Meet Nolan Richards | Musician – Drummer (also Bassist/Guitarist)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nolan Richards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nolan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well, I’ve always wanted to be a musician. I remember like if it was yesterday, I was four years old, And I was watching the KISS MTV Unplugged from 1995, on their Kissology DVD’s and since then, I knew that I wanted to do this.

A few years later, when I was around 14, I understood that musician was one of the hardest job to do on this planet. So, I was like…let’s move to Los Angeles! I finally got in LA in 2022. And I didn’t speak English at all, so I was taking classes every day to learn the language.

In October 2023, I entered Musician Institute in Hollywood. It’s an amazing school, I really encourage you to go if you’re wondering weather you should go or not… this is an beautiful place to learn and to meet people..

And since I got here I’ve always networked with people, And even more since I got my work permit.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a musician here in Los Angeles, California, who has traveled the world to make music. Where I’m from in Switzerland, It’s even harder to make a living out of it. So I knew this was the place to be for this.

I love my country to death, But I knew from day one that, Geneva, The city I lived, wasn’t the right place at all.

And to be honest, this must be the action that I am the most proud of. Because I moved out to Geneva when I was 18 years old, When I think about it now, even if I’m only 20, It was very young and it still is. And I was supposed to move in to LA in 2020, But Covid-19 hit, And it was no chance for me to go to the United States. If I had left in 2020 (16 years old) everything would’ve been completely different.

Was it easy? Not at all. It was very hard to leave, but at some point, I knew I had to do it, I just had this weird feeling inside of me. And it’s still tough time to time… Sometimes I have this voice in my head that says…”What the hell are you doing with your life?!” But it goes away faster than it appeared.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take my friend to the Rainbow Bar & Grill because I know he loves Motörhead and all the 80s band etc… that will be the perfect place for him ahaha.

Honestly, if I have to be honest, the best food in LA, It’s the tacos down the street in Hollywood ahaha. I lived in East LA for a few months and with my brother Giancarlo, we would go at least four times a week get tacos.

OK, you guys might think I’m boring but honestly for me one my favorite things to do, It’s just going to the beach and chill.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is a lot of people I would want to give a shout out to but I have to start with my parents because without them I couldn’t have done half of what I’m doing right now. I would not have the same passion if my dad hadn’t showed me KISS ALIVE II when I was three years old. And he also always supported me, which is amazing to have two parents that are supporting you in what you’re willing to do.

My mom and I have always been very fusional, we are always super positive about everything, And she’s helped me a lot with everything. She’s doing so much for the people she loves, It’s incredible. She’s always been here for me and my brother and this is the most important thing to me.

I also want to give a shout out to all the people that have helped me through this adventure, Starting with my old bandmates (Even though we had a few disagreements) they still helped me, They really did, Also, I want to mention my brother Giancarlo Floridia that always got my back on everything.

Another person that has always been there for me (Even though I’ve known her for less time) is my girlfriend Angie. Thank you so much for supporting me.

Instagram: nolan_richards_official

Facebook: Nolan Richards

Image Credits
Enrique Sanchez Photography
Hazzaticreates
Giancarlo Floridia
Scarlet Dawn Photo
Natacha Richard
Nolan Richards (myself)