Sparkling In the Twilight: An Interview with The Spill Canvas

Introducing Nick Thomas and The Spill Canvas

Let's take a trip to South Dakota. Sioux Falls to be exact. That’s where Nick Thomas is from, and if you don’t know who he is just yet, you will, and so will the music world. Nick Thomas is a 19-year-old who, along with his guitar forms the musical piece known as The Spill Canvas. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his 111 Records debut (containing 12 heartfelt tracks; some polished old tracks and some brand new) titled ‘Sunsets and Car Crashes.’ "I'm just so proud of the record, and excited to get it out there, and see what people think!" explains an eager Nick Thomas.

What makes the music of Nick Thomas special is his honesty and emotion that he pours into his lyrics and musical sounds. His lyrics often reflect a sense of personal nostalgia - welcomed memories, and listening to his words and music, one wonders how all this creativity comes about, ”I never can really notice creativity in my own lyrics, I just know that when I'm writing, I have a kind of vision I want the listener to feel when certain melodies and words are combined. It's strange though, it usually is just there" explains Thomas. Many of his lyrical tones are derived from past relationships that somewhere went wrong; "I'd say a handful of songs are about that but some of the songs are simply about relationships or ordeals about that ‘perfect one’, and aren't actually about anyone in particular. But at the same time, some of the songs are very autobiographical and exact." 

Early on in his life, Nick took an interest in music and knew it was something he wanted to do. He first began playing the guitar years ago, and around that time he started writing music. "Well, I pretty much learned myself for the first couple of years, and it sucked, because I was absolutely horrible at it. But then, at around age 15, I started taking guitar lessons. As far as writing, I started from the beginning. Now, it may not have been good, but it was writing nonetheless" says Thomas. Nick explains that playing guitar and writing music is his passion – it’s what he wants to do, "It's always been there. There wasn't really ever anything else I wanted to do." Good thing for us.

The Spill Canvas is something he wants to do full time. Currently, he works at [a big soft drink company] as a sales representative to pay his bills, but the dream and goal is to take The Spill Canvas to the musical world. "I would love to do The Spill Canvas full time" he says, "I guess that's been the goal from the beginning."

That lifelong calling is right around the corner. After Nick's extremely supportive father assisted him in finding 111 Records, the rest just fell into place. "It was a pretty chance meeting. See my Dad is super supportive of The Spill Canvas and every once in a while, when he's on the internet, he comes across some cool websites of labels and tells me to check them out. He saw the 111 Records site, and I checked it out, and the next thing I know, I'm flying to Orlando to meet up with Brad to get things rolling." Nick can't thank his father enough for the help. "My Dad has been there since day one, he's super supportive." Nick has also had the support of his close friends. "They push me to never give up, and help me get through it all." There have also been people who have been opposed to Nick pursuing a musical career. "Well, just like anything else in life, there are going to be people that don’t like or agree with what you’re doing and you just have to respect their opinion, and get on with your life."

And moving along is what Nick Thomas is doing. The Spill Canvas has been on about 6 tours and has hit both coasts, and almost all the states. Nick talks about his love for touring. "I'd have to say getting paid to see the country, and do what you love is pretty damn cool. But yeah, I don't think that I could try to explain touring to anyone that hasn't done it yet. In short, I don't think there is anything I don't like about touring. It rules!" And if Nick could share the stage with any two other artists or bands past or present he would want to play with Saves the Day and Coldplay. Pretty good company there...

Often lost in all the drama is the fact that Nick is only 19 years of age. When asked about things in the "actual music business" and how it can be overwhelming at times, Nick states "Oh yeah, totally. It's a slimy business for the most part. The hardest thing is getting out there, and finding the right people; the people you can trust and confide in. It's just a big game of who you know, and knowing when to recognize your shot." And Thomas’ shot will undoubtedly come very soon.