Second-album syndrome; it used to be a thing. That pent-up, weighty expectation surrounding a second release to achieve the same or – better yet – more brilliance than the first that enraptured fans from the get-go.
In the days when we might have fallen head over heels for an artist or act’s debut, we only had tours, which not all of us could get to, or the odd interview in glossy magazines and faded street press; or perhaps we rinsed video clips and on-tour Q&As however we could. It was indeed a dedicated fan who lived through the arthritic rewind-fast forward days of the VHS.
But now, that long wait for new material and the inevitable comparisons and expectations that went with it have largely evaporated. It’s a lot easier these days for artists to release material in between albums, usually whenever it suits them, and share it – and themselves – directly with fans.
For Sydney artist Nick Ward, that means whatever pressure he may have felt upon the release of his sophomore album Year Of The Snake was redundant. What’s more, he wants people to pick it apart. Not all, of course, but some.
“I actually hope that some people don't like it,” Ward shares. "I used to want everyone in my life to love the music before I released it. Once I could do that, then I felt like I could put it out.
"But this record, I didn't show anybody before it was finished. I only showed people after it was mastered. I know some of my friends won't like this album, and that's awesome. It's my favourite thing I've ever made. For some of my other friends, it'll be their favourite of mine, too.
"I'm excited for it to really galvanise the people who've been into my music for a while. Hopefully it feels like a new thing and feels like a surprise. It might inevitably turn some people off as well, but that's what feels exciting. I genuinely don't know what people's reaction is going to be.
"I think art is better when some people hate it. It needs to piss some people off, or some people just don't get it while others really love it. I don't think something can really penetrate people deeply if it's shallow and leaves everyone feeling indifferent.
"The worst reaction would be indifference; I'd rather people have a strong reaction."
Following the release of his 2024 debut House with the Blue Door, Ward shares a relatable feeling – that he had been “on a hamster wheel” since he was 18. As an inspired young talent who was always creating, he was waiting to release that first record.
During that time, he never stopped working nor took a solid break. By putting everything into album one, he had no idea where he wanted to go next. But self-awareness of what kind of music now kept him anchored was a helpful grounding point for album number two.
“When I was younger, I probably listened to a lot of very heavy music and stuff that helped me explain some of my own emotions to myself. But as I got older, I think I'm looking for more light in music,” he says.
"Artists like the Beach Boys or the Beatles are two of my favourites of all time because they acknowledge both parts of the spectrum. You have the light and the dark, but ultimately it's about choosing to see the best in other people and choosing to be optimistic.
"My favourite music now is stuff that acknowledges the tough aspects of life but is ultimately trying to be optimistic and provide something hopeful. I don't really want to release something that feels like it's wallowing in negative emotions because I don't think that's helpful for me to make, and it's not really what I want to listen to either.”
Coupled with knowledge of what kind of music he was pulled towards as a listener and was motivated to create as an artist, Ward took what was a tumultuous time personally (“friendship breakups, distanced from people in crowds that I definitely needed to move away from for a while, my long-term relationship was kind of falling apart; I was having falling-outs with family members”) and took off for New Zealand to write Year Of The Snake with collaborators Kody Nielson and Timon Martin.
"I transformed a tough experience into some of my more happy-sounding music. Even though I think it's still a darker record, it's still striving to be optimistic,” he offers.
"I was interested in the ways that we choose to view the things that happen to us in our lives. When you have a really tough year, can I chalk this up to friendship breakdowns or relationship breakdowns, or can it just be coincidences?
"I was finding it interesting to see it as this larger cosmic event, especially because a lot of my friends who were the same age, born in 2001, were going through the same thing. Everyone just had the shittest year last year for some reason.”
Hence Ward naming his sophomore album Year Of The Snake, a shedding of skin and a chance to start fresh. It certainly houses the full spectrum of upbeat, jangly pop to dark, lush arrangements. But thematically, he was perhaps too inspired, as five days planned for writing in New Zealand turned into three months. And writing one album suddenly magnetised around five albums’ worth of songs that Ward wrote while there and previously. A good or bad problem for an artist to have, depending on how you look at it.
“Up until the end of last year, it was going to be a double album,” Ward laughs.
"On a second album, there are just so many possibilities.
"I remember not listening to any of my previous demos when I was in New Zealand. Then, suddenly, I listened to them all, and it became really clear what the 10 or 12 songs were that actually belonged here.
"Obviously, it means you have to let go of other things, but I wanted to make a more cohesive record than my first album. At a certain point, you just have to cull something and leave it behind."
Nick Ward’s Year Of The Snake is out now via EMI Music Australia.
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
