Nick Edwards was catapulted into living rooms across the country when he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent back in 2022. Now, almost two years later, Edwards has a catalogue of music that he’s ready to share.
On Sunday 7th April, singer song writers from all over the country gathered at The Bedford in Balham, London, to raise money for Dementia UK. The day was arranged into eight sets of Nashville style writers’ rounds, with Nick Edwards and his band sharing the headline slot with Eddy Smith & the 507, and Wood Burnt Red. Edwards sat down with Tea with G before his slot to talk about his time on Britain’s Got Talent, his latest single and what we can expect this year.
You can’t talk to Nick Edwards without first addressing how he became a household name –his surprise audition on Britain’s Got Talent. And I don’t mean a surprise for us mere mortal viewers or even his family, no, the audition was a surprise for Edwards himself. “They lured me into the London Palladium – I thought I was watching,” he says about the audition – a video that has been streamed over 300 million times since. The whole thing had been organised without his knowledge, with the producers contacting his wife in secret. From here, Edwards made it to the semi-finals and even debuted his original music on the show. “I gave up on the dream of music a long time ago,” Edwards says, “and that kind of took things to a whole new kind of music family again.”
Edwards quickly realised that, while his success on Britain’s Got Talent was more than he could have ever dreamed of, he wasn’t prepared for this next stage in his new music career. “The problem is, is that when you do a show like that, and you’re not ready, you’ve got no material,” he says, “you’re ready [but] you’re not ready to go. So, I’ve spent the last two years kind of getting my product ready.” It’s a real insight speaking about his experience during and after the show, as it’s abundantly clear that Edwards hasn’t shied away from the graft now the cameras are off. “It’s not like a road to Hollywood,” he says about his time after the show, “where you suddenly just open up a door and you’ve made it as a musician.” Edwards is grateful that this opportunity has come later in his life where he is grounded and a bit more worldly-wise. “I don’t want fame or fortune, I want to play music,” he says about his career, “whereas if you’d have called me at 16, I’d probably want to be famous.”
Not explicitly country in genre, Edwards attributes his music to a variety of influences. “I’d say there was a mix of genres,” he says, “I’ve always loved a message behind a song…I wouldn’t say I’m a country act [but] it’s definitely an influence there.” His mum was a Motown girl and his dad was into show music so Edwards pulls inspiration and influence from a plethora of styles.
His latest single, ‘Troubadour Soul Sinner,’ tells the story of being both the best and worst version of yourself. “There’s a lot of growing up in that song,” Edwards says, detailing how he had a difficult relationship with his dad who he sadly lost recently, “I moved out when I was 16, so I had to grow up pretty quickly. That song is about learning about yourself, making loads of mistakes, being the worst version of yourself but also being the best version of yourself.” He talks about how everyone has their bad times and sometimes, when you’re being the worst or best version of yourself, you can’t always be objective enough to recognise that.
Edwards is working towards releasing his debut album this year, which he’s not long off completing, and we can also expect more singles from him in the meantime. He has a few gigs and festivals lined up, including Buckle and Boots festival in May, “I’d put my neck on the line and say that our live stuff is far better than the recorded stuff”. I guess there’s only one way to find out…
In the past two years, Edwards has crammed an awful lot in. “I needed to get my identity out there,” he says about everything he’s achieved so far, “so I’ve just been writing, recording and releasing. I’ve got some really good people around me who helped me to put this all together.”
Humility can sometimes be over applied to artists, the word often losing its edge, but Nick Edwards is genuinely just a guy who wants to play his music. He’s got no agenda and isn’t trying to fit into any moulds. Yes, he loves his music, but he’s a family man at heart and that will always remain his number one priority.
Keep up to date with Nick Edwards through his website, Instagram, and YouTube
This interview was conducted in collaboration with Live in the Living Room.
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