New Music: NYIKO – Like The Movies

After working late last year on the Crush EP with The White Electric, Los Angeles’ NYIKO moves away from that downtempo sound to something more upbeat on the slightly melancholic but very catchy Like The Movies.

80s pop and New Wave dominates the track, but does so with such flair and finesse that any notion this is a retro exercise is quickly dispelled. Instead, it takes those influences and gives them a real 21^st century makeover. That’s noticeable in the lyrics, as they take a very reflective but realistic look at the past, but also in the slightly wistful energy of the melody, as the song enlightens as much as it entertains.

NYIKO says this about the creative process that led to Like The Movies: “At the end of 2018, I was sitting on about 30 demos that I really liked but that were all written at different times with varying production styles. I spent the next few months honing in on which sounds could enhance the songs and make them feel like they were all made during the same time,” he explains. “I was listening to a lot of British post-punk and new wave at the time and I really wanted a full band sound. With the help of guitarist, Niles Gregory, bassist, Stone Irr, and producer, Kyler Hurley, I was able to track live instrumentation of what I had written in the demo. We did everything in my bedroom studio.”

As for the meaning of the track itself? “It’s a song about growing up and believing everything we’re fed about love in teenage romance films and tv shows, only to realize that in reality, love is much deeper, much more complex, and ultimately more rewarding.”

You can find out more about NYIKO and his music over on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Like The Movies is out now and can be streamed or downloaded on all major platforms, including Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon – click here for more information.

Photo by Niles Gregory