Auckland rockers Ekko Park have been providing a unique and explosive offering in the NZ music landscape since 2010. They released their debut album Tomorrow Tomorrow Today in 2013 and their highly anticipated second album Know Hope came out on October 30. Nick answered the following questions for muzic.net.nz:
Who are your role models in the NZ music industry?
Neil Finn and Crowded House is what inspired me to play music, I grew up in Te Awamutu and was introduced to Crowded House at a young age as the Finn Brothers had also grown up there. I also remember being handed a copy of Something Beginning With C by The Exponents on cassette at a young age, I've now been lucky enough to perform with Jordan Luck on a few occasions. As a drummer I look up to the likes of Beaver Pooley, Michael Franklin-Browne, Tom Larkin... to name a few rockers!!
Which one of your songs are you most proud of, and why?
One song is hard to pick! but there are two songs on the new album that stand out to me at the moment, Faking Shadows and Surface Breaks. They are the last two songs we wrote before heading into the studio and are both unlike anything we have done before, yet still sound like Ekko Park!
What is the one thing you want NZ to know about Ekko Park?
That our name is spelt Ekko Park, not Echo Park!
Where is your favourite place to relax in NZ?
KareKare, Te Kawa Hill and any good ocean in summer!
What has been your most memorable show to date?
Camden Barfly in London last year, I remember walking on stage, looking out to a full house and just thinking "we are playing a full house in London.... don't f*ck up!!" We also had an amazing run of shows at home which included playing The Powerstation, Vector Arena, Logan Campbell Centre and Homegrown. Playing those big stages is always a huge buzz.
What sets you apart from other bands?
I feel like our music connects with a wide mix of people, we are not in a certain scene or only play to a certain audience. We really pride ourselves on our live show and like to make it high energy and entertaining with lots of banter, no set list is ever the same as we like to tailor it to each occasion which always also keeps us on our toes!
Where do you get your inspiration to create music from?
Personally it's simply listening to lots of music... I love listening to music and discovering new music for my ears whether it be old or new is something I do daily. Also playing with the Ekko guys, its easy to get inspired when we are on a roll.
Tell us about Ekko Park’s next release.
Our second album Know Hope was released on Friday October 30. It was recorded in July/August between Roundhead Studios and a studio we refer to as 'The Bach', which we set up in the Coromandel town of Onemana for 8 days in August. We had a great team with Greg Haver producing, Nick Poortman Engineering and Adrian Hall in London Mixing who were all a dream to work with. The recording process was one of those experiences we won't forget! It was great to head away and just zone into recording. The album is a big step up and perfect representation of Ekko Park and we can't wait for people to hear it!
What can you never leave home without?
Phone, wallet, keys and CD's for my car (yep...CDs)
Ekko Park released their highly anticipated, independently released second album Know Hope in October 2015, going straight in to the Official NZ Album Chart at #13 and was the #5 Kiwi album.
2017 saw the release of the single Going Uptown which continued the bands rise and success in Europe, culminating in Ekko Park's first ever European Tour across Italy with a stop in Ireland.
2018 starts in earnest as the band welcomes new guitarist Alex Hargreaves to the team.