Meet Nick Isham: Singer Songwriter / Acoustic-Pop Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick Isham and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Nick, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Well first, I take from my own life experiences. I am constantly pulling from my own experiences and stories whether they are happening currently while I am writing, or are ones from the past that I have been through. Beside that, I find that inspiration is always around. I am/ can be inspired really by anything and everything around me – from other performing artists and writers, to my family and friends; conversations I have, personal experiences (like I said before); movies/ TV shows I watch, to things I see walking down the street. It’s just a matter of making sure I keep my eyes and ears open and taking life in.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well I am a singer songwriter/ acoustic pop-artist. I write songs for myself and others, as well as perform my own songs. I am a looping artist, meaning that when I perform live, I am basically a one-man band. I record loops live, by beatboxing, drumming on my guitar, playing little guitar loops, and singing background vocals – each track building on the next to create a whole song. So I’d say that is something that sets me apart from others in a way. I am very excited about putting out new music this year! I have released six songs thus far, and am planning to put out 24 total in 2021! And they are all going to be produced (mainly) by myself, which I am pretty proud of as I have just recently come into my own on being a producer, along with being a songwriter.
It was definitely not easy to get to where I am right now professionally, in terms of music. I was actually a college football player and was planning on going for the NFL most of my college years. So I didn’t really start getting serious about music until about my senior year of college. So I definitely had a late start in terms of music, and had to put in A LOT of hours in order to catch up with my peers. And I’d say those hours that I put in, that is really how I got to where I am – the work ethic that I had instilled in me from my years of playing football, I really just transferred that over to music and worked/ am continuing to work my ass off to get better and better at what I do every day. I actually have a little card taped to my computer that says “Make music like you play football” – just as a reminder to myself!
What do I want the world to know about me and my brand/story… Really just that I try to make my music as much a reflection of me as possible – so I guess the answer is really just in my music.
I want to connect with people through the stories I tell and make them feel like they have someone who understands, someone who gets it, someone who they can just hang out with for a little while they’re driving – even if it is just for the 3 minutes that my song is on, they have a friend there with them.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man, there is so much! Definitely the Malibu to Santa Monica beaches would be one of the first things on the list. I love the beach and ocean! When things re-open and shows are happening again, I’d take them to a show or two at a venue like the Hollywood Bowl, The Greek, the Troubadour or Hotel Cafe – all places I LOVE (and a couple that I have played at). There are a few hikes that I think would be great to do – like Griffith park, and a couple through the Malibu and Santa Monica mountains.
So many places to eat – there’s the trendy spots like the roof top at Waldorf Astoria, Ysabel, and Catch; then there’s local spots like Santa Fe Cafe out in Calabasas that I love and others like that.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents! I would not be where I am if it were not for my parents, Donna and Mark Isham. Their unwavering support and their unconditional love is really more than I could ever ask for and I am thankful every single day to have them in my life, as not only mentors, leaders, and parents, but as my best friends.
Website: http://www.nickisham.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnickisham
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickishammusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nickisham
Image Credits
Amanda Pieper