Welcome to the tense and enraged GLDN world, where limitations are pushed and your comfort is NOT the most important factor. With elements of industrial, metal, and crust punk as well as passionate and vehement vocals, GLDN is a daring and transgressive band that defies classification. On July 22, GLDN released their first EP.
Mastermind Nicholas Golden founded GLDN, the group with the cunningly misleading name, in Brooklyn, New York, in 2017. Golden developed his stage presence over the course of two years, honing his craft. He started looking for live musicians in 2019 to perform his music. In addition to bands like NINE INCH NAILS, KORN, EVANESCENCE, DEFTONES, ROB ZOMBIE, PANTERA, HOLE, and PUSCIFER, GLDN also draws inspiration from movies like the eerie and renowned Suspiria.
First Blood, GLDNโs first EP, is currently scheduled for release. First Blood, which was recorded in a number of studios throughout Brooklyn, New York, promises to be both abrasive and delectable, potent and sublime. Goldenโs assessment of the undertaking is as follows: โArt should cause people to question themselves, their beliefs, and their actions. It should be a way to turn a mirror to each listener or even society as a whole and force them to really take a good hard look at themselves.โ
Take First Blood for what itโs worth. The subtle hostility, the deepest darkness, or the philosophic nod toward obliterating your boundaries and spiritual development. Check out the EP and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?
GLDN: Iโm originally from California, but I spent most of my youth in a small town in the south. I think thatโs what informed a lot of my very strong opinions on things like religion, classism, and human nature, which I like to express through my music.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
GLDN: I havenโt had any formal training, but once I made a blood pact with Satan, I got pretty good at making music. Iโm not perfect, though โ selling your soul isnโt what it used to be. Inflation, you know?
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โGLDNโ?
GLDN: My earliest musical influences were probably film scores, but I grew up on a veritable cocktail of American pop culture. So, I was influenced by everything from Britney Spears to Nine Inch Nails. I originally began going by the name GLDN when I was a solo artist making mostly synthesizer-based music, somewhere in the vein of Depeche Mode. I wanted to change the name once Iโd formed a live band, but, much to my chagrin, they suggested that we keep it.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
GLDN: I would hope that the key elements that would resonate with people would be the unbridled expression of the whole spectrum of human emotion. Or I suppose the whole spectrum of negative human emotion, so far. I feel that, all too often these days, people are expected to be perfect: kind-hearted, loving, supportive, etc. Thatโs all great on paper, but the truth is that people are capable of horrific things. Every single person on this earth is privy to the dark thoughts that are part of our nature, but none of us will admit that we have them, for fear of being ostracized or โcanceledโ or whatever you want to call it. My goal is to expose that, and to speak openly and honestly about the capacity we all have for both good and evil. I think that, even if they donโt want to admit it, that will resonate with listeners. In terms of the sound, I guess Iโd describe it as dark industrial metal with some pop sensibilities. I like to create an atmosphere on each song so that the listener feels like theyโre in my world or in my head. To some, it may feel uncomfortable, but comfort isnโt my job or my goal in music.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as METAL?
GLDN: Absolutely, I think everyone goes through a period of emulation. My style is always evolving, but I am still very much influenced by the artists that inspire me. I believe with โFirst Bloodโ, I have taken a step towards carving out my own niche. For those that were around over the several years of shitty demos I uploaded, Iโm sure theyโve seen a great shift in the sound. I think finding live band members definitely pushed the sound into a heavier and more metal-aligned sound. My music has always had an element of aggression, but a band just brings a different energy to the music, which I think is very much reflected in the evolution of GLDN.
6. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?
GLDN: I believe music, as an art form, absolutely must play into and challenge the political, cultural, and social narratives of the time in which itโs made. I have nothing against people who make music purely as an expression of entertainment, but it does often feel hollow, to be completely honest with you. Even songs Iโve made that are informed by personal experiences are affected by the political, cultural, spiritual, and social realities of the world we live in. I do understand that some would prefer to use music as a form of escapism. It makes sense. But speaking personally, Iโd much rather listen to and create challenging art that makes people uncomfortable.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
GLDN: Absolutely. In the world we live in now, it can be difficult to speak up and express yourself. Dissent is pretty much unequivocally prohibited in social discourse. Thatโs not to say that being hateful or spiteful should always be tolerated, but there is a line that is being crossed. Conversation and debate should be encouraged, not met with vitriol. So, for me, music is a way to express the things that may be seen as โimproperโ in the current sociopolitical climate. All I want to do is turn a mirror to people and force them to see themselves as they really are. I think music lets me do that, and that is more than enough to justify the amount of time and effort I put into making it.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
GLDN: Generally, the creative process for each song starts with a general idea or series of questions. What emotion am I trying to convey? What story am I telling? What emotion do I want to evoke from the audience? Then Iโll have that general idea of the concept in my head when I start making the song. How the song comes together really varies. Sometimes it starts with a beat, other times with a guitar riff, or even with a vocal part. I donโt have a set way of doing it because every idea can manifest itself differently. In terms of collaboration, I usually work on music alone. I have done some work with a creative partner and friend of mine, Collin Cleaver, who worked on both the โParasiteโ song and video with me. Still, I do find that I work better alone because for me, even with someone I trust implicitly, there is still a subconscious fear of judgment.
9. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
GLDN: This is a somewhat difficult question to answer, as there have been plenty of difficult moments. Iโd say the death of my father figure was the most impactful. I think you see the world differently once youโve experienced the impermanence of life. In that moment, I lost a part of myself that will probably never come back. The wonder ceases, and the color drains from the world. It becomes easier to see the ugliness and decay surrounding you. Still, if not for that experience, I wouldnโt have become who I am now and who, I feel, I was always meant to be. From the worst possible circumstances came the greatest blessing imaginable. Musically, the greatest difficulty was believing that what I had to say was worth hearing.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
GLDN: The most significant moment so far has been finally releasing โFirst Bloodโ. I think releasing an album, particularly your first album, is one of the hardest things to do. Itโs so easy to let perfectionism get in the way. But once itโs out there, you feel such a sense of relief. While working on the remix album Iโm releasing next month, I was surprised how easy it was to be finished with songs. Before, I would tweak and tweak and tweak, never really happy with the way things sounded. This time, I felt a new confidence that I never really had before. Hell, even the lead single and music video were both recorded and edited in a few hours, respectively. Thatโs something I never could or would have done before. But once youโve bared your soul and your mind to the world, everything changes.
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