Talk (musician)

Last updated

Talk
Birth nameNicholas Durocher
Born Ottawa, Ontario
Genres Indie rock
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass guitar
Years active2021–present
Labels Capitol Records

Nicholas Durocher, known professionally as Talk, often monikered as TALK, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician from Stittsville, Ontario, best known for his 2021 hit single "Run Away to Mars". [1]

Contents

Career

A native of Ottawa, Durocher has been active in the music business for a number of years, including a stint as a bassist in a country band, but had limited success prior to the early 2020s. Out of work, he was forced to move back to his parents' basement in the suburban neighbourhood of Stittsville in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. [2] Feeling lonely and depressed, he wrote "Run Away to Mars" overnight after watching the film Interstellar . [1]

He released the song in June 2021 as his debut single, [3] and followed up in November with the EP Talk to Me. "Run Away to Mars" was moderately successful at first, but received a boost in 2022 when it went viral on TikTok, hitting the streaming charts in several countries. [1] By January 2023, the song had reached #1 on Billboard's Adult Alternative charts. [4] It also reached a peak of 22 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. [5]

In 2023, he participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single "What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health. [6] A single, "Wasteland", which has been performed live on occasions, was featured on the soundtrack of MLB The Show 23 and was released on streaming platforms in late September 2023. Following the release of the song, he announced that his first album, Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees would be released on October 20, 2023.

In October 2023 he was the opening act for three shows during Shania Twain's 2023 Queen of Me Tour.

He received several Juno Award nominations at the Juno Awards of 2024, including Breakthrough Artist of the Year (which he won), Songwriter of the Year for the songs "Afraid of the Dark", "A Little Bit Happy" and "Wasteland", Album of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year for Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, and Single of the Year for "A Little Bit Happy". [7] The album was also a longlisted nominee for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. [8]

On June 9, 2024, Durocher performed the Canadian national anthem at the start of the Formula 1 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec.

On August 17, 2024 he once again opened for Shania Twain in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador during the Churchill Park Music Festival.

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
CAN
[9]
Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees
  • Released: 20 October 2023
  • Format: Digital download, CD
  • Label: Capitol Records
33

EPs

List of EPs, with selected details
TitleDetails
Talk to Me
  • Released: 19 November 2021
  • Format: Digital download
  • Label: DooGood

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
CAN
[5] 		CAN
Rock
[10] 		NOR
[11] 		SWE
[12] 		US
AAA
[13] 		US
Alt
[14] 		US
Rock
[15]
"Run Away to Mars"20222214291622Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees
"How to Save a Life"———————Non-album single
"Afraid of the Dark"2023—47—————Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees
"A Little Bit Happy"75——————
"Wasteland"—3—————
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Weaver, Jackson (January 5, 2023). "TALK's hit song Run Away to Mars came out of 'loneliness and the pandemic'". CBC News.
  2. ↑ Boswell, Randy (October 6, 2022). "From Stittsville to Mars, the unlikely journey of Ottawa musician Nick Durocher". Ottawa Citizen.
  3. ↑ Scott, Jason (June 28, 2021). "Daily Discovery: TALK Shoots For The Stars With Debut Single, 'Run Away To Mars'". American Songwriter.
  4. ↑ Kevin Rutherford, Rutherford, Kevin (January 20, 2023). "TALK Scores His First Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1 With 'Run Away to Mars". Billboard .
  5. 1 2 "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of August 5, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (March 2, 2023). ""Feel Out Loud: Alessia Cara, Serena Ryder & More Canadian Artists Collaborate On New Single Promoting Youth Mental Health Initiative"". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Here are all the 2024 Juno nominees". CBC Music, February 6, 2024.
  8. ↑ "2024 Polaris Music Prize long list: the Beaches, Tobi, Elisapie, Beverly Glenn-Copeland and more". CBC Music, June 11, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of November 4, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Rock". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Discography Talk". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Discography Talk". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Billboard Adult Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Billboard Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Billboard Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Canadian certifications – Talk". Music Canada . Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Sverigetopplistan – Talk" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved April 27, 2024.
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