The Boys Are Not Alright
Recommended if You Like: The Cure, The Smiths, Bleachers, The Drums, The 1975
Unpublished: I just want to start like by getting to know you as a person, as an artist, as a label; so tell me about you.
Nyiko: My name is Nyiko (NEE-KOH), it's pronounced a little bit different than it is spelled. But I originally grew up on the East Coast in New Hampshire in a very rural woodland town that surprisingly and fortunately was very supportive of the arts and music. And so I grew up in a really great community of people that were creating things. There's obviously a lot of agriculture and industry there, but that was kind of how I spent most of my time when I was growing up, either making music, making art with friends or being in nature. But I always had a hunger to be in the big city. So, after school, I worked for a little bit still in Vermont, and then I packed my bags and I moved across the country to Los Angeles. Los Angeles has and continues to allow me to really find my true self and allowed me to be my true self. I always kind of felt like the odd man out where I was growing up and where I live because even though it was very creative, I still just felt like I was maybe more of a character then people were used to; where I feel like I fit in here. Which, there's nothing wrong with not fitting in. It's great to not fit in. I started the label when I was still in Vermont, and that was out of necessity from making a lot of my own music and just wanting a more formal way to put it out a more kind of formal distribution chain for it. And after a while, I had, you know, friends fellow artists reach out, that were curious about, you know, being a part of the label and it's really organically grown from there. So, it's been really wonderful to be able to do all of it. And so, my day is all music all the time in various forms.
Unpublished: You kind of built like your label from the ground up which is so admirable and so cool. Did you have any help with that? Were there people that were in Vermont who did music and things like that?
Nyiko: I definitely found a community in Vermont. That was the music and artist community there, which is a beautiful great scene, you know, it's a great DIY scene in Burlington, and essentially it was really through a Kickstarter campaign that I did in 2014 or 2015. I raised money to press an EP to vinyl. And through that process is kind of where the idea of having the label began. And from there we use the funds from the Kickstarter for the whole production process of the record. It really kind of gave me the push I needed to continue along.
Unpublished: Who do you like to listen to and what artists influence your style of music?
Nyiko: My musical influences are very eclectic. Going somewhat chronologically, I would say when I was very young, early childhood, I was obsessed with hip hop. So, A Tribe Called Quest was a big influence to just my whole style and approach to lyrics. And then later on Ben Folds influenced my whole new style of playing piano and forming melody and chords. And then Tegan and Sara were and still are a big influence for songwriting and emotional songwriting. And then the Postal Service is a huge influence and production approach. And then I would say now most recently, which is kind of wild because they're probably the oldest bands out of all the ones that I am talking about which is The Cure. The Cure and the Smiths are two huge influences and I think it's probably apparent right if you're familiar with those artists. I remember listening to The Cure when I was a kid, I had their greatest hits CD, which I thought was like a proper album from them and I was like, how do they have this many great songs on CD? Then I listened to some of their other full length so I was like, oh, they're like a few hits on.
Unpublished: So from that I feel like your music is in between older pop music and a newer pop sound. How would you describe it?
Nyiko: I would say that my current sound is a blend of British post punk and contemporary synth pop. It's somewhere between those two worlds, or if those two worlds collided.
Unpublished: Now, let's get to the song. Can you tell me about your new song “Call the Boys?
Nyiko: Of course, I wrote this song back in 2018, and it's still very relevant today. It probably would have been relevant if it was released 10 years prior, 20 years prior, 40 years prior, which is really upsetting, but I'm glad that I had the chance and space to write it. The impetus for it was really a direct reaction to a number of school shootings that occurred, that have continued to occur, but there were a few months in 2018 where it felt like every time I looked at my Daily News Digest, it was another school related shooting. It made me really sad and frustrated and I didn't really know how to put those feelings into words or really to investigate what is the cause of this. Then this article came out, an editorial, by the comedian Michael Ian Black, who wrote this fantastic piece that I read and it was like, this is what I've been trying to express. This is what I've been feeling. There were a few points in it that really stuck out to me. The title of the article was “The Boys are Not Alright”. To paraphrase, one of the speaking points of it was that young boys in America are confined to this outdated and out of touch model of what it means to be masculine. It's one that essentially measures a man's worth by his physical strength or his power to control people, or to be dominant. I read that and I was like, that is fully it. I've never felt comfortable with that definition of masculinity in my entire life. I get kind of emotional. But no, I'm not gonna say sorry because that's the whole point of this. It's so important for men and young boys to feel comfortable being emotionally available. And that's just not something that has been taught to young boys. I think it is important for all kids to learn this, regardless of gender. It's something that I think if gone unnoticed, which I speak to in the lyrics, it creates someone who is silent and angry and unpredictable and emotionally unavailable.
Unpublished: Who are some people that you look up to to help deface toxic masculinity?
Nyiko: I honestly have trouble coming up with someone right off the top. I think that is part of the issue. I would love to have a simple top five that I can list off for you, but I think it would be disingenuous. It's honestly much more so people that I've known in my personal life. They're not celebrities that have shown me ways of being masculine, in a way that is positive and beneficial and informed. It's like my father, my brother. I'm very lucky that I can say that about my family members. It's so it's really hard to say if there's any shining example that I can point to. I would say that Troye Sivan is a wonderful example of someone who is beautifully masculine in their own way. And I think it is a great example.
Unpublished: If you could break some stereotypes or give advice to the younger generation about how you would like to redefine masculinity, what would you say?
Nyiko: I think it's a matter of using the current definition of what masculinity has been defined as, or as having physical power or strength, being really confident, no matter what kind of this, this almost blind confidence. And instead, changing that to be powerful in your empathy and strong in your own self love, and your respect for yourself, and everyone else. Just being available and reflective. I think these are traits that we can all get behind for any person. So yeah, to young boys, young men: it's great to talk about your feelings. It is so important to explore your own identity and to question things about what you've been told. Question things that you see on TV. Question things that you read in books.
Unpublished: Why did you choose to donate the proceeds and why did you choose to Big Brothers Big Sisters Los Angeles?
Nyiko: First and foremost, just with everything that's happened this year, it feels important to do something with each release, every single release or album release that gives back in some way. The reason that I chose Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles and specifically Los Angeles is because that's where I am and I think it's great to be able to give back to the community that you are a part of; I want to hyper focus on something that was really locally present for me. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters seemed really closely aligned with the message of the song. And it really is a living breathing organization devoted to helping young kids that might not have any other opportunity for mentorship, or to have a role model of some kind in their actual daily life. And it just felt like the real world scenario of what I'm trying to communicate in the song. So that's why I chose them.
Unpublished: If you could give any advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Nyiko: I would probably tell myself that whatever I'm feeling is completely okay and that the best thing to do is to just talk about it, to not keep it in or bury it down. I would also encourage my younger self to really explore empathy more. And less on a surface level but more on looking at my classmates and who needs a friend right now. Who might be struggling right now? Wouldn't it be great if you reached out to them and just asked how they were doing beyond the surface level.
Unpublished: You seem very wise and well adjusted in what seems like you have the ability to almost step outside yourself and reflect. As a fellow Los Angeles resident, I was wondering if you, like most LA people, go to therapy/believe in therapy?
Nyiko: I fully believe in therapy, I think it's great. I have gone to therapy a few times. I've also done a few workshops, essentially kind of mental health workshops; life workshops that have been transformative for me. I don't currently go to therapy.
Unpublished: So what is something you would want our readers to like be left with: about the song, about you, about life?
Nyiko: I would say if you enjoy the song I encourage you to listen to my other music and say hi on social media. I'll respond to any DMs and comments and be happy to talk. And now I'd say just in general kind of what I hope people are left with after listening is song, maybe some sense of hope, or feeling of being seen. And then potentially, it's something where, if there's someone that you think would benefit it's something you can share, and maybe it might open something up for them.
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