We all dream of something, yet not all dreams are plausible. Dreaming of living on a Terry Pratchett Sea Turtle planet, to name an example, might be a little too much wishful thinking. But a world with a safe and sustainable living for everyone? That – by comparison – doesn’t seem too much to ask. On his song “Sit Around and Wait” Montreal-based artist Alex Nicol leans his evocative voice fully into this simple, magnanimous plea.
“I wrote ‘Sit Around And Wait’ thinking about my journey to finding and sharing my voice as an artist,” Nicol says. “One which took me down many circuitous routes, through dark alleys of shame and doubt, and into corners where I felt stuck, hoping for someone to come and lift me out of my malaise. Ultimately I had to lift myself out – there is no point sitting around and waiting. I wanted to convey both the frustration of feeling stuck and in limbo as well as the underlying hopefulness that motivates one to keep moving forward, to continue building a life that works better for them.”
A fellow Alex, director Alex Seltzer, adds an urgent new layer to Nicol’s quest for reprieve in the video. Nicol plays a mousy office clerk who is gradually overwhelmed by documents and other bureaucratic hurdles that basically have nothing to do with making music. The office itself is abandoned, except for some unseen natural force that undoes all the diligent labour Nicol’s character has completed for the day.
“This music video is an ode to artists who find themselves in mind-numbing and soul-crushing day jobs that we’ve all had to take on to make ends meet,” Seltzer comments.” I wanted to visualize that feeling I know so well, of being stuck in an office, counting down the minutes until we can escape and finally get to do what we really want: create, perform, and connect. I wanted to heighten the emotions in Alex’s song by creating visuals that blend the surreal and bleak otherworldliness of Roy Anderson’s films, the 90s Britpop music videos I grew up obsessed with, old Ikea ads, and a bit of Office Space thrown in for good measure.”
“It was a real treat for me to work with Alex again”, says Nicol. “I felt a real kinship with the character because I’ve spent years in that position before – toiling away for financial security while always working towards making music happen behind the scenes. It was a bonus that I got to act it out!”
Nicol has recently announced a big Summer/Fall tour, starting with a set at Montreal International Jazz Festival on Sunday. Check the full batch of dates below:
06/30/2024 Montreal International Jazz Festival Club Montréal TD – Montreal Canada
07/06/2024 Mariposa Folk Festival – Orillia, Canada
08/17/2024 Riverfest Elora – Elora, Canada
09/21/2024 La Lune Des Pirates – Amiens, France
09/22/2024 CCM John Lennon – Limoges, France
09/23/2024 Le Makeda – Marseille, France
09/25/2024 Sala Moon – Valencia, Spain
09/26/2024 Teatro Barcelo – Madrid, Spain
09/27/2024 Para.lel 62 – Barcelona, Spain
09/28/2024 Oasis – Zaragoza, Spain
09/30/2024 Kafe Antzokia – Bilboa, Spain
10/01/2024 Le Rex – Toulouse, France
Watch the video for “Sit Around and Wait”, and find Nicol’s latest record Been A Long Year Vol.1 & 2 on Bandcamp.
Follow Alex Nicol on his official website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
