Straddling Eras

Are we the last of our kind?

Those of us born in the 80’s (‘86 represent!) may well be the last of a dying breed. We were born pre-internet. We grew up without mobile phones. Social media was not even a footnote on Zuck’s “to-steal” list. Life was simple. Well, simple is a strong word… Life was simpler.

Let me riff on the benefits of life before instagram for a moment.

Remember the old “it takes 10,000 hours to truly master your craft” thing? Well, that was a whole lot easier to do without an iPhone sat next to you screaming for you to pick it up for another dopamine-inducing doom scroll. I started learning guitar when I was 8 years old. And all I did in every spare second of my days was play guitar. We had no video games. My dad was firmly against Segas and Playstations. We lived right next to the beach. “Go outside” was his battlecry. And while a love of surfing meant I thankfully managed a healthy dose of vitamin D most days, the edge of my bed was where you’d usually find me. Guitar on lap. Tongue probably stuck out to one side. Head bowed in concentration. Playing the same thing over and over and over again. My poor siblings. But that’s how it’s done. Repetition.

Then I started a band with some friends at school. We were pretty good for our age! But the best part of being in a band in the late 90’s was that no one was filming every rehearsal or gig and uploading it straight to the internet. We got to figure it out in private. Hone our craft over years of gigs where we and our audience were present, mostly… it was the 90’s after all. What a time to be alive! I have firm memories of the best moments. The lesser ones I’ve managed to block out… but that’s a whole other email.

To keep it short, I’m so grateful I got to put in my 10,000+ hours before my attention span was hijacked by the internet. Being bored is a wonderfully powerful state of mind. That’s where ideas are born. I implore you to go on your dog-walk or run, train journey or drive without your phone. See what happens when your mind wanders.

Snap to 2026 and we have a problem. It’s not enough to solely master your craft. So you can play guitar, sing and write a song…great! But can you create 15 second viral-worthy videos for social media EVERYDAY that capture the attention of the attention-less? This can be a struggle for my generation for so many different reasons.

We still have a lingering belief that someone else will do that for us if we simply deliver great music. Because that’s how it worked when we were growing up! Some of us are just not cut out for the emotional rollercoaster of existing online. And others don’t want to sully their art by stooping to viral trends. Fair enough. It’s important to be true to yourself at the end of the day.

A friend said to me recently that they’re happy pursuing other career paths right now because they’re not willing to do what they know they have to do to be successful as an artist today in music. I hugely respect this take. Firstly, because they’re already more successful than I could ever hope to be, and secondly because it’s bold to say, “no, I won’t play this game”.

I often use the phrase “last man standing” when it comes to my mentality on sticking at a career in music. I am not by a long stretch the most talented person in the room. I’m acutely aware of this. But I refuse to fail (whatever that even means). I’m a problem solver. Always have been. And I didn’t choose to write songs either. It’s just something my brain does constantly. Like some useless superpower that really only serves to keep me aloof in human interaction and awake at night. Of all the superpowers to have landed with. But I digress…

Kids these days are lucky to have this monstrously powerful tool at their disposal. The internet can make your career, you don’t even have to pay for it, mostly. But it can also take your time. Steal your boredom. Steal your 10,000 hours of practise. So the question now is; how do we keep a healthy balance between real life and the pixelated algorithm drain we battle each day?

I think I know the answer. Go and play some gigs to real people. You might find that kindness and basic response is a little more vivid when people are in a room together, unable to swipe away from the song your singing. Your value is far greater than the number of streams and/or likes and comments you receive online. The internet is the billboard… you’re the main act.

And while I’ve got you, I’d be thrilled if you could Pre save my new song ‘Sounds Like Going Home’ today.

Until next time,

Nick