How would you sum up your sound for people who don’t know you?
I’m listed as Atmospheric, Percussive Folk online, but I try to avoid labelling… I play songs on my acoustic guitar that mean something to me in the hope they might mean something to you.
What would you like to do before the end of 2012?
Go travelling again… I’ve been on a few trips around the world in my life and it’s something I miss. If I could combine it with a little tour overseas that would be cool too!
What’s next for you?
I have a lot of gigs coming up throughout the year! Check out www.facebook.com/marknicholsmusic for the full listings. I’m also working towards a new EP release and I’d love to get that out in the summer! We’ll see…
Who were your main musical influences growing up?
My whole reason for learning music is owed to some older friends of mine who live in Cape Town, South Africa. I met them here in the UK and they taught me basic bass guitar and turned me on to artists such as Van Morrison and Dave Matthews Band.. They (my friends) were a huge influence, without them I don’t think I’d be where I am at today.
Which song do you wish you had written?
The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel.
What are you listening to a lot of at the moment?
A fair bit of world music actually… I’m listening to an African acappella CD called ‘A Nation in Song’ which I’m really enjoying. More conventionally though, you can catch me listening to Bon Iver, Michael Kiwanuka and The Staves.
2011 was a great year for you – what stands out as a highlight?
There are so many things I’d like to put here! The whole year was a lot of fun – releasing my debut EP ‘Guardian’ and securing a Tanglewood Guitars endorsement deal are probably my highlights.
What are your thoughts on the state of British music?
The industry is definitely saturated just by the sheer mass of people pursuing a career in music and it can be difficult to stand out in that sense. On the other hand, within the mass there is so much talent that forms a strong community of British musicians. I think if you look in the right places you will find a lot of talent in this country.