In his short time introducing himself to the world, Nick Ward has created immersive soundscapes that welcome listeners into the emotional reflections he’s currently experiencing. His third EP ‘BRAND NEW YOU’ is slated for release in April, and following in the footsteps of the retrospective ‘PRINCESS’ is another new single that tackles a hard hitting topic.
‘FUNERAL’ is a song that is all about grief. It’s about numbness and confusion that follows in the wake of a devastating loss. For Nick, he lost his two grandparents in a short amount of time and was left trying to make sense of his emotions. Sometimes it’s really hard to find the right way to articulate your words, and for the Sydney based singer-songwriter it was easier for him to write it all out to find inner-peace. “Sometimes I wish I believed in god. I wish that I believed in ghosts, cause maybe we could talk again, that’s what I’d like the most” he honestly sings during the opening moments of the track.
Grappling with all the various emotions, this song is a vivid, vulnerable, and deeply emotional reflection that intentionally polarises with its contemporary soundscape. Opening with simple guitar chords, it builds with atmospheric pop production representing the classic emotional approach. But then he drifts into this gritty and experimental production style that tackles the darker side of grief before steering it back towards the lighter production style again. Teaming up with E^ST, their angelic vocals harmonise together in a very tender and comforting manner. It brings a great contrast to everything else that sonically happens, and helps deliver the heaviness and cathartic mix of emotions that you experience during grief beautifully.