Interview with NOPRISM: ‘Our next single ‘Happiness’ is about depression’

Newcastle-based duo NOPRISM is gearing up to record their next single, ‘Happiness’ this weekend which, contrary to what the title suggests, is actually about depression, according to its singer, Andrew Young.

‘It’s a bit about being stuck in the house during lockdown,’ Young said. ‘It’s actually about depression and trying to find happiness. It’s got a bit of a dance edge to it. I like to take dark topics and wrap them up in a sparkly song! [laughs] A lot of songs have a sinister side, if you think of bands like Frankie Goes To Hollywood and big synth bands in the 80’s that were talking about dark stuff.’

As the lyrics go: ‘What is this confusion, look where we find ourselves, so certain of yourself but question everybody else, oh it’s happening again, the more that I remember, the more I want to forget.’

Formed late last year, NOPRISM’s synth-filled, soulful pop songs have become a labour of love for Young and Mark Nelson, who knew each other from former bands they’d been in.

Their latest single, ‘House Of Smith’, which came out last month actually references a bar in Newcastle where Young and Nelson ran into each other and kickstarted the idea of writing songs together. ‘It’s become a bit of an in-joke, because the bar’s not even very good!’ Young laughed.

‘Lyrically, ‘House of Smith’ has a religious context, it’s about a kind of rebirth,’ Young explained. ‘It’s about how a lot of people feel the need to have a religion. I’m very interested in it but I don’t believe in it, it’s more the intensity and purpose of religion for people that interests me.’

This is made clear in the lyrics: ‘Fake a heart attack because the world is changing, you don’t need no bad advice, and this is bad advice, still you pray to some God, but you’ve gotta evolve man, you won’t find an answer when you look at all ends, and you move it all in.’

‘Everything you listen to seeps in there’

Young finds inspiration in all kinds of music: ‘Everything you listen to seeps in there. I’m like a sponge when it comes to music. There’s a ‘nah nah’ in the backing vocals on our song ‘Lisbon’ that we nicked from ‘Here Comes The Hotstepper’ (by Ini Kamoze).’

He and Nelson do the songwriting remotely, making a basic demo that they pass back and forth until they’re happy with it, Young said. They then take it to a friend who has a studio to ‘work our magic on it’.

They spent the last year recording an album, which includes the fantastically catchy yet-to-be released ‘Pantherbeat’, although Young says most of the album might never see the light of day because the band has changed their sound on lockdown. ‘I don’t think the older songs are such a good fit now,’ he said. ‘They sound good but they’re not as cohesive. ‘

With echoes of Depeche Mode, Talking Heads and Chaka Khan, NOPRISM’s strength is turning out good pop music that makes you want to dance. However, Young is adamant that they don’t want to be too deeply associated with the 80’s: ‘We’re trying not to sound too 80’s, although Mark is a big New Order fan,’ he said, laughing. ‘We’re more about using synths with heavy guitars to mix it up. I’m a big fan of Pottery (a Canadian indie rock band). Influence-wise, I really like Radiohead and The National.’

Interestingly, if he could collaborate with anyone dead or alive, Young is quick to say Aretha Franklin: ‘We always want a big, soulful female singer,’ he said. ‘She was amazing, so I’d like to write a big song for a voice unlike mine, a big powerful voice like Aretha’s.’

(Photo, left to right: Mark Nelson and Andrew Young.)