‘Sunbleach’ paints a pictureque vision of sour-sweet, slow life with a view on LA sign.

Sometimes one album is all you need to start a personal revolution. In Nick Costa’s case, it was blink-182's Enema of the State. After his older brother made him listen to it, Nick converted into the music-making cult and never looked back. Originally from Minnesota, the singer spent 2020 in Los Angeles when working on his new album, ‘Sunbleach’. It’s an eclectic folky mix of highs and ups, serving as Nick’s personal diary of being in love, losing a close friend and fantasizing about kick-ass cowboy stories.

As it’s Nick’s favourite record he made so far, we felt compelled to listen to it and fall hard for it as a result.

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make? 

My name is Nicholas John Costa, I grew up in Minnesota's Twin Cities (St. Paul 4 life) and I write whatever music comes to me in that moment. Often it ends up power-pop/folky/singer-songwriter tunes.

How did it all start? 

When I was a kid, my older brother came home from a sleepover with a copy of blink-182's Enema of the State and he essentially forced me to listen to it. We both became absolutely obsessed. He ended up getting a guitar as a gift, and we learned to play by listening to that album and figuring out every song by ear. Since then I couldn't put a guitar down if I tried.

Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming album ‘Sunbleach?

Sunbleach is a collection of songs that I wrote and recorded during a brief stint of living in Los Angeles, CA in 2020. The pandemic had just hit, I didn't have a job, but my partner and I ended up being able to live in this gorgeous duplex and we had a spare bedroom that we converted into a studio. I'd record the songs essentially as I was writing them with the windows open and feeling that breeze, all while looking at the Hollywood sign off in the distance. It was all pretty romantic and picturesque in hindsight, and I think the songs reflect that.

If you were to describe your sound to someone who’d never heard you before, what would you say?

Oh gosh, I never really know what to say. It's poppy, it's folky, it's rock and roll, it's guitar-forward, it's melodic. It's my personality turned into sound.

What are some themes behind your new album?

It's kind of all over the place. 2020 was the first year of the pandemic, and I actively tried not to write about it. I don't think we actually all want to be reminded of one of the most traumatic years in our existence. Some of the topics I hit on this one are night-terrors, being deeply in love, the passing of a dear friend, holding friends accountable, and there's even a track about some made-up cowboy story I came up with for kicks. It's all over the place, but sonically very cohesive.

What inspires your music?

Oh gosh. So much. I think being in new environments, or playing with new instruments is really inspirational and opens the floodgates for me. I also just love listening to music, so when I get really into an album or an artist, I end up writing a ton of music as well. Not to mention there's just so much to write about these days, it's kind of hard not to feel inspired by something.

What advice would you give for anyone trying to achieve a similar sound to you?

Back off, it's mine. Go find your own sound. And listen to RAM by Paul and Linda McCartney.

If your music were a film or TV show which would it be?

That's a tough question. I don't think I could actually make an accurate comparison since I don't watch a ton of TV or movies, but I'm gonna go with Dazed and Confused for this new record.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s important to you? 

I brought up Enema of the State earlier and I do think that it sonically holds up pretty good (maybe not lyrically all the time though). But if I'm picking another one right now, I'd go with Modern ARTillery by The Living End. Chris Cheney is a guitar monster, and those songs are killer. There's about a million records I still listen to and adore from my childhood.

What do you hate right now?

Life's too short to hate on too much stuff. But not being able to safely play shows has been particularly challenging for me as of late. 

What do you love right now?

Currently loving my partner, our dog, the new Pedro The Lion record Havasu, and I've been making some pretty solid pasta sauce lately. 

What comes next in the Nick Costa story?

I'll be releasing an instrumental record called Lull later this year, as well as a 10 year anniversary edition of an old record of mine called Quarrels that hasn't been on streaming services yet. I also have over 30 new songs written and recorded, and I just need to filter through those to see which ones are keepers.

What upcoming 2022 music releases are you most excited about?

Weezer is coming out with 4 records this year that I'm very curious about. Willie Nelson is releasing his 72nd (!) record this year as well, and he's my absolute hero. I'm also really excited for that new Father John Misty record as well. I'm not sure what else is in store for 2022, but it's shaping to be one hell of a year for tunes.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? 

Go listen to Subleach! It's my favorite record I've ever made by a lot and I'm so proud of it.