We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nolan Brown Multi Ultra. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nolan Brown below.
Nolan Brown, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I can thankfully say I AM happy (and fulfilled) as a performing artist / creative. I’ll begin by acknowledging my immense gratitude to be where I am, and the wonderful family, friends, and mentors that have helped me along. Without sulking or seeming ungrateful, I do think it’s interesting to open up about some of the challenges of “living the dream.”
For context, I’m a full time musician. No official employer or boss other than myself and the band we’ve created. About 80% of my income comes from rocking lead guitar on Broadway in Nashville, TN, where my group Multi Ultra has held down a very exciting residency 2 nights a week at Nudie’s Honky Tonk for a few years. As well as various performances around the country. We’re hitting around 120 shows a year! Now to be clear, our goal is to rise beyond often playing cover songs and subsist fully from playing and creating original music. I’m excited by our progress, but I can truly say; It’s a long way to the top. The other 20% of my humble just-above-the-poverty-line income is me freelancing other skills; audio engineering, live sound, recording/producing other artists, and occasionally on staff at this awesome nonprofit in East Nashville called H.O.M.E. It ain’t much but I’m thankful for it all.
So directly to your question, I do wonder what it would be like to have a regular job sometimes. My hours are extremely inconsistent. Lots of late nights. Going to bed at 4am. Sometimes many days off in a row, other times pulling 19-20 hour “days.” It feels like I never “clock in” — but the reverse also feels true: I never “clock out.” Sometimes I get offstage at 3am and have to pack for a morning flight at 9am. Other days I get to sleep plenty. Breakfast at 2pm. Today becomes tomorrow. Fluidly moving from nocturnal to normal, then back again. Life can easily start to blur. How difficult it can be to grip ahold of a routine. Some might say “I’ve made it, I’ve beat the 9-5.” But honestly I’m here to de-romanticize that a bit. Sure, I love the pure freedom, but it comes with a different type of weight. When your entire career trajectory lies on your creative abilities and output, the hustle never ends. Breaks are necessary though. I try to think ‘burnout is the only enemy.’
While most people are familiar with the cliche ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’ — the equal side of that conversation is acknowledging not having enough money to meet basic needs is an anxiety ridden energy-sucking black hole to live in. I am so grateful to be more comfortable than that, but I’ve had glimpses. Groceries and vet bills are no problem, but buying a house feels out of reach. Living one or two expensive car repairs, freak injuries, or unknown force majures from seeing the edge of financial bottom.
It’s definitely a hard path to walk. I wonder what it’s like to have a job that may not be a true passion, but having the peace of knowing all that stuff is taken care of. I have the opposite! Very few artists become mega wealthy, but that depends on your definition of “wealth.” Music is my life’s mission, regardless of money. I mostly feel grateful for the chance to face the risks, and make the best life I can.
Nolan Brown, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi, my name’s Nolan and I’m a co-writer and lead guitarist in indie rock band Multi Ultra! Ever since I can remember, music has captivated me: Sitting on a piano bench before my feet could touch the ground with zero skill, I was electrified by smashing the low notes and feeling it rumble my seat. Then plinking the high keys and feeling it tickle the hairs on the back of my neck… That curiosity led me to pounding out Beatles and Elton John classics soon as I’d arrive home from school. What really set me off was picking up guitar and a one year involvement in my local School of Rock in Rochester, MI around 9th-10th grade. At age 19, I traded my pursuit of a pre-med degree for a life of rock ’n roll, moving to Nashville and never looking back. The following years were a thrilling series of peaks and valleys with different bands and collaborations, playing over a thousand shows collectively in my lifetime. Today in Multi Ultra, the dreams of my youth continue!
My musical role in the band includes writing songs, co-producing, occasionally assisting audio engineering and mixing our recordings, and mostly rocking guitar and backup vocals live. We strive to provide energetic music that represent’s life’s struggles, triumphs, laughs, and cries. Sometimes we like to disguise darker or somber lyric undertones with brighter upbeat vibes and melodies. Our collective mission is to use music as a unifier and community builder in whatever capacity we can affect. And to remind people that while life is full of hardship, suffering, and failure, we believe it’s always possible to find the light on the other side of those experiences.
Recently, we’re very proud of our latest EP ‘After a Thousand Miles.’ After touring to many cities and living many seasons, we made something really true to ourselves sonically and lyrically. It features themes ranging from valuing your loved ones — to striving to build something bigger than yourself, alchemizing despair into hope. Musically, it’s a lot of high-energy joy that explodes onstage. Lookout if we’re coming to your city this Fall, and for new music in the works.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
There are so many ways to show support! This first thing I’d say is to educate yourself on options to avoid giant monopolies like ticketmaster and live nation. For some shows you have no choice, but it has been encouraging to see independent boutique companies like SeatFun and TuneHatch offer more fair and transparent event ticketing services to artists and venues.
The second thing is especially to participate in your local scene as much as your budget and life allows. When you’re paying $15-20 at the door to see a local band, you’re helping the venue, the audio engineer, AND the artists stay alive. Realize that the $500 you might spend on resale nosebleeds and the $18 can of beer for a stadium artist could instead buy you 10+ awesome local shows to support a new generation of upcoming underdogs. When you pay $25 for one of our handmade t-shirts, you’re literally giving us gas money to get to the next city, or ad spend to market our next single. That’s hardly even personal “profit” for us — the vast majority of our band income just covers business operation costs! All those small grassroots efforts truly add up. Being an artist is seemingly harder than ever nowadays, what we miss on streaming makes merch and live performances even more of a lifeline.
Thirdly, sharing is caring! Word-of-mouth will always be the best “marketing” — if a band posts a clip you really dig, re-share it on your social media and talk about it with your friends. The ripple effect is powerful.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
When our character count is limited to a headline, our mission is often reduced to something like “music to make you feel better” — but there’s a whole world of feelings beneath that. Music is this phenomenal space that can range from simple entertainment to a life-affirming cathartic release. Some of our songs are just for fun; a vibe just to feel the joy of headbanging or dancing. Other songs reach deeper, confessing fears or emotional/existential struggles.
It’s disheartening to see the stark division among people nowadays. Multi Ultra does not aim to be any kind of political band, because the division extends beyond that: We live in a dichotomy of having the easiest paths of communication ever as a society — only to experience a perceived increase in individual anxiety, depression, and isolationism.
Music has played a role in my life that has brought me to better understand and celebrate cultures that are different than mine. A great song can instantly transcend language or idealogical barriers. When a crowd of friends and perfect strangers are singing together — there is something spiritually sacred and powerful in the air: For a moment, many souls become one. I would love to contribute to a world where people are more considerate, more enlightened, and prioritize what humans have in common rather than what we don’t. Music can capture the beauty hidden beneath the struggles of life — It can provide hope to someone who is lost.
It is my mission to use my music not only to entertain, but to inspire people towards greater understanding of their own life. To bring people together in a way where differences are not just tolerated, but celebrated. It extends beyond the stage into a way of life: How we treat people hanging at the venue, or in traffic on the way home, all matters just as much.
I may be just a drop in the ocean, but in a way, the entire ocean exists in a single drop inside each of us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.multiultraband.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/multiultra_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/multiultra
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@multiultra_
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@multiultra_
Image Credits
All images by Cassie Riley @cassrileyphoto