Geelong-raised musician revisits youth

The sprawling and contemplative “Saturday Night” is Nick Lovell’s first solo single in four years.

The song is an abstract reflection on his youth spent in Geelong’s western suburbs. Lovell grew up in Manifold Heights and attended Western Heights College, before moving to Melbourne when he was 18.

After a period in Ocean Grove in his 20s writing his first solo album, Lovell settled in Melbourne teaching at a high school and living with his young family.

“Saturday Night” is a stunning piece of music. Lovell delivers a vocal performance that is equal parts bold and delicate, adding to the already eerie soundscape.

The lyrics illuminate a nostalgic suburban domesticity. The mundane is front and centre, with characters set in bathrooms, bedrooms, cars and streets at night. The lyric “Walking down Autumn Avenue, singing Pearl Jam songs at the top of our lungs” time-stamps the song beyond doubt. The build-up to the chorus is defined, but somehow Lovell’s sledgehammer elegy to his youth – the powerful refrain “No, I just don’t have the will to go on, anymore”- strikes out of the blue every time.

According to Lovell, the entire song came out of the blue.

“The song poured out, really,” he said.

“It was right in the middle of when I started writing the heavier stuff for Noonday Axeman (Lovell’s other project), and I hadn’t written any solo stuff for a number of years – I had put the it on the shelf a little bit.

“I had a high school band when I was in Geelong called Gargamel and we were planning a 25-year reunion gig, which was going to be in March. We were having rehearsals in Geelong and I think being back there with friends got me thinking about the old days. Not consciously, but it was nostalgic. I was thinking about the good times back in the day.

“The song tells a story of growing up in Geelong, when Saturday nights were a big deal and seemed to amplify all of the emotions, good and bad. Friends were the insulation between you and the world, and kept you falling too far either side of the line – if you were lucky. This song is my ode to those times.”

The length of time between releases may be best attributed to a precarious work life balance. A full-time teacher and parent must be creative to be creative.

“After the kids are in bed, I record at home. I’ve got my own gear, so it’s just about finding a moment to record,” Lovell said.

“That time is precious. I’ve learnt to record my own stuff and do it super-fast. I have to go for broke, really. I don’t stew on it like I used to. I’ve got my own gear, so It’s just finding a moment to sneak a song in here or there. I might write a song early in the morning but my son is up pretty early.”

Interestingly, the recent restrictions gave Lovell more time to focus on his songwriting.

“With the lockdown, even though I was teaching from home, it probably gave me a bit more time because I wasn’t driving to and from work and running kids around. I had a few extra moments.

“Surprisingly I have done quite a bit of stuff recently, considering full family life. That’s why I’ve only released one song under the Nick Lovell thing, because I have focused on the Noonday Axeman that was something new and exciting.”

“Saturday Night” can be streamed online at facebook.com/nicklovellmusic.