Name: Nicolas Meier
Nationality: Swiss, UK based
Occupation: Guitarist, composer
Recent release: Nicolas Meier teams up with vocalist and songwriter Ola Onabulé for Proof of Life, out via Rugged Ram.
Global Recommendations: Visit the small town of “Gruyeres” close to Fribourg!!! Magic.
Topics that I am passionate about but rarely get to talk about:
- I love the mounntains, snow and skiing (I do MONOSKI)
- I love traveling with my wife, visiting different cultures, arts and regions and music - that’s why I developed so much love for different styles of music ...
- I was passionate about Roger Federer as a tennis player and as a person.

If you enjoyed this Nicolas Meier interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official website. He is also on Instagram, and Facebook.   



When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as a listener, which albums, performances, and artists come to mind?

As a listener, the sensation of energy often differs depending of the style of music I am listening to. But if we're talking about one particular artist, I like variations in rhythm and harmony. It always provides for more energy if there is more variation …

I can think of Pat Metheny, with all his different albums … Chick Corea, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder.

And in terms of rock or metal, Steve Vai, Dream Theater etc …

There can be many different kinds of energy in art – soft, harsh, healing, aggressive, uplifting and many more. Which do you tend to feel drawn to most?

I do like a bit of a mix … from a soft Michael Brecker ("The nearness of you") …



... and James Taylor to a heavy Dream Theater ("The Mirror").

I have had a hard time explaining that listening to death metal calms me down. When you listen to a song with a particular energy, does it tend to fill you with the same energy – or are there “paradoxical” effects?

Yes, I do also have these paradoxical feelings when listening to some extremely heavy metal music.

It can keep me upbeat and happy and calm … :-)

In as far as it plays a role for the music you like listening to or making, what role do words and the voice of a vocalist play for the transmission of energy?

Well, I play mainly instrumental music and with Proof Of Life and my exciting collaboration with Ola Onabule, I left him full control …

But listening to what he does, everything always seems completely appropriate for the song. So I am very pleased with his creativity and energy.

When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as as a creator, how would you describe the physical sensation of experiencing this energy? [Where do you feel it, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or a build-up of tension etc …]

When composing, I'll often start with a certain mood, or energy if you want to call it that. Certain rhythms and certain harmonies or a melody will give us a mood to start creating a piece …

Then, of course, it has to be developed and have a story with a intro, verse, chorus, solos etc …

When it comes to composing / songwriting, are you finding that spontaneity and just a few takes tend to capture energy best? Or does honing a piece bring you closer to that goal?

Both sides are important.

Spontaneity can hopefully yield exciting results, but then working on the piece, and trying different ideas is just as important to finalise the piece.

How much of the energy of your own music, would you say, is already part of the composition, how much of it is the result of the recording process?

Most of the energy is part of the composition. When recording, it needs to capture that energy as a team.

And sometimes some magic happens in the recording which can take the piece to another level.

For Proof of Life, what kind of energy were you looking for?

For Proof of Life I would say we took some chances. Ola and I knew we enjoy our vibes, playing together and our previous works. We decided to meet without having prepared anything.

Within 3 sessions we had our 10 tunes!!! I was so happy and we were able to cover a lot of different styles we loved … It’s music of the world!!!

How do you capture the energy you want in the studio?

I find the studio quite hard, as I need to be either the producer or the player to achieve the best result. So I do like to take my time.

With a full band, I like to focus on them first and on myself later.

What role do factors like volume, effects like distortion, amplification, and production in general for in terms of creating the energy you want?

As a guitar player I love different effects.

It doesn’t mean that I use a lot, but having different solos with different textures is important for the songs and the overall album.

In terms of energy, what changes when you're performing live on stage, with an audience present, compared to the recording stage?

I do love having the audience with us, playing the music we created for them. I need to connect with the audience.

If this connection does happen, it is the best feeling I can get as a performer.

How does the presence of the audience and your interaction with it change the energy of the music and how would you describe the creative interaction with listeners during a gig?

With my own shows, I love to take the audience on a trip, travel around the world with me, and create some surprises.

I felt playing with Ola, we could already do this so I am excited for the shows to come.

What kind of feedback have you received from listeners or concert audiences in terms of the experience that your music and/or performances have had on them?

I love getting feedback from the audience, especially when they tell me that we took them to a different world!!!

It makes me feel that we were successful as players and as a band!!!

Would you say that you prefer to stay in control to be able to shape the energy or do you surrender to it and allow the music to take over? Who, ultimately has control during a live performance?

I do like to have control, but it’s not always possible and we have to go with the flow … Both are good!!!

The energy that music is able to generate can be extremely powerful. How, do you think, can artists make use of this energy to bring about change in the world?

Oh, when the audience are going home with a big smile, great feeling and plenty of memories of the concert/performance.