Nic McNamara was born in Johannesburg South Africa and later moved to England. Throughout his childhood, he grew up accompanying his father, Stevin McNamara, who worked as a recording engineer. Nic’s father collaborated with many well-known musicians. In South Africa, he worked with Lucky Dube, Brenda Fassi, and Ladysmith Blacksmith Mambazo. In England, he worked alongside longtime friend and former band-mate Robert Mutt Lange on numerous Billboard projects that included Bryan Adams, Tina Turner, Def Leppard, Michael Bolton and more. Eventually, the family moved to the states and Nic continued to study music and recording engineering. Nic’s current project is called Summer Colds. Previously in Black Bears Fire with two albums to his credit, Nic put together this three piece indie power-rock pop band to continue his path of musical experimentation and exploration – the result is a heavier, edgier sound with strong melodic sensibilities and lyrical substance. Off the album ‘Here Comes Nothing’, the single “White Out’ is a great way to check out Nic’s new sound and get hooked.
Raw, hand-muted fuzzy power chords, bass and drums form the edgy foundation of “White Out’. The basic rock trio sets the stage for Nic who enters singing, “Everyone’s got something growing in them. They’d rather not know about when…” Right away, there’s an introspective, poetic openness and honesty. Nic’s voice is natural and laid-back yielding a chill vibe. The chorus comes in like a wave, crashing like the “white out” Nic sings about, with strong melodic content and a a hook that gets under your skin. “I’ll shout it out, something’s dying in me. I’m trying to see with the lights out. I’ll sweat it out, one of these nights you’ll see I’m right where you left me in the whiteout.” "White Out' explores the surreal line between addictions and relationships, self-actualization and self-destruction. Please take a moment to experience "White Out" and check out the lyric video:
Building energy, the vocals layer up in octaves falling into occasional harmony adding to the ambiance behind the track. Each chorus starts softer, then gradually builds up making for a high-octane experience from start to finish. Taking a break from the addictive vocal melodies, rocking guitar motifs guide us between sections, echoing in different octaves making a melodic start to a killer instrumental section to wrap up the tune.
Summer Colds is keeps it raw, musically and emotionally, but that raw sound is artistically achieved through very thoughtful songwriting and arranging. “White Out” is a uniquely addictive tune with a nice balance between gripping instrumentals and catchy vocals, poetic lyrics and raw emotions.
For more information on Summer Colds, please visit their website.