In this week’s 10 Questions we get to know Sonic Keys, an indie music artist from Australia.
Their song ‘In The Driver’s Seat‘ is currently featured on the NAS Spotify playlists
You can follow Sonic Keys on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Linktree
1. Tell us a little about where you are from.
I’m originally from the UK but moved to Australia in 2006, initially studying at university in Sydney before moving to Brisbane in 2010, where I’ve lived ever since!
By day, I work in payroll for clergy and staff at the Anglican Church in Brisbane. Outside of work, I love spending time with my amazing wife Nicky and, of course, pursuing my biggest passion, music! Whether it’s performing, songwriting, singing or sitting at the piano, chances are I’m doing something music-related, haha!
I’ve also recently released my debut solo EP as Sonic Keys, In The Driver’s Seat, which came out on Friday 9th October. It’s been a fantastic journey bringing these five tracks together, and I’m really proud of the response so far!
2. What inspired Sonic Keys to start playing and making music?
My biggest inspiration was my Mum, who always loved hearing me sing. She came to every concert, church choir performance and later on, all my karaoke competitions. I was fortunate that she got to see me represent Australia at an international singing competition in Burma before she sadly passed away in 2019.
My own musical journey is quite an interesting one too. I was partially deaf from the age of nine months until I was six years old and underwent nine gruelling ear operations. Following my final operation, it was discovered that I had perfect pitch, which was quite remarkable considering what I’d been through!
I started playing piano and singing at seven, followed by songwriting at 15. Looking back, I think overcoming those early hearing difficulties really inspired me to pursue music and continue developing my passion for it.
Following my final operation, it was discovered that I had perfect pitch, which was quite remarkable considering what I’d been through!
3. Who are Sonic Keys’ biggest musical influences?
My biggest musical influences include George Michael, Sam Smith, Simply Red and a bit of Elton John thrown into the mix too! I’ve always been drawn to artists who combine strong melodies, soulful vocals and meaningful songwriting.
I’d describe my own sound as a blend of Pop, R&B and Soul, with some Dance-Pop influences mixed in as well. Piano is still very much at the heart of what I do, but I enjoy experimenting with different sounds and styles to give my music a contemporary feel while staying true to my singer-songwriter roots.
4. What are your goals in the music industry or as an artist?
The ultimate dream would be to have a track or two reach the Top 10 on the Australian Singles Chart, hit Number 1 in the UK or even break into the Top 100 in the US! They’re certainly ambitious goals, but I think most artists dream of achieving something like that.
On a personal level, receiving a respected music award or recognition through competitions such as the ISC or ISSA would be incredible. I’d also love to pass on my knowledge and experiences to the next generation of musicians and songwriters.
One goal particularly close to my heart, though, is building a genuine audience who connect with my original music. To perform at a gig and hear people singing my own songs back to me would be an amazing feeling. Hopefully, with my new EP In The Driver’s Seat, I can start moving closer to making that a reality!
5. Tell us about your creative process.
My creative process usually starts at the piano. I’m very much a melody-first songwriter, so I’ll often sit down, experiment with different chords and melodies and see what naturally develops. Sometimes I’ll have a melody in my head before I’ve even thought about what the song is going to be about!
Once I’ve found something that connects with me, I’ll start developing the structure and then work on the lyrics. I find that having the melody first helps me shape the words around the emotion and feel of the music rather than the other way around.
With my recent EP In The Driver’s Seat, I took that approach up to Montvale at Montville on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, where I spent time developing song ideas away from everyday distractions. From there, I worked closely with my producer Stuart Stuart and my wife Nicky, who contributed to the lyrics, to bring those initial ideas into fully finished songs.
For me, there’s nothing quite like hearing something that started as a simple piano melody turn into a complete recording!
6. What is your all-time favorite song by another artist and why?
Oh gosh, that’s a tough one because it really depends on my mood! I’d say it’s a toss-up between Jamiroquai’s Canned Heat and All-4-One’s I Swear. Canned Heat has always been one of my go-to karaoke songs and actually helped me reach my first karaoke competition final, so it holds some great memories! On the listening side, I Swear has that beautiful, rich R&B sound that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. It takes me straight back to hearing it for the first time in the 90s and brings back some wonderful memories. Definitely showing my 90s kid roots with those choices, haha!
Canned Heat has always been one of my go-to karaoke songs and actually helped me reach my first karaoke competition final, so it holds some great memories!
7. What is the best advice you have either given or received in terms of music?
The best advice I’ve ever received actually came from a karaoke judge back in 2012, during my first attempt at representing Australia in an international singing competition.
I was performing at a little venue called Raceview Tavern on a freezing August evening, around 4Β°C! I’d just finished singing Canned Heat by Jamiroquai (surprise, surprise, one of my favourite songs!), when one of the judges said, “Nick, I have one thing to say to you…”
I remember my heart practically stopping at that moment! The room went silent, and I was holding my breath, wondering what on earth he was about to say!
He continued, “What are you doing singing in a little tavern like this? We should be charging people for tickets to come and see you perform! I see bigger things ahead for you, so don’t give up. Keep aiming and reaching for the stars.”
That final piece of advice has stayed with me ever since and helped me through some challenging moments in my musical journey.
I think it’s something all musicians should remember. No matter what obstacles or criticism come your way, keep believing in yourself, pursuing your passion and reaching for those stars. You never know where your music might take you!
8. What is your proudest accomplishment?
It’s definitely a toss-up between two very special moments!
The first would have to be representing Australia at the I-Sing international karaoke competition in Burma back in 2017, with my Mum there supporting me. It was an incredible experience where I learnt so much about performing, built my confidence and gained valuable lessons that I’ve carried into my music career ever since.
The second would be hearing my original song Unchain My Soul played on Australian radio for the first time in 2023, and then seeing it reach Number 1 on the unsigned Australian regional charts! After putting so much work into my music, hearing my own song on the radio and knowing it was finally reaching listeners was an amazing feeling.
Both moments mean so much to me for different reasons, and they’re memories I’ll always treasure!
It was an incredible experience where I learnt so much about performing, built my confidence and gained valuable lessons that I’ve carried into my music career ever since.
9. What’s been your most embarrassing moment so far?
Oh yes, this would have to be at a showcase I performed at last year!
I was about to perform an early version of Coming Back To You from my recently released EP and was getting really excited, trying to get the crowd involved. I remember enthusiastically announcing, “…and here it plays right now!” before pressing the buttons on my Launchpad… and absolutely nothing happened!
Naturally, in the heat of the moment, I initially blamed the sound engineer, Kev, thinking something hadn’t been connected properly. After a bit of troubleshooting, I realised the problem was actually my own MacBook settings, which I hadn’t configured correctly while setting up!
Talk about embarrassing! I had to publicly apologise to Kev, which I did, and thankfully we managed to get everything working and the song underway.
Moral of the story, folks? Before blaming the sound engineer, always check your own equipment and settings first! Lesson well and truly learnt!
Thankfully, Kev was a good sport about the whole thing, and I bought him a beer afterwards. Good old mate Kev, hahaha!
10. Tell us about your lowest and highest points in music so far.
I think my lowest points have been those periods where I’ve had to step away from music and then find the confidence and motivation to start again. The music industry is constantly changing, and rebuilding momentum, finding opportunities and getting your music heard can be incredibly challenging. There have certainly been moments of self-doubt where I’ve questioned whether I’m heading in the right direction.
On the flip side, I’ve been fortunate to experience some incredible highs! Representing Australia in 2017, hearing my original music played on radio, achieving Number 1 positions on independent radio charts and receiving international recognition for my songwriting have all been wonderful milestones.
More recently, releasing my debut solo EP In The Driver’s Seat has been another huge highlight. After 12 months of writing, recording and bringing five songs together, seeing it finally released has given me a real sense of achievement.
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that a music career isn’t always a straight road. There are plenty of twists, turns and setbacks along the way, but it’s about continuing to believe in what you’re creating and enjoying the journey.
I suppose that’s quite fitting considering my EP is called In The Driver’s Seat, haha!
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