"When you’re young and you love being a musician, you read all these wild stories about rockstars such as Keith Richards, Jim Morrison and Keith Moon. As a young man, you’re turned on by the spirit of rebellion. "
Nix Dadry is a UK-based songwriter, singer and musician. He recently released a new single called The Addict. Performing Recovery’s Alex Mazonowicz first met Nix at university and they have been friends ever since. Here he talks about the creative process behind his most recent release The Addict, as well as how creativity impacted his sobriety and led him to make his debut album Magic Water.
Alex: Your new song is called The Addict. Where does the idea come from?
Nix: It comes from personal experience and reflects on my drinking days. I wrote some rough lyric ideas for it long before I got sober. Around that time, I was beginning to realise I had a problem. Now the song has finally come into being.
Alex: The song is told as a story. Do you think it’s easier to talk about your own experiences if you’re talking about a third person?
Nix: Generally, yes and especially with this. It’s more of an interesting take. Rather than saying “I did this” or “this is how I feel”, I’m on the outside looking in. It’s like there are two of you and you’re describing the other one.
Alex: Musically, one of the most interesting bits is when it turns from heavy rock into a mariachi-style section.
Nix: That was a happy accident. The first version of the song had a bluesier feel. It was more Fever [by Peggy Lee] – relaxed, groovy and lazy. Then it started to become more rock, and I wanted a distinctive middle section. Because of the chord shapes, it just started to feel mariachi, so I leaned into it.
Alex: There’s a slightly unnerving feeling with that sudden change. I think it ties in with drinking.
Nix: Yes definitely. It’s the surreal part of what the addict might be experiencing through that day. It’s like a fever dream – the nightmarish bit.
Alex: One of the things I struggle with is how to explain ideas. How did you explain that idea to the other musicians playing on the record?
Nix: I’ve worked with Dan Willett (producer) Cici Powell (bass & vocals) and James Roberts (lead guitar) before, so there’s a chemistry. This was the first time I worked with Ian Langford who played the drums & percussion. Everyone was perfect and I have a lot of admiration for them.
I usually name a couple of styles and then I’ll make references to bands and artists they’ll know. I’ll give them the skeleton of the song and the root notes. Then I’m curious to see where they take it.
We were trying to capture that gritty, raw feeling. My pitch was Jack White, Alice In Chains and mariachi. Very different elements, but deliberately so.
Alex: Was there any discussion around lyrical content?
Nix: For me, the lyrics are the essence of the song. I worked on them for a long time, going back and forth. I can’t be certain how much the musicians lean on the words when they play their parts but I hope they were useful.
Alex: Does it make you feel a bit vulnerable to speak to other musicians about something so personal?
Nix: When the topic is relevant, it’s ok. There’s a time and a place. Talking about these subjects with you is easy because we have history, and you have personal experience. With the musicians or other people, it’s not a problem if that’s the conversation we’re having. I avoid preaching about it though.
"After I got teetotal, I decided to have another go at making an album. The title would be Magic Water. I was questioning the concept of alcohol – is magic water the poison or the cure? Music was like a hand reaching out to lift me out of the water when I was drowning."
Alex: Going back to the fever dreams, you have this amazing, freaky video for the song too.
Nix: That’s courtesy of my friend Lars Wickett. He’s my favourite guy to make music videos with. It had been a while since we worked together, so when he said he was available and keen on doing this, I was thrilled. He’s a musician as well as a film maker so he understands both sides. After asking me to send him an outline, he came up with some excellent ideas for camera shots, storyboarding, edits and the location.I wanted to dress up in a specific way to play the character. I’d been watching a drama series called Boardwalk Empire. I dig the fashion of the early 20th Century with the three-piece suits and hats. The character needed to look freaky, but sharp. My tie’s not fully done up, the eyeliner is messy and I’m a tainted man. Lars did some cool edits. We have jump-cuts and some blurry parts to visualize intoxication.
Alex: Boardwalk Empire, Alice In Chains, the blues, what else do you draw from as inspiration?
Nix: It’s always about groove, whether it’s slow, fast, happy or sad. Blues isn’t just some hoochie-coochie riff. It’s elastic and should be a bit leftfield. Old rootsy influences don’t have to be rigid. As for rock, I love various styles from across the decades. I’m also a big fan of movies. Even though it’s not obvious in my work, I love film scores. The following names come to mind: Lalo Schifrin, Ennio Morricone and John Carpenter.
"I wouldn’t call Magic Water a concept album. It’s more like a book of short stories. Each song was a step along the new road. Ultimately, I was aiming for redemption."
Alex: A lot of people have this question – I had this question once. How can I be creative once I’m in sobriety?
Nix: I’ve been sober for almost 12 years and it feels great. But you know what? When I knew for certain that I wanted to quit, I wasn’t fearful of how much was about to change. I yearned for it. When I got into guitars, I was seduced by rock’n’roll mythology. When you’re young, and you love being a musician, you read all these wild stories about rockstars such as Keith Richards, Jim Morrison and Keith Moon. As a young man, you’re turned on by the spirit of rebellion. I was obsessed by all that in my late teens and early 20s, and it played a big part in my drinking. I was focusing on the wrong things. When I got older and came to quit, I wasn’t worried I’d lose something. I imagined what playing music would be like when I got clean. I was excited about the possibilities.
Alex: When I was at the end of my drinking career, I wasn’t thinking about any of that stuff at all. It took me a long time to start playing music again, but in early sobriety, music as an art was really important to me. I listened to so much music.
Nix: Yes, I understand. I can’t go without listening to music. This might sound cliché, but I felt reborn. My ears were hungry for something. I focused on new bands and artists. Two of the many reasons I stopped drinking were: I didn’t want to ruin relationships with loved ones, and I didn’t want to throw away my passion. I made key mistakes in my younger life, and regret weighed on me. Even though we all screw up, I dwelled on the details for too long. Then I learned to let go of those things. I decided to make a solo record.
My only previous projects were with my first band, which was over. I’d made one attempt, but I shelved it because it was just a practice run. After I got teetotal, I decided to have another go at making an album. The title would be Magic Water. I was questioning the concept of alcohol – is magic water the poison or the cure? Music was like a hand reaching out to lift me out of the water when I was drowning. I’d go to bed at night, and these songs would play in my head, in the exact running order before they’d even been recorded. It went on every night for weeks. I’d imagine how the drums, bass, guitars and vocals would to be. It was quite soothing. Like a long lullaby.
I wouldn’t call Magic Water a concept album. It’s more like a book of short stories. Each song was a step along the new road. Ultimately, I was aiming for redemption.
Alex: That to me is what good art is about. It’s telling your story, even if it’s not something that an outsider might recognise as having this very definite narrative that’s easy to understand. It’s still a story, and it still has that utility of emotion.
Nix: It’s nice to talk about. Making the record really helped, because it was my first year of sobriety. It kept me productive and focused. As you know, the first year is the big challenge! Anyone who’s been through this will know that – but it gets easier as time passes. This new path brought more confidence in playing live gigs and more recording projects which include 2 EPs and 2 one-off singles. The latest one being The Addict.
Alex: But anybody who’s about to go through this should know it can be done, and there are ways you can do it.
Nix: Yes indeed. I hope my experience can be helpful in some way. These are the lessons I learned: alcohol should never be a priority, there’s always someone we can talk to and honesty is crucial.
You can watch The Addict on YouTube at
You can check out Nix Dadry’s other music at https://nixdadry.bandcamp.com/.
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