Just Jaded
Dreaming with Nick Wold from DREAMERS
Written By: Kelly Carciente
Nick Wold of the immersive pop rock duo “DREAMERS” offers his passions for artistry, authenticity and creative vision in an exclusive ˚1824 press conference earlier this month, and we have all the reasons you should be adding this band to your playlists!
DREAMERS was founded in Brooklyn, New York, although the story does not begin there. Growing up in Seattle, Wold had always been drawn to music. He was told by his parents that he had always wanted to play the saxophone, begging to learn from the age of two, and by the age of ten, he was finally learning how to play in school. Wold had always been surrounded by music. He reminisces on the memories of his neighbour, an older woman who was a violinist for the Seattle Symphony. She introduced him to learning the piano among other instruments. His time in Seattle also influenced his love for music, especially grunge, as the genre was born from the city with one of his favourite bands Nirvana.
As he was studying at New York University, Wold dabbled in the music scene. He mentions wanting to form his own rock band, and his ambition was his driving force. They were going as far as booking their own spaces. He notes that, at the time, there was a wave of DIY artistry in Brooklyn, where people would rent inexpensive equipment and warehouse spaces. They did everything on their own with their close friend becoming their manager. Wold mentions playing in two separate bands. The second one, later becoming DREAMERS, was gaining traction through Twitter, and even had their song ‘Wolves (You Got Me)’ on rotation at SiriusXM. After creative differences in his first band, DREAMERS became Wold and Nelson’s primary focus and their opportunity to start from scratch. The band moved to Los Angeles in 2015 and began touring where they even landed a spot as the opening act for Stone Temple Pilots’ US tour that same year. They then released their debut album the following year, This Album Does Not Exist, with their successful song ‘Sweet Disaster’.
The Hollywood Records band went on to play an array of venues, from clubs and arenas to festivals. They have notably played festivals such as Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot, Firefly, and Reading & Leeds, sharing the stage with bands like X Ambassadors, The 1975, Bleachers, Catfish & The Bottlemen, and Weezer.
When describing the vision behind this band, their music, and their sound, Wold emphasizes that their craft stems from unconscious experiences. The band’s name, DREAMERS, originates from Wold’s passion for exploring his fascination with dreaming. The musician notes that he used to keep a dream journal when he was young, jotting down any dreams from the night before. Even in songwriting, Wold will hear a melody in a dream and try to replicate it. He would continuously be in the songwriting headspace, writing so often that he would constantly be thinking about writing; and therefore, come up with songs in his sleep. Wold remembers a specific dream where he was imagining John Lennon playing a vague song he wished he could write himself. His creative process consists of initially forming a melody or seeking out a certain vibe or message from a melody, wondering what a melody could convey. From there, he forms a meaning for his songs. Wold alludes to his creative artistry as he draws from lucid dreaming, the feeling of being aware of one’s dreaming. He describes this process as inspiring, where one could explore being present in what he describes as a psychedelic trip that is all encompassing and feels so real. He draws inspiration from these dreams because they share such subliminal thoughts or feelings that he could never come up with or express himself when fully conscious. This process parallels Wold’s views on the importance of his songwriting where he compares songwriting to a child unable to properly articulate their feelings and uses music to, hopefully, convey these feelings for others to understand.
In terms of the meaning of DREAMERS’ music, Wold emphasizes that his intention for his music is to be in a comfortable middle between deep and fun, much like how Nirvana’s music is enjoyable to rock out to while also having deeper meanings. He compares the band’s music to a film that is abstract with a deep concept being conveyed as really fun, like Christopher Nolan’s Inception.
The musician also describes his band’s sound as nostalgic. When creating, Wold always goes back to his inspirations, such as 60s rock via The Beatles, all the way up to 90s grunge with Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots. His major influences also come from bands such as The Doors and The Strokes. He assures he does not want to make revival music, but to take this influential bands and make it new and his own through the use of modern technology.
Wold also describes DREAMERS’ music as a sad person’s happy moment, in their sad moments they would find something cool, upbeat. He draws on his own low experiences in his writing as well, including the sad feeling that comes from a moment described as “inspiringly awesome”. Wold gains inspiration from a certain sadness that inspires him to be better, gained from music or life experiences. He hopes that his music can do the same for others as music has done for him.
DREAMERS’ music is best experienced alone in the car or in a bedroom, or heard live, and the band is eager to get back on the road after the pandemic. Wold mentions his excitement for playing recent releases, such as ‘Body Language,’ along with future single ‘Robbery,’ on the band’s upcoming US tours.
If you’re a fan of upbeat, pop rock music with dreamy and nostalgic undertones, as well as musicians passionate about their craft, you will love DREAMERS. You can catch DREAMERS this fall in a city near you as they will tour with The Score and Smallpools! And be sure to pre-save their upcoming single ‘Robbery’ out August 26!
Stay up-to-date with DREAMERS by following them on their socials!
