Check Out New Single by Nick Hagelin | “ICU”

From New York To Atlanta He Has Paid His Dues For The Past Decade – Introducing: Nick Hagelin

Listen to “ICU” by Nick Hagelin on The Urban Music Scene!!
Nick Hagelin – ICU by ThinkTank Digital
 


Pop lothario Nick Hagelin doesn’t need a gimmick to win over listeners –
the Atlanta-based crooner is as real as they come. Armed with an
acoustic guitar, a dulcet voice and chiseled looks, the 23-year-old
sings it from the heart, using feel-good music to directly connect with
fans by spinning romantic tales set to danceable rhythms.

About Nick Hagelin

Pop
lothario Nick Hagelin doesn’t need a gimmick to win over listeners –
the Atlanta-based crooner is as real as they come. Armed with an
acoustic guitar, a dulcet voice and chiseled looks, the 23-year-old
sings it from the heart, using feel-good music to directly connect with
fans by spinning romantic tales set to danceable rhythms.

Using
the studio as his form of therapy, the blond loverboy is stacking up
soul-kissed pop records in preparation for his label debut.
Incorporating influences ranging from Sting and Stevie Wonder to Jay-Z
and Notorious B.I.G. into his music, Nick is creating feel-good gems
versatile enough to soundtrack a night out on the town and warm your
heart, with each song inspired by the hopeless romantic’s relatable
adventures in love.

Nick is ready to burn up radio with the
release of his debut single “I.C.U.,” a party-starter focused on falling
for a stranger who’s chilling on the other end of a nightclub. “It’s
about going to a party and you’re there to have a good time and then all
of a sudden, you see that one person that just puts you on tunnel
vision,” he explains of the catchy tune. “And for the rest of the night,
there’s only one thing that’s on your mind and that’s connecting with
that person and dancing with them.”

The thumping “Take Off”
digs deeper into his romantic past, where Nick sweetly coos about
catching a flight in time to make it home to his girl. “People Go Wild”
is even sexier, boasting crisp harmonies and chugging guitars that will
have club goers hightailing it to the dance floor.

“It’s all
about good pop music, great melodies and up-tempo dance grooves,” says
Nick. “I just think that music is the most incredible medium for
expression, especially for me personally, because at the same time that I
get someone’s mind thinking about something with my lyrics, I can get
their body moving with the groove.”

Though he’s spent the past
few years honing his chops on the performance circuit, Nick has followed
a surprisingly unconventional path that cements just how far his
talents run. Growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey, Nick was immersed in music as an infant, with his church singer parents fostering his appreciation for and love of the arts.

As far back as pre-K, Nick was gunning for the spotlight, joining three
of his classmates in a band called The Dinosaur Four. By the time they
hit sixth grade, the quartet reformed as a trio, with Nick penning
lyrics during class instead of focusing on his schoolwork. “I didn’t
always know that I wanted to be a rock star,” he states, “but my band
was pretty much the most exciting thing in my life when I was a
teenager.” Nick spent much of his time teaching himself how to play the
guitar, taking only a few lessons at a local shop and studying music
theory at his high school.

But while he chased his musical
dreams, he also had his sights set on other areas of the arts. A trained
ballet dancer, Nick would shuttle between New Jersey and New York City
where he would tirelessly train during 10-hour rehearsals and audition
for acting gigs on the side. With his pop star aspirations in the back
of his mind, he accepted an offer to dance at the prestigious Carolina
Ballet after graduating from high school in 2005, signing his contract
and moving down to North Carolina at the age of 18.

Nick spent
his days at the Ballet, but never turned his back on his passion for
music. At night, he would perform at local open mics, learning how to
perform live while catering to the audience – but not without a few
trying gigs. “I finished a song and you’d hear crickets chirping and
forks clinking on plates,” he recalls. “I’d turn the page in my songbook
and just play another one.”

Undeterred by a few lousy shows,
Nick built a steady following and was encouraged by his girlfriend at
the time to participate in the North Carolina Songwriting Contest in
2007. He ended up winning over the judges and was awarded first prize,
using his prize gift certificates to build a makeshift home studio and
press 1,000 copies of his first solo album Nice to Be Here.

“Marmalade,” one of the 11 tracks on the independent release, ended up
in the hands of Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder, who got in touch
with Nick and began recording hip-hop-inspired cuts including “People Go
Wild” in his Raleigh-based studio. A friend coaxed Nick into taking a
trip down to Atlanta to meet with super producers Bangladesh and Sean Garrett who showed him love and encouraged him to reestablish himself in ATL.

First, he had to sever ties in North Cackalacka.
Nick made the tough decision to hang up his ballet shoes in June 2009,
retiring from his lifelong dance career to chase his aspirations to Atlanta.
Heading down south on “a dollar and a dream,” he arrived in ATL in
September 2009, once again performing at open mics and keeping a roof
over his head by taking up one-off dance gigs for Atlanta Opera and
Georgia Lottery.

Soon, his buzz began to build. Nick ventured to Barley’s Sports Bar & Lounge in downtown Atlanta
to play during their Tuesday night open mic. After wowing the audience
and stealing the show, the establishment offered Nick his own recurring
gig on Thursdays, putting him on the radar as one of ATL’s rising stars.

“I made the impression I was really trying to make,” says
Nick, who reached out to producers and writers to get back into the
studio. He soon linked up with Greg Johnson, who signed Nick to a label
deal and put him back into the studio. Spending around 50 hours per week
recording new tracks, Nick was given complete creative control over his
project, making sure he’ll get listeners bustin’ moves while relating
to his sensitive, romantic experiences.

“I love to get people
to feel good about love, because if you don’t feel good about love,
you’re never going to find good love in your life,” he says. “I just
hope that my music can allow people to connect with each other and have a
good time together. This definitely isn’t my break-up album. This is
definitely young love, and there’s a lot of romance in the music.”