Nick Durocher has had an odd couple of years. The Ottawa musician began out 2022 along with his profession on target: reserving a live performance in entrance of greater than 70,000 folks — the most important present he is ever performed — and seeing his face on a billboard in the midst of Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Sq. below his stage identify, TALK.

It was the end result of just about a decade of labor touring across the nation as a bassist in a rustic band, crafting songs on his personal when he discovered the time and attempting to attach with audiences any method he may.

However in an unlikely stroke of luck, it wasn’t till the COVID-19 pandemic hit — when he discovered himself out of labor and compelled to maneuver again into his mother and father’ basement — that he discovered the components.

Durocher, then 25, used his loneliness — together with a singular fascination with outer house and Matthew McConaughey — to craft a track, Run Away to Mars. And after years of struggling, that proved to be the answer.

The mournful ballad went viral on TikTok, introduced him 1000’s of followers and even obtained him a featured spot on The Late Late Present with James Corden.

CBC Information sat down with Durocher to speak in regards to the origin of the track, how he is seen it have an effect on others and the lengthy journey to the glam rock and curler he’s in the present day.

WATCH | TALK’s Run Away to Mars: 

Proper off the bat, I am curious: The place did the identify TALK come from?

So I by no means shut up. That is the very first thing. I’ve at all times had one thing to say, ever since I used to be a child.

I additionally love Coldplay, particularly the track Discuss, and I needed to type of carry Chris Martin and Coldplay with me. This choice was made, like, eight years in the past now, and the TALK factor simply type of made sense.

Speaking about eight years or again up to now, I might like to ask you about your musical journey or musical profession. It is clearly simmering, leaping off up to now 12 months, however the place did you begin?

It began once I was 4, once I began enjoying drums  — I used to be just about Justin Bieber, for those who ask me [laughs]. After which I type of hopped round to a bunch of various devices. I did not actually fall in love with something however discovered love with music basically. My older brother’s an important singer and so he type of led the best way. Not as a solo artist, however as a Broadway actor — he labored on Sesame Road and he is Junior Gorg on Fraggle Rock now.

However I believed it was type of lame, the singing factor. As a result of I did not perceive him or know him. However then highschool got here round, and I had a trainer who inspired me to sing, and it turned out I may do it type of good. After which it was a ardour factor.

After that I toured, performed bass in a rustic band for a little bit bit, after which the chance to write down my very own stuff simply got here to me. I simply determined to provide it a shot, like, possibly 10 years in the past, and it introduced me right here — after loads of trial and error, loads of actually dangerous songs, terrible songs. A whole lot of deleted songs — stuff I could not even discover if I needed to — deleted out of frustration. ‘Trigger I knew what I needed to make, and that is what I am making now.

We’re speaking about deleted songs, or not nice songs. You’ve got clearly discovered your voice. You landed on a track that is resonated with hundreds of thousands of individuals. The place did that track come from?

That track got here from loads of loneliness and the pandemic. Run Away to Mars got here at, like, 2 a.m. on the sting of a mattress in my mother and father’ basement. I had simply watched Interstellar — it is one among my favorite films of all time; I feel Matthew McConaughey is an icon. I really like him a lot [laughs]. And that was type of going round in my head, like, he needed to get distant or, like, go distant to save lots of the world.

And so there is a little bit of that, there is a little bit of The Martian with Matt Damon, all these house films of seclusion and the scale of house. And I used to be lonely and I used to be, like, effectively, the farthest place I may conceptually get to: that is Mars.

And so I simply sat on the sting of the mattress and it got here out actual quick, like, 15, 20 minutes. The physique of the track was there. It was lacking a couple of particulars, however it was just about there.

What’s it been prefer to see how impactful this track has been to folks up to now 12 months?

It is a very humbling expertise, folks telling me their life tales and telling me, you already know, they did not finish their life due to the track and that it meant a lot to them. It type of grew exterior of what it was to me. , it was a track, it was my track, however now it type of belongs to everybody else. Like, there’s YouTube feedback that have been, like, “I am like an enormous burly trucker. I by no means cry. However once I heard this, I pulled over and instructed my mates I really like them.” Stuff like that, the place it makes folks unfold love a little bit bit, inform folks what is going on on, that entire factor. It has been unimaginable. It has been such an important expertise.

However the track has additionally helped you join, too — even to your francophone roots.

Yeah, my mother is totally francophone. It wasn’t my first language, however I discovered at school, then I labored for a French firm for a bit earlier than I did all this. And my mother yelled at me in French, however I might refuse to speak French once I was a child. My aunt was attempting to pay me cash to talk French. She’d be like, “I will provide you with 5 bucks for those who discuss to me in French!” and it by no means labored, I do not suppose. Possibly as soon as.

I only for some motive actually did not need to do it. However now I prefer it, and a number of the most devoted followers are in Montreal and Quebec Metropolis. I performed for, like, 70 or 80,000 folks in Quebec Metropolis final summer time. That is type of what kick-started this entire factor was that, after which the TikTok’s doing effectively, it was due to that.

You simply mentioned you refused to talk French as a child. We have been speaking earlier about you not having fun with music regardless of your expertise. Now you appear to know who you might be, know what your music is. Was {that a} onerous journey to achieve the top of?

I feel that is what pushed me into it, shouldn’t be figuring out who I used to be, or pretending to be somebody I wasn’t for years. However I am too lazy. I simply obtained uninterested in attempting to be somebody I wasn’t, and I met actually good mates who instructed me, “That is who you might be, it is staring you proper within the face.” 

Early within the pandemic I went on unemployment, spent loads of my days searching for work — [laughing] authorities, I used to be searching for work. However loads of my free time was simply making track after track after track — simply attempting to get higher and higher, after which working with people who find themselves higher than me. Then issues simply began snowballing. And I’ve liked each single a part of it.

What is the future for TALK?

I do not know at this level. I couldn’t have predicted this. I simply hope extra of the identical. I really feel like I used to be prepared for this final 12 months, and it simply took a little bit additional time, and so loads of psychological prep went into it.

And I really feel prepared, you already know, I obtained an important, nice label behind me and an important file. I am engaged on an album proper now that might be sooner or later this 12 months. Do not know when, however it’s wanting actually good — and I am actually onerous on myself on the subject of new songs, and I really like what we have made. So I’ve a very good feeling about it.

This interview has been edited for size and readability.