INTERVIEW: Nicole Millar talks new single 'Boring!' and shares exclusive new images
Image: Tiffany Williams
Over the last 12 months, Australia’s Nicole Millar has re-launched her career with a more mature, more defined, more edgy sound displayed across four singles - ‘Favours’, ‘I should probably go to therapy’, ‘4U’ and on November 24 ‘Boring!’ Mixing R&B, pop and dashes of grime, the singles followed up Millar’s 2018 debut album Excuse Me, a delicious synth pop collection of tracks which featured the viral hits ‘Blindfolded’ and ‘Tremble’ which had garnered 20 million plus streams collectively.
‘Boring!’ sees Millar take a brighter, more playful tone than her previous releases and the song details an almost obsessive interest in her crush and a desire for more excitement in her life: “Thrills are calling and I wanna give in / Life is boring without you in it.” For an artist who has over the past few years has become one of Australia’s most adept at embracing change and exploring new soundscapes, ‘Boring!’ again showcases Millar’s diversity as well as being, plain and simple, an outstanding pop song.
We recently caught up with Nicole to chat more about her 2020 and alongside the interview you can view some exclusive new images of Nicole from a recent photoshoot.
Hey Nicole! Great to chat to you again 2020 - what a year. How have you survived?!
It’s definitely been weird but I’ve been taking the time to plan, relax, write and get into other things like gardening and painting ha ha! Oh, and binge watch a lot of shows.
Congrats on the release of your latest single ‘Boring!’, it is fantastic. Can you talk us through the inspiration behind the song?
Thank you! It’s basically a song written about wanting to escape reality by looking for thrills in different places.
You wrote the song with some amazing writers, Bülow and The Six. What was this experience like?
With Covid this year I needed to think of new ways to create and it only made sense to go back to how I used to write and that was online to beats. I got this amazing opportunity to write with Bülow and The Six, they sent over some ideas and vice versa. I recorded in the studio in my house sent the vocals over and the rest is history.
You have also released a simple but quirky visualiser for the song. What was this like to make?
I probably watched too many shows set in the 50’s recently and it’s rubbed off on me. I spent days looking for the right location I was really inspired by the movie Boogie Nights and the pool scene they have.
As we are talking ‘Boring!’, tell us what is the one thing that absolutely bores you to tears?Oh probably doing the dishes. You should ask my boyfriend he’s always bugging me to do them!
It’s been more or less exactly one year since you returned to music with a new sound with single ‘Favours’ after a year or so away. Three more singles have followed, how are you feeling about this latest era in your career?
I am very excited I can’t wait to test them out in crowds I feel like my best music is still yet to come so stay tuned ha ha!
We are sharing some exclusive images from one of your photoshoots alongside this interview, can you tell us a little about the shoot?
I’m so excited to share these with you, They were shot in the same location with the same inspiration as the video for ‘Boring!’ I thought if I have this place for 2 days why not get some amazing outfits together and do a photo shoot. I worked together on these photos with my friends and collaborators Hunter Blue, Tiffany Williams & Samantha Lee.
It has been a hard 2020 but right now there seems to be a light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel, at least in Australia. What are your hopes for the music industry over the next 6 months?
I hope the music industry bounces back bigger than ever without any lockdowns or dramas just in time for summer.
In amongst all the hell - the bushfires, the pandemic, police brutality, racism - what have been the good things to take away from this year?
Its definitely been a crazy year, I think if something nice was to come out this year it would be time to better myself as a person, time to reflect and learn.
What is coming up for Nicole Millar in the new year?
Lots of music and good times ha ha!
‘Boring!’ by Nicole Millar is out now via EMI Music. You can download and stream here.
To keep up with all things Nicole Millar, you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Images: Tiffany Williams
Make-up: Samantha Lee
Stylist: Hunter Blue
