Nick Kingswell’s recent track “There’s No Cure” serves as a reminder to not carry the burden of regret. The artist resembles Fink, Bon Iver and James Vincent McMorrow due to his heartfelt, suave and insightful lyrics. Drawing inspiration from those musicians, Kingswell recreates indie folk with his musical flair and leaves listeners with tracks that require heavy reflection. He has been featured in prominent publications including American Songwriter, Earmilk and Atwood Magazine.
When Kingswell was growing up on Phillip Island, Australia, there was always music playing around the house. He started playing guitar at eight years old, and it felt very natural for him to write his own songs. Kingswell’s parents supported all of his musical endeavors from an early age.
“I had a break at age 19 [when I] signed to Sony as a country singer,” he said. “I then played guitar for a number of bigger acts in Australia for the next seven years before deciding to move to London in 2014 to get my career back on track as a singer-songwriter.”
Kingswell’s recent album “Brontide” was produced by James Bunton and consists of 12 tracks.
“It covered a lot of ground both lyrically and sonically. Brontide is the low sound of distant thunder, and my take on that is evident in these songs. They’re the closest I’ve gotten to the truth,” Kingswell said.
The album’s recurring theme is hope — that even with the most melancholic tracks, Kingswell finds a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
His leading track “Homesick” describes his experience when he left Australia to pursue his career in the United Kingdom. Kingswell said that as long as he is busy, happy and in touch with his family, everything will be alright.
“Brontide” portrays Kingswell’s eagerness in finding his own voice.
“I used some big brush strokes, but in saying that, I think I still managed to paint a picture,” he said.
The premiere of his upcoming album is on Oct. 23 via Audio Network — an eOne Company. Kingswell has been featured in a motley of prominent playlists, such as Spotify’s “gentle acoustic” as well as Alex Rainbird’s YouTube channel.
Kingswell wants others to feel relieved after hearing “There’s No Cure” for the first time, to feel good after reminiscing all the moments they wish they could go back and change.
“Regret is a powerful emotion, but it shouldn’t hold you back. There comes a point where letting go is the only way forward,” he said.
The idea of “There’s No Cure” emerged when Kingswell was tuning his guitar. The singer said that when he finished writing the first verse and chorus for a song, he knew whether it would be a song worth finishing. When Nick Kingswell was working on “There’s No Cure,” he “couldn’t put it down until [he] had it right.”
In the chorus, Kingswell loves the line “There’s no cure for the man who’s had his chance before.” He feels those words sum up a large portion of his twenties when he would agonize over things he wished he had done differently with his career.
“It’s only now that I realized that everything I thought I’d missed out on didn’t work out for a reason, and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he said.
Kingswell is certain that every generation can identify with regret.
“We’ve all had to make tough decisions or live through particularly heartbreaking moments. Perhaps our generation is being encouraged to talk about it more than previous ones. For me, it’s a subject that speaks volumes and one I’ve spent a long time exploring,” he said.
Contact Ron Rocky Coloma at rcoloma ‘at’ stanford.edu.