Drummer Nic Collins of The Effect chatted about his new music with the band.
The group hails from California, and they are comprised of Trev Lukather, the son of Steve Lukather of Toto, Nic Collins, the son of Phil Collins, Steve Maggiora of Toto and Emmett Stang, an online viral sensation.
‘Unwanted’
On their song “Unwanted,” Collins said, “It was the first tune that The Effect wrote. Trev reached out and asked if I’d be interested in forming a band with a couple other cats. To which I replied ‘maybe, send me some material and we’ll see’.”
“Lo and behold he sent me the riff to ‘Unwanted’ and I was in immediately,” he said. “At the time, I was on the road with Mike + The Mechanics and had to wait until I got back home to record my parts. ‘Unwanted’ was one of three songs on our album that were written before the entire band had ever been in the same room together.”
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his songwriting and music inspirations, Collins said, “The writing process for our band has been really easy and seamless. Other than ‘Unwanted,’ where the song was essentially done by all band members before I could do my parts, we wrote the rest of the album with a very similar approach for each song.”
“Typically, Trev will send me a guitar idea where he’s mapped out the verse, pre chorus, and chorus… From there, I’ll sit with the track and write something and FaceTime Trev to see what he thinks and we’ll go over notes and suggestions,” he said.
“Once that’s done, I go in and record the final drum take the day I write it (except for a couple tunes) which has been an unusual process for me but I’ve really loved how Trev has pushed me to go with my gut and first instinct towards the song,” he added.
Future plans
Regarding their future plans, he shared, “We’ve wrapped our debut album and are looking at the best way and time to put it out. So in addition to that, we’re hoping and planning on getting on the road and playing shows as much as possible in 2024.”
The digital age
On being a musician in the digital age, Collins said, “It has definitely got its pros and cons. Our approach to the band so far has been very digital which has been great. I’m based in Miami, Trev is in LA, Emmett is in Las Vegas, and Steve is in Palo Alto.”
“So, we definitely go about writing songs and planning things by doing FaceTime and Skype calls and do lots of remote recording. But apart from that, being in a band in this age can be very tricky,” he said.
“I’m not a huge TikTok guy and that’s become such a crucial part of being a band nowadays. Streaming also has its pros and cons, but I do feel that the accessibility to music nowadays has helped so many artists get their music heard and help form a fan base across the world,” he elaborated.
AI on the future of the music business
Collins shared his thoughts on AI (artificial intelligence) on the future of the music industry. “AI in music can be a scary thought,” he admitted.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think it’ll ever be able to truly replicate the human element in the sort of music that I like to listen to. Maybe it can work for more commercial genres, but I do think there will always be a desire for real live music and human feel in genres like rock and metal,” he elaborated.
“I do think AI can be used positively and in really cool ways like cover art or photoshoots. It just depends how far people push that threshold,” he explained.
Advice for hopefuls that wish to go into music
For hopefuls that wish to go into music, he said, “Always stay true to yourself as an artist and as a person. It if doesn’t feel right to you, then it’ll never feel right to an audience.”
“If you’re committed and believe in what you’re doing, that’s the most important part. Always embrace what makes you different and unique.
Dream collaboration choices in music
On their dream collaboration choices in music, Collins said, “There’s so many artists I’d love to work with. I think Chino Moreno from Deftones and Maynard James Keenan from Tool are at the top of my list. I love their voices and their approaches to songwriting and would love to be able to collaborate with them in some way.”
Nic taking cues from his father Phil Collins
Music runs in his bloodline. He discussed how his father, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Phil Collins (Genesis), helped influence and mold him musically.
“My dad was definitely a massive influence on me,” he acknowledged. “Other than him being the one to teach me how to play, the memories of watching him on stage as a young kid was so important to me growing up. He made me fall in love with drumming and performing live.”
“Later on, when I got to join his solo band and Genesis on their final tours, I really had to study my dad’s playing and it gave me a whole new appreciation for how great of a drummer he was,” he added.
Origin of the band name
Collins opened up about the origin of the band name. “The Effect was a name that Trev had in mind for a long time,” he admitted.
“When we started the band, he pitched it to us and I was a bit indifferent towards it. But as we kept writing songs, the band name started to make more sense and now I feel it really embodies the band’s sound in a way,” he said.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Collins said, “Success, to me, means being able to do what I love and be able to make a living from it. I’d love to be able to tour for as long as possible and create a connection to fans through music I’m able to write with various projects.”
“I also want to keep bettering myself as a drummer and always keep learning new things. But at the end of the day, if I can leave a mark once I’m gone, I’ll be happy and satisfied with that,” Collins concluded.
To learn more about Nic Collins, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on The Effect, check out their Instagram page.
