Be prepared for a zesty serving of dopamine with Nicholas Brown's new song, 'Don't Mind Me'.
The multi-talented artist, who has spent time in Bollywood (mostly playing villains), cavorting with Big Ted on 'Play School' and starring alongside Tim Minchin in S2 of Aussie comedy drama 'Upright' (a local gem of a production btw), Brown's newest music release is the follow-up to last month's single 'Strange Shadow' (that was produced by Sydney's Dave Winnel who has worked with Twenty One Pilots, David Guetta, Bastille).A song that radiates about being your authentic self, Nicholas teamed with Perth-based, ARIA-chart topping DJ Mind Electric to produce 'Don't Mind Me'.
A succulent funky-soul rhythm bursts with a radiant energy, the disco-flavoured EDM beat bounding like an enthusiastic puppy, the joy emanating from the speakers a contagious euphoria.
The song's feel-good nature is undeniable, Brown having captured the spirit of late '70s, early '80s with a contemporary take on the dance pop genre that dissolves any negative connotations, leaving the listener to embrace the freedom of fresh starts and new beginnings.
"'Don't Mind Me' is a song that I wrote many years ago just before I moved to Mumbai to work in Bollywood. I've had it in my back pocket for years and am so happy to have finally had it produced, recorded and now in my front pocket," Brown says.
"It has a sweet innocence to it that looks to the future with rose-coloured glasses and is a song about unapologetically being yourself."
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (28 March), today scenestr is thrilled to premiere the 'Don't Mind Me' music video, which features animations from Asma Mohammed and Radiant Toon Studio. Enjoy.
"I'd been doing a lot of strutting on the streets with my earphones in listening to Hercules & Love Affair at the time and wanted to write an uplifting, optimistic song, like Bill Withers' 'Lovely Day' that starts your day off perfectly," Brown says.
"At that time, I'd left my funk band and was writing an electronic album on another project and found myself in my car a lot singing melodies and lyrics at the top of my lungs, and often getting busted by people in cars nearby.
"At first I was embarrassed and would role my window up and sing softly, and then I thought 'you know what? I don't care what other people think. I'm gonna belt out whatever I want as I'm driving, with my windows down.'
"'Don't mind me,' I would often think. I'm just here doing my thing, you're there doing your thing. You do you boo and I'll do me. My ex-drummer Eugene Dennison from my ex funk band wrote a guitar riff and asked me to write some lyrics and a melody; and that's how 'Don't Mind Me' was born.
"The song is about having self confidence and is a nu-disco dance song that channels the energy of Julie Andrews strutting down the street in 'The Sound Of Music' with her bags heading to the von Trapp family house singing 'I Have Confidence'.
"That and Leo Sayer's 'You Make Me Feel Like Dancing' – with a bit of Womack & Womack's 'Teardrops (Remind Me Baby Of You)'. It's lighthearted, breezy and hopefully it'll make you feel good."
The music video pays tribute to some of the biggest musical films as well as Nicholas' own childhood. "The animated music video takes some inspiration from 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Grease' with its protagonist strutting around a drive-in and then the streets of India," he says.
"There are several homages in the music video to my favourite films and TV shows as a child including 'Never Ending Story', 'Return To Oz' and 'Mr Squiggle'."
The partnership with Mind Electric allowed Brown to create new version of 'Don't Mind Me'.
"I sung a jazz version of this song when I lived in India with Louiz Banks in Mumbai, a funk version with my band in LA, and am so happy to have reimagined it now with Mind Electric (who created an epic remix of my last song Strange Shadow).
"'Don't Mind Me' is now a nu-disco/ house track with some country/ soul twinges and I hope it makes you strut and sing-along to it. I hope you get busted by passers by singing the chorus in the car but keep singing anyhow."
