Nicholas Tomillon knows he was born to make music. Still a teenager, the young artist enrolled in an online school where he could dedicate his time not spent in a classroom to further his music career. With a few singles already under his belt, Tomillon is figuring out what producing and writing combination works for him. His most recent single, “I Will Never Leave You” is out today and is a personal narration on a past relationship.
The edgy and emotional track is just a preview of the type of artful pop fans can expect from the singer/songwriter’s future projects, which possibly entail the release of a full-length album later this summer. I sat down with Tomillon to discuss his growing career, latest single, and social media presence.
Courtesy of Nicholas Tomillon
Ariel Zedric: Tell me about the inspiration behind your new single, “I Will Never Leave You“!
Nicholas Tomillon: The inspiration for this new song came from a previous relationship of mine. My ex-boyfriend had a lot of trouble taking my love. It was hard for him to understand what it felt like when someone truly cared about him. He had a rough background, so he had serious trust issues. He would go behind my back, drinking, smoking, partying, etc. He constantly felt that my love for him was a lie. So, this song is based off of this. I’m trying to say something like, “HEY!! IM HERE!! I TRULY LOVE YOU!!”
Can you recall the moment you decided to write the track? Is there any event in particular that inspired it, or was it more of a culmination of things?
After constant miscommunication with my ex, I felt that it was time to end the relationship. About a month after suppressing my feelings, I turned them into this song. All of my music has a backstory. I tell my own stories, hoping that others are able to relate.
Walk me through your songwriting process! Is there a special place that you go to for inspiration?
I am ALWAYS writing/producing. Usually, I’ll get my laptop and keyboard, and just mess around with different chords until I come up with something I like. I rarely write before producing, because it is much easier for me to write along to something.
What was your favorite part of filming the music video?
Well actually, this is my first video ever. So filming as a whole was an incredible experience. I met some insanely talented people, and I got to express my emotions not only through my music, but visually, so it was very exciting for me.
Are there parts of your childhood/upbringing that you pull from for inspiration? How so?
Growing up, my father both mentally and physically abused me. My mother has always been there, but he is very controlling towards her. For a while, I never had a way to cope. I constantly have flashbacks of experiences with my father, but music helps me in unimaginable ways. Without music, I don’t know where I’d be, so I like to pull experiences from my upbringing, hoping to help others understand that they are not alone and that their battles do not define them.
Tell me about balancing school, making music, and your personal life. Would you change anything?
I’m currently enrolled in an online school. Up until January, I attended a public school, so it was hard for me to balance both music and school. Online school has made a world of a difference. Now, I have so much more time to work on music. Public school wasn’t the best place for me either. I hated it. I don’t like drugs, drinking, etc. But public school was full of it.
Have you encountered any obstacles in the music industry thus far? How have you overcome them?
I’m lucky that I’ve had a pretty smooth first few years in the industry. But, I am an independent artist, so I do everything myself. Sometimes, it’s hard to like “get out there”, but other than that, I love every second of it.
Courtesy of Nicholas Tomillon
You have quite the Instagram fanbase, how do you balance what you do and what you show the world? How big of a role does social media play in your life? How do you stop it from being too draining?
Social media can be incredible, but it can also be evil. My world used to revolve around social media, and that was all I cared about. Now, I’ve realized that being big on social media isn’t all that if you don’t have a reason behind it. That’s why I currently spend my time on music. I’d rather be known as an artist rather than a “social media star” if that makes sense.
What artist have you been listening to on repeat lately?
I’ve been loving Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Bulow, and Allie X. They’ve all been on repeat because their music is very inspiring towards me.
Are you working on any other exciting, forthcoming projects that you want people to know about?
I am currently working on my debut album. I hope to release it this summer, so we’ll see what happens. I am also in the process of conducting my first live show, so that’s very exciting for me.
Courtesy of Nicholas Tomillon
They always ask what advice would you give to your younger self, but what advice would your younger self give to you?
My younger self could probably try to help me to understand, that everything happens for a reason, and that whatever you want if you work hard you will get it. Those are two very important phrases, and I think that everybody needs to hear them every so often.
Any last thoughts?
First off, thank you so much for this incredible opportunity! I loved chatting with you and explaining my story. I hope this song is beneficial to people, and I hope that others can take something from it.
Follow Nicholas on Instagram, Spotify, and YouTube.
Feature image courtesy of Nicholas Tomillon
