How are you doing this week?
The recent months haven’t been the easiest, but we love to see how our students are embracing this time for reflection to still create new music. Check out BIMM Birmingham’s The Nu. Their new track ‘One Life’ was written, performed, recorded, mixed, mastered and directed by Darius Zaltash in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a powerful song, and one he’s clearly used to help process what’s happening in the world today. Also, the first 12 months of streaming royalties will be donated to the NHS.
Watch the video below and discover more about the track…
What was your inspiration when you began writing the track?
The song started off as me turning to music for therapy. I was trying to make sense of some of the massive rollercoaster of emotions that was going on inside me at the start of lockdown, but mainly a feeling of powerlessness.
The scale of the situation is so enormous and I was using music as a way to personally address it. However, as I was writing, the song was turning into something else. I felt more empowered to just be honest with the different human reactions to the virus I was seeing. It was only when the track had finished that I thought that this was something I could release. It’s the first time I’d ever made any comment on anything culturally relevant, so I liked the idea of returning after almost a year of no music with something like ‘One Life’.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
My inspirations come from all over the place. I’d say Enter Shikari was a big influence for this track though. They’re one of the most open-minded, creative, and forward-thinking artists of our generation and their latest album had just dropped when I was writing ‘One Life’.
What is key to your sound and how do you make your music stand out?
Open-minded experimentation is a big driving force behind The Nu. It’s the idea that you shouldn’t say no to a musical idea before you’ve tried it. Sometimes, those experiments are the reasons parts in other songs stick out. I’m a big fan of unpredictability when it comes to artists and it’s an approach I like to take with The Nu.
How does your songwriting process work?
There isn’t really a set way. I start to write my songs and I actively try not to fit into a sort of ‘personal rulebook’ of how I think ‘good’ music should be made. It literally just comes from anywhere and it sort of feels more like a jigsaw puzzle than an actual songwriting process itself.
Describe your sound in 3 words…
Desperately optimistic noise.
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
Studying at BIMM has helped in so many ways. I’m just finishing my second year of the songwriting degree and it’s hard to put into words how much I’ve learnt. I started my journey in Brighton in 2016, and though deferring and starting again in Birmingham, the experience and knowledge I have gained from 2016 to now have been truly life-changing in so many ways.
What’s next for you?
It’s hard to say right now with everything going on. We’ve got our UK tour rescheduled for October, but with everything to do with the live industry so up in the air, it’s difficult to have proper plans in place. One thing is for sure though – it’s not going to be nearly a year until I release a track again.
