iTunes.
Can you give us some background on the band?
Sure, it started as a solo acoustic thing with just me. I never really intended it to be just me, I always wanted it to be a full band and unit. After a couple of years of touring solo I eventually had some friends from a local band I had known from High School join. A couple years later and a couple of member changes this is where we are today. The full rock band it is today.
So how did you come up with the band name The Spill Canvas?
I’ve told many tall tales on it but the real story is it is some lyrics from my lyrical journals way back in the day when I was first starting to write. That is as far as it goes. I have told a story that I had indecent affairs with my art teacher, that’s a good one I think.
Who do you consider some of you top musical influences?
I grew up listening to Van Morrison and stuff like that. Also growing up with my dad I grew up with lots of folky stuff. As far as all of us in the band we all like Jimmy Eat World bands like Save the Day we also enjoy classic stuff like Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac. It’s a wide array of musical influences. I am a fan of hip hop and I will listen to the occasional metal bands here or there.
Formalities is coming out on July 27th and we heard it includes tracks from both of your EP’s from earlier this year – will new material will be included?
Yeah there are unreleased tracks coming from the same time era we did the two EP’s in. So there is a decent amount of new material on it. We are excited to get the new stuff out as well as a collection of everything as opposed to have it on separate EP’s. It will be great to get it out to see what the fans think and get it all in one package.
Do you have a favorite track off of the new album?
Some of them are on the EP that I really enjoy. I am actually more excited to see the reaction to the new songs. On “Formalities” there is a song called “The Bone” its more of a up-tempo rock track that I am excited to see what people think. There is also a song called “As Long As It Takes” which is one of my favorites as a whole. I am excited, we’ll see.
Tell us about your writing process is the entire band involved?
This time around was different. In the past it has kind of been myself with an idea and then all of us as a unit flush out the song. Where as this record and the EP’s it was my first experience co-writing with other writers and then bringing the songs to the band. Then we all go from that point on. It was really fun and it was an experience, very eye opening and a good perspective to bounce ideas off of another writer as opposed to the same people every time. We definitely had fun doing that, taking that avenue as song writing goes.
Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with in the future?
I love writing with anybody, I believe in the community aspect in writing. I would love to write with Chris Connelly of Save the Day to John Mayer, the list could go on and on and on.
You have spent a lot of time on the road this year will you continue to tour after the album comes out?
We are on tour right now with the Goo Goo Dolls and Switchfoot and then we have some assorted college shows. So far we have an open book in the fall but we would like to get back out there. Prior to this we did a tour in Canada and a headline tour in the US so we’ve been at the whole summer. We will see what the rest of the year holds for us.
It looks like you are coming back to South Dakota with Lifehouse it must be exiting to come back to do a larger venue for your hometown crowd?
Oh my gosh, its hometown! It’s where we reside, we are definitely very excited to be performing. It’s just bizarre you grow up playing coffee house and the random VFW halls and then you get to play the grandstand it’s surreal.
What advice would you give to up and coming artist trying to break into the music industry?
Its belief in what you see and as far, I don’t want to get all hippie but as far as your artistic vision goes. You just have to believe in your self and as well as what you and the band might stand for. I think that’s the biggest thing, belief.
The music industry has really changed with digital downloading and all the social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook. How do you feel that is helping or hindering an artist?
Ya know I definitely think it helps in the aspect of the exposure thing, it is better because back in the day you had to tour to be noticed. Word of mouth is really all you had. So downloading and social networking sites, that’s a plus. The business side of downloading is a double edge sword but you got to roll with it and accept it. At the same time social networking is really really good and it’s something we can’t avoid. Not that we would want to but it is inevitable. On the con side of things you elude a little mystic about the band if you learn every little detail where as in the past a person in a rock band they were a little more mysterious. It’s a new generation for sure either way we enjoy it
Well thank you again for taking time to talk with us, we really appreciate it.
Thank you!
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