Nashlyn rediscovers her artistic orientation with release of solo EP
Rachel D’Sa // Arts and Culture Editor
After finding success as part of Vancouver-based dream-rock band, FRANKIE, Nashlyn is looking to expand her horizons on her own. The singer and multi-instrumentalist is embarking on her first solo tour to support the release of her debut EP Work It Out.
While FRANKIE’s bio page cites instant and undeniable chemistry as among the foundational factors of the group’s success, Nashlyn states that the artistic liberty a solo record provides is a fulfilling endeavour she couldn’t pass up. Moreover, juxtaposing her experiences in a band and on her own has given Nashlyn a better perspective on the life of a musician.
She argues bands are fantastic blends of creativity through constant compromise, bringing out deep artistry in the process. On the other hand, she sees that her solo career is giving her an outlet for her own personal creative ideas, relieving her of inner pressure to push her bandmates closer to her personal tastes. This push and pull environment is also what excites Nashlyn for FRANKIE’s, as she never knows where it will lead them due to the lesser control.
While FRANKIE’s music rests closer to folk because of the lack of effects-based sounds from pedals and triggers, Nashlyn’s solo efforts venture towards the electronic territory – combining her knack for songwriting and production talents. “I’m very interested in production and like writing within Ableton or Logic to play with sound,” she said. “I find it freeing as a solo artist to be able to play all the instruments and blend them together however I want. I like learning about plugins, effects and everything mixing related. It’s an endless learning experience.”
Although Nashlyn has toured with FRANKIE and other bands before, this will be the debut as a solo act. “The first time I ever toured was with my first gigging band Emberfield about five years ago. We played at a couple of the same spots this time, so it was fun to bring it all around full circle,” recalled Nashlyn. She was able to carry out a successful tour with the help of fellow musicians and tour bookers, The Burn Ins, and Amelie Patterson. “I’m still learning but I booked us a small gig at Skinny Fat Jack’s that ended up being a highlight show at the end of our tour,” she recalled.
Though Nashlyn still has a few concert dates left with another band, VERSA, she notes that the tour couldn’t have been more fulfilling. “A highlight was discovering Waterton, Alta. It was a beautiful national park I had never heard of with towering mountains and a deep blue lake,” she said. “We played a couple nights there and it felt like a Canadian dream vacation. We even stopped at the haunted Prince of Wales hotel to see if we could find the ghost who smells like cigars.” During the tour, Nashlyn and one of her bandmates found I stray cat they fully intended to adopt, only to learn that it was no stray cat after all. “She definitely had a home,” she said. “We miss you, Dina.”
For now, Nashlyn plans to continue down her music path, while focusing on getting back to her writing roots. “I feel like I barely scratched the surface with this EP,” she said. “I’m hoping I can spend a few months in Powell River hunkering down and writing away.”
Work It Out can be streamed on services including Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play. Find Nashlyn at Nashlynmusic.com.