Nicholas Merz recently released his third record, entitled ‘American Classic,’ the finale of a trilogy of albums inspired by “American Dream.”

‘American Classic’ explores society in which we live and the oppression that is craftily sold as the “American Dream.” As an ode to his father, a former union tile-setter and pedal steel player from Los Angeles, Merz made pedal steel a prominent instrument on the record. The music was composed remotely with friends from Washington, New York, Los Angeles, and Colorado playing instruments on it. Capitalist America takes and co-opts beauty and personality from the people it exploits without credit or fair pay.

“It’s sort of a waste of time to fret over losing your hair”

‘American Classic’ is the title of your newest album, which is part of a trilogy which premiered in 2018 with the release of ‘The Limits Of Men’. My question is, did the second and third part considerably change from the original idea since the whole pandemic happened in between?

Nicholas Merz: I don’t feel that it did, in some ways the pandemic helped focus it. My second record was initially scheduled to come out in the earlier part of 2020, and I was going to be touring on that quite a bit. By the time I had arrived in Los Angeles I had a lot of strong ideas for ‘American Classic,’ and was itching to start recording. When it became clear that we were going to be in this for some time, I started working on it right away. In some ways it was a relief. I love focusing on one thing at a time, the result is always better.

What was it like to live in Duvall? Do you feel that your music is rooted in the places you lived?

My time in Duvall, and Washington in general felt like an incubator. I’ve spent most of my life there (Duvall, and Seattle), and I do believe in the idea of ideas changing because of your environment. It was a quiet place to grow up, and you had to create your own fun. Thankfully I had supportive parents, and found some bizarre friends who felt music as deeply as I did. If you have seen Twin Peaks, which was filmed there, that’s a good characterization of growing up out there. There’s good, evil, strange happenings, you’re always damp, and for some reason it feels like the universe is rooted in the woods. I could go on and on, but I think certain people will understand the frequency.

What’s the usual songwriting process for you? Was it any different this time around as you were living in Los Angeles?

My father said to me once, there’s about as many ways to write a song as there are songs. I have no idea how these things happen. You just have to capture it quickly. I’ve lived most of my life writing down song ideas as they come, and being late or distracted from work because of it. I’m generally loved by most, and despised as an employee. Being in Los Angeles has helped me take myself more seriously, and not feel held back by anything… but myself. LA is a difficult place to live in, but that’s only because I’m used to a very opposite way of living. I feel a lot more focused in some ways living here.

Your lyrics talk about the “American Dreams,” which are sadly gone for hard working people, but the atmosphere of the album isn’t as depressing as the current state of the world. Do you feel your music finds that little light in the mass of bad news?

Wow, that’s very kind of you to say. I understand that most of what I’m about to say is coming from a privileged position, but as someone who has never had much (financially speaking), I’m a pretty lucky person. Things never work out in the way that I assume they will, which was a very helpful lesson I learned pretty early on. It’s easy to doom spiral on the state of things, as they’re not looking good. It’s more difficult to wake up and greet the day with wonder and curiosity. As a working class white boy who has had to make their own way with the help from my community, I look at my life and see that I don’t have much to complain about. I’m happy to be alive and making art. I’ve always tried to transpose that lyrically, and do what I can on a baseline level to help stimulate change. I also find a lot of humor in my own sadness, or bad news that directly affects me. It’s sort of a waste of time to fret over losing your hair. Just buy a big cowboy hat, shut up, and smile like I did.

<a href="https://nicholasmerz.bandcamp.com/album/american-classic">American Classic by Nicholas Merz</a>

“This record was written with a lot of different friends in mind”

Tell us about the recording and producing part of the record and how would you compare it to your previous two releases?

The first LP was multi-tracked digitally at my old home in Seattle with the help of my band, Darto, and a few other pals. The second LP was tracked all live, no overdubs to an eight track 1/4″ machine in Landers, CA at a friend’s house. I assembled a band for that one. ‘American Classic’ was done similarly to the first LP, but it was all phone conversations and recorded in different homes/studios across different states. This record was written with a lot of different friends in mind, so naturally it became a more complex world.

It would be fantastic if you could dissect the songs featured on the latest album.

I don’t think I could do that, I’m sorry. I think it’s all there in the lyrics and music.

Your father was a musician as well?

Yes, he was a pedal steel player, and my mother was a backing vocalist, more of a harmonizer. Neither of them ever showed me how to play or approach music. They just encouraged me, which I am grateful for.

So what’s next for Nicholas Merz?

Well, today is my birthday, so I’ll be pretty busy doing a whole lot of nothing. Beyond that, I’m going to start touring in March/April opening for these Sunset Rubdown reunion tours that are happening on the East and West coast of the states. I’ll be touring solo, so get ready for a lot of space. After that there’s more loose touring plans for the rest of the year, and working on some recording ideas.

What are you listening to lately?

Good question. I did a record with my friend’s band a year or so ago, Doctor Nurse. Listening to some rough mixes at the moment. Watching them work was really inspiring, so listening to those sessions has been very fun. Their music is very pure to me. I’m a huge fan of every project that stems from that group of people. Beyond that here is a list that has been on heavy rotation:

Scott Tuma – ‘Nobody’s Music’
Lou Reed – ‘The Blue Mask’
Angelo Badalamenti – ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me’
Sunn O))) – ‘Life Metal’
Serge Gainsbourg – ‘Love on the Beat’
Robert Quine/Fred Maher – ‘Basic’
Billy Woods – ‘Aethiopes’

Klemen Breznikar

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