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Nicholas Gunn joined us at the Bowers and Wilkins pop-up studio at the Nexus Lounge Amsterdam. The songwriter and producer sat with us to chat about his favorite spots in Amsterdam, his upcoming releases, and a year that he described as an “epic 12 months.”
Born and raised in the UK, Gunn’s impressive career has spanned several decades, during which he’s produced and composed over 21 studio album recordings. A classically trained flutist and drummer, as well as a Royal Academy of Music alum, the LA-based producer isn’t afraid to experiment with various genres, ranging from acoustic to chill to melodic house to trance. Recently, the songwriter received Tune of the Year on A State of a Trance in 2021.
While he may be no stranger to Amsterdam Dance Event, Gunn admits not having had many opportunities to explore the city. “With Amsterdam, I’m in; I’m out. It’s not a place I’ve had much time to explore, but I did enjoy the Anne Frank House,” he says, joking: “So that tells you a lot about me.”
Diving into his upcoming projects, Gunn talks about his experience recording for Armada Chill (an imprint of Armada Music) and collaborating with the likes of Armin Van Buren and Richard Durant. The day after this interview, Gunn released “Lighthouse” in collaboration with Jarod Glawe and featuring Chris Howard; in early December, he dropped “Follow You” through his label Blue Dot Music and featuring vocalist Alina Renae.
When asked what he hopes fans will hear when playing his music, Gunn tells us:
“It’s all about the song. I’m a songwriter, then a producer. … The song is leading the way, always leading the way. And [then] the producers can frame the song for the genre, which is a beautiful thing. I feel like you’ve got wings when that happens; you can spread your wings a bit further than being pigeonholed into a particular genre.”
To hear more about Nicholas Gunn’s experiences at the Amsterdam Dance Event, the “worst decision” he’s made in the past 24 hours, and the projects that made 2022 a banner year for him, check out our full-length, exclusive interview below.
