When Nic Swales first picked up a guitar in the small town of Point Edward ON. he began cracking the surface of an amazing world. At twelve years old, Nic's intent quickly shifted from copying the music he loved to creating his own songs that would inspire people the same way he had been inspired. This is where a relentless drive and commitment in Nic to make great music began.
A third generation musician and artist Nic considers himself very lucky to have a rich musical family history. Punk, metal, folk & blues and modern rock are the genres through which he found his style. Screaming and rippin' away in front of large and violent mosh pits, hectic nights playing in bars and nervous solo coffee house and auditorium gigs are all too familiar. Open mic performances in California, Alberta and Toronto along with bookings all over southwestern Ontario and the occasional campfire have proven to be exciting and exhilirating stages. Nic has honed his stage presence and has become a captivating and attention-grabbing performer.
Learning the ability to phrase a gripping guitar melody or supporting a stand-out vocal idea became Nic Swales' tools for writing great songs. Becoming a lead guitar player has come with time and patience. When Nic writes lyrics he tries to give in to inspiration and let the moment bring the words. His initial song ideas hint at the melody, with percussive phrasing and attention to movement and flow dictating how his songs are carved and polished. Nic's focus on performing has given way to a unique and powerful vocal style full of grit, passion and conviction. Having a complete lead guitar arsenal to add spark with the proper degree of lead singer syndrome (the good kind) to give the songs Nic's personality.
Releasing an eight song EP in 2001 in Sarnia ON. - "Transit" was his first attempt at writing, producing and organizing his own solo recording. Transit is now filed in the Canadian Music Library. Attending the Music Row North event in Toronto sponsored by NSAI, a demo recording of the song "Heatwave" recieved a great review by a NSAI panel of judges in Nashville.
Nic applied organization and focus recording at Denmark Productions in Halifax Nova Scotia. Engineer/producer Dennis Field owns and operates the studio and agreed to lend his valuable experience and knowledge to the project. With Dennis' true professionalism Nic was able to build this project without losing sight of pure artistic direction and inspiration. The move to Halifax was a puzzling one for people in Nic's social and professional circle. Many people wondered why he chose Halifax and Denmark when there are many opportunities in his home province of Ontario. Nic decided the best thing for this project was to jump into un-charted waters and test himself. To re-define his view of the business of music and to gain a perspective on his career that was only visible by stepping out of his comfort zone. Nic's recording has earned him two songwriting awards from the Song of the Year songwriting contest in the U.S. A grant from FACTOR was awarded to Nic this year as the esteemed foundation recognized his potential as a songwriter. These achievements have inspired Nic Swales as he continues to further his career and un-lock doors to his very bright future in the music industry.
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