Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nimrod Shoval Shrem. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Nimrod thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

The place I am now as a musician is very different from where I started 17 years ago, not only in terms of level and skill, but in where I’m going and how I see and define myself. My musical journey started when I was 9, I decided I wanted to play guitar, following idols like Slash, Kirk Hammet and all those other guitar heroes. I played guitar everyday and gradually got better and better, with the goal of being able to play cool rock and metal solos, ingrained in my mind. About 5 years had passed and I got into writing music as well. I tried to write my own music, inspired by bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Queen, and others in those genres, but also by different musical influences I had, from sources like video games, specifically music from the ‘Sonic’ and ‘Rayman’ games. When I was about 15, my guitar teacher introduced me to a nice instrumental song called ‘Overture 1928’ by the band Dream Theater, and that opened a whole new world for me – the world of progressive rock/metal. I was Infatuated by the richness in harmony, rhythm and textures. I’d suddenly experienced a group of musicians who had broken the glass ceiling I had in my mind, and showed me the full array of musical expression. Since that moment I’ve been trying to emulate that sensation of journey in my songs, and to integrate all those new colors I had discovered. from there I dove dipper into the history of progressive rock, listening to bands like Genesis, Alan Parsons Project, Kansas and more. Fast forward 11 years, and even though I still focus heavily on guitar and improving my technical and expressive abilities, I have found myself to be more of a songwriter and composer these days, rather than an instrumentalist. As a guitar player I could have been more advanced technically, had I sat down and practiced everyday, but I could never develop an organized exercise routine. And as a songwriter and composer, I should have probably been more open to different bands, artists, composers and sources of inspiration in general. But it’s never too late. The important thing is, know what you want but don’t fight it if you feel like with time it’s slowly being replaced by something else, be open to experiencing the world and learning from it. That is the true source of inspiration.

Nimrod, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been a music student for 17 years. Last year, at the beginning of 2024 I moved to LA after graduating from Berklee College of Music, thus officially ending my academic relationship with music. At that point I didn’t really have anything going on. I had no connections, no job offers, just a general plan of finding my way into the industry. It took me a while but eventually I met singer/songwriter Charles Moret, who originally contacted me about playing guitar in his band, but I ended up playing bass, as he had already found a guitar player. A few months later I was contacted once again, this time by a guy named Aidan, who was looking for a new lead guitar player for his band “What Matters Most?”. I ended up joining the band and we’ve been at it ever since.
The band’s style is Pop Rock, with some elements of heaviness, while keeping it radio friendly. Being a part of that band allowed me to experience performing with a click track and backing tracks, which was a whole new thing for me, but fortunately it was a very pleasant introduction thanks to the incredible in-ear monitors that the band has been using, by the company ‘Ultimate Ears’. I can hear everything on stage so clearly now compared to past shows. That is a completely new experience. Since I joined, we’ve played many shows, in venues such as ‘House of Blues’ and ‘Chain Reaction’, and there is much more to come.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Nowadays, the music world is getting wider, but also smaller in a way. With the use of the internet and streaming, the exposure to different kinds of music is so instant and infinite that you could come across a song that someone recorded in their uncle’s basement in Timbuktu, while in the past you could spend your entire life not knowing your neighbor had a music career, spanning over decades. But as many of us like to say – exposure doesn’t pay the rent. With streaming platforms like Apple Music and primarily Spotify, there is much less demand for physical records. Music format has been through so many changes, from vinyl to cassettes, to CDs, but each one would be purchased for around 10$ (more or less). These days, the majority of people stream music rather than buy the actual music from the store, and the artist’s cut from a stream is too insignificant to actually be considered a profit. That’s why a musician’s main source of income now is from performing in shows. Ticket sales are the only thing that is worth a musician’s time and effort. That means, no crowd, no money, so the best thing people can do to support up-and-coming artists is come to their shows – buy tickets, many even some merchandise, invite friends. Those things matter and they make or break a musician’s career.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Every person who gets into a music career does it with a certain goal in mind. Some see it as a product that could earn them a lot of money, some are in pursuit of the fame and the attention. I feel like those who truly made it, those who actually made a change for the better with their music, are the ones who just wished to share their feelings and thoughts with the world. In my opinion, the best music is the one that makes you think, the one that might even change your point of view about something. I can’t give any examples as to each person, it means different kind of music, but that is what I am after. My goal, my mission, is to make a change in the world for the better. I want to one day see a world, that would have looked different had my music not been written. I want to use my music to help people get to a place where they feel happier than they were before. I want my music to bring people closer together. Music is a wonderful thing, but I feel like there is no point if you use it as a tool for achieving your personal needs alone. Music is a power that should be used for the better of others. I believe that in doing so you will inevitably bring upon your own happiness and content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nimrodshovalshrem.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nimrods7?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054435251338&mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@nimrods7?si=jJt0CItq8IlX6cFn

Image Credits

Isabela Gunz

https://www.instagram.com/izzygunzphotography?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==