We had the pleasure of talking to Neon NiteClub, Nick Sarasty’s solo project, who has conquered users of Soundreef’s in-store service with his feel-good 80s electropop sound. Here’s what he told us.
Hi Nick. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? When did you become passionate about music?
Hi! My name is Nick Sarasty. I was born in Los Angeles but I moved to Orlando, Florida when I was 5 years old. My father was a producer and songwriter, so I was always surrounded by music. We had instruments and production equipment around the house, so I was able to play around with it at a young age. When I was in high school, I was able to find some free production software online and I would mess around making beats and producing songs with my friends. I continued to explore production and songwriting in college, and I started to teach myself piano and music theory.
You have been a part of 3 projects: The Alpha Project, Lonely Heroes and most recently, Neon NiteClub. Have these projects helped you develop the music you make today? Do you think you will still evolve and change styles?
Each of those projects have helped me discover the sound I wanted to make for myself. The Alpha Project was a production duo where we would try to produce hip-hop, R & B, pop type beats for modern artists. Lonely Heroes was a band where I played piano and we played pop-rock type music. Neon NiteClub is my personal project that I finally found a sound and voice for. I enjoy playing various types of music, but for my personal Neon NiteClub releases, I think I will always live in the electro pop realm and further work to refine and improve that sound.
Neon NiteClub is full elements of 80s electro pop music. How did this style develop?
Neon NiteClub is the sum of all my personal favorite influences. I grew up listening to Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins and all the other hits of the 80s. I have always gravitated toward that sound. I think the 80s had the perfect blend of great songwriting colliding with the emerging music technology with synths and drum machines. Once I heard modern acts like Chromeo resurrecting this sound, I was finally able to put together the pieces to make my own music.
If you could collab with any artist, who would you pick and why?
If I could collab with any artist today, I would say Chromeo. They are an electrofunk duo who have been putting out great records for years. They have a great balance of production and songwriting and a killer collection of synths.
You produce your own music; At what point did you progress from merely enjoying listening to music to actually thinking more about the production of music?
I think I always started out music from the production side of things. I would produce for friends and other artists and enjoyed being on that side. I like having the knowledge and control to figure out the sounds I want to make. It has helped me figure out the sound I want to make for myself and to learn different techniques to produce the music I want to put out.
What has your experience with Soundreef’s In-store royalty collection service been like so far?
I am extremely grateful for Soundreef’s services. I luckily found Soundreef very early on and decided to upload all my songs. I was thrilled to see my music being used in so many places around the world and thankful to be compensated for my work. Making money as an independent artist can be difficult, so I am forever thankful to Soundreef for providing that opportunity and helping me continue my songwriting endeavors.
Do you have any advice for emerging musicians who would like to make their own productions at home?
I would encourage people to continue making music and finding the right sound for them personally. As mentioned before, being an independent artist can be tough, but if you put time and passion into the work, you can find your voice. Also, don’t hold on to your music to closely, learn to just release it and let people enjoy it. If you are producing your own music, you can become so tied to it and afraid to release because the song isn’t “perfect” yet. I encourage artists to write and produce the best they can, but learn to let the song go eventually. You will be surprised at the reception of your songs sometimes.
Thank you Nick and good luck!
