NordicDaughter
Interview conducted on December 17, 2023
By Dan Locke
Nordic Daughter is more than just a musical project it is an experience in variety, acceptance, love and logic. The musical concepts behind the music build a sense of intimacy with the audience that can only be described as genuine and authentic. The vocal stylings of Melissa Lycan are unique yet classic and the songs she delivers are heart felt and blended. The project Debuted in 2016 at the Oriental Theater after years of working in the music business the members chose to write the first versions of the songs ready to be produced in the studio. The Band released the first EP “Forgotten” in 2017 and the second Album “The Path” in Nov 2018. In 2020 Nordic Daughter released three singles all around the challenges we face as we go on our heroes journey! The 3rd album is in the works and is destined to release in Spring of 2022. The band has performed with artists like Lita Ford, Trapt, Cold, Stitched up Heart, Jack Russell and Great White, Lost Point and Michael Morrow, selling out venues up to 500.
Nordic Daughter’s main focus is to tour the world teaching children how to write music as an outlet for their own voices. Interested in playing large benefit concerts, performing our fully Choreographed show for fans all over the world and giving as much of our hearts and minds to the planet as it can handle. Get ready for the fiercest of all warriors, NORDIC DAUGHTER!
What is your upbringing?
Melissa Lycan: I was brought up in a split political household, Which is interesting because my parents really wanted the same things out of life and both of them aligned with different views on certain things but really sat moderately in the middle for most of my life. My dad was a Deacon of our church and I think really found himself as a father when he entered the church.
Jason’s dad died when he was 5 and this caused him to bounce back and forth between Colorado and Missouri growing up which also planted him in a unique middle ground perspective.
Sarah was raised in the Midwest of Michigan she is a Michigander and from what I can tell her parents are artistic and creative but grounded in logic and love. She is the only daughter and has two brothers. One in Alaska and one in Colorado.
How did you discover music?
My mother and father loved music. Our house was always filled with it. Vinyl albums lined the living room cabinets, filled with the sounds of Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Elton John, Jerry Mathis, the list goes on. My dad only ever learned one song on guitar but my Aunt Kerry Jean was such a musical talent, one of the clearest memories I have in Alaska is of her singing House at Pooh Corner by Kenny Loggins. She was in love. My Grandmother played the piano and she taught me a few songs and I began taking lessons as a kid, eventually she gifted my parents the piano when I was 8 or 9 and then I was gifted it about 5 years ago when I began performing.
How did you start to write music?
I started writing lyrics through poetry when I was 8 years old but the first songs, I really composed on staff was when I was about 15 years old. I wish I could say I was able to continue to write music but when I was 16, I went through some intense trauma. I did a nosedive into depression and self-deprecation. I surrounded myself with musicians though, there was always a DJ teaching me to match a beat or a singer songwriter testing out a new bar but I didn’t sing again until I was 23 and didn’t pick up Piano again until I was 27. Now I love writing songs and wish it was my full-time job.
Describe your music.
Evanescence meets Simon and Garfunkel? Medieval meets Adele? Modern Folk or Alternative Folk Rock is what we have settled on. Our music is the story of a life. The inner workings of our hearts, minds, and souls. I try to build bridges rather than burn them down with my music. The melodies are reticent of simpler times, but the lyrics are a little, face your fears, you only have one chance at this.
What was your first performance like?
My first performance was a bit scary. Jason and I were only playing as a Duet at that time so I was more exposed vocally than I am with a full band. I think I just kept telling myself that it was going to be ok and there was no turning back now. We had our first gig at the Oriental Theatre in January of 2016 and the snow was crazy, I was in my final term of my Masters program and was frantic but we still had over 300 people attend the first show.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
BMI is who we work with under Melissa Lycan as the lead writer and Jason Lycan as Co-Writer. We also have arrangements with one of our producers for a producer royalty.
What makes a good songwriter?
I think being Authentic to your voice and your spirit makes you the best songwriter. An ability to write out true feelings that evoke emotional response from the listener is a key indicator of good songwriting for me. I also believe you have to be able to collaborate and let the song kind of flow where it needs to organically. You can’t just fit everything in the same box or people get bored. There is no algorithm for us though, I think our songs are kind of all a bit unique to themselves.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Actually, we just recorded it. Our first original song was our wedding vows. Jason and I spent months working out our wedding vows and we sang them when we got married May 30th, 2009. It wasn’t until Jason’s grandfather hit stage 5 Parkinsons that we found the song on a video of the wedding and revived it. He asked us to record the song before he passed in 2020 and now, we have.
What is the process of writing your music?
We start with Melody actually. Sometimes poetry takes precedence but usually I fit my poems to the melody by adjusting syllables and phrasing, maybe finding new words that blend better but still rhyme. It isn’t until we have worked out the Duet that we bring in the Violin and then add drums, bass and keys as the topper. We also work out the songs over about a year of playing them live before we really settle into how the songs should sound. We test them on the audience and some never make the cut.
What are you feeling about streaming music?
Necessary Evil Right? I wish they paid more to artists when they make a ridiculous amount of money. I think streaming is a good way to make new fans, if anyone thinks our music fits a playlist let me know because we struggle with playlist placement.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
I mean sharps and flats are par for the course but most people don’t even realize the hashtag is the sharp symbol.
Tell me about Forgotten?
Forgotten is a song about honoring the past. How each hero is often first a villain and the stories we tell about the past are rooted in lessons pain and inhumanity, but they are also about resilience and overcoming those trials. We all fall down; the victors simply get back on the horse.
How was it shooting the video in the snow?
It was soooo cold. We were trying to get shots in December at 9000 ft. Several times we needed to stop and warm up because it was unbearable. In our world we are supposed to enjoy the snow so we braved the weather to creste that intense allusion to the Northern Countries and our ancestors.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I love Vinyl. We listen to vinyl at least one session a week. I wish we could store vinyl in our cars safely because I spend so much time commuting or traveling. The warmth of a record is second to none. We are releasing our 3rd album on vinyl in addition to CD.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Dromte Mig is on my mind right now because we just got the final master file back from the producer. It is a 15th century song written in runic/Old Norse and we rearranged it and put our own spin on it. It means that we honor our ancestors and where and what vikings truly were. Too many people have culturally appropriated viking and scandinavian history and made them into brutes instead of wisemen, travellers, magi, traders, healers and storytellers.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means things like a playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Pay to play is all over the place still, the Whiskey for example still asks bands to pre purchase tickets that the band can then recoup from direct fan purchases. Most touring bands are looking for the money and for local bands to draw them a crowd and help them promote. We have a strong local support community in Denver and many artists open up for National bands with limited return for the tickets they sell. They are playing and selling tickets for exposure. We book venues and throw our own shows a few times a year so that we have the freedom to take smaller paying gigs when they come up.
The show Star Trek introduced people to the holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with.
Today holograms are already being used in a variety of way, such as medical systems, education, art, security and defense.
Performers like Tupac, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Marylin Monroe, and Whitney Houston have done it already. The band ABBA just announced that they will be doing a comeback together after nearly 40 years as holograms on their next tour. With ABBA it was with the help of George Lucas.
If the cost was down to the point you could do it also, would you be willing to do Holographic concerts in our living room?
That would be amazing. If the audio mix could be perfected, yes. We have thought about doing holograms of dancers or actors so we can travel with a smaller ensemble.
In the past if a musician stopped doing music, they found a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
I currently teach HS Math. If music were not an option this is what I would continue doing, however, I plan on maintaining my voice for years to come. I can’t imagine not making music even if I never made another dime. It is the most satisfying and fulfilling activity on the planet.
What is your happy place?
The Stage is my happy place. It is like a relief. I get on stage, and I get to leave all of my stress on the platform, shake it off and just be pure energy for hours. Teaching is the only other place where I feel I make a difference in people’s lives, attitudes, perspectives and beliefs about themselves. People have forgotten how truly magically they are, and my purpose is to wake them up.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, John Legend, ZZ Top and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young sold 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180 song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited . Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artists based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
On January 19, 2021 Hipgnosis Song Management acquired 80% of Kenny Chesney’s recorded music royalties, covering the country superstar’s discography from his 1994 debut In My Wildest Dreams through 2017’s Live in No Shoes Nation.
Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby. He did not want to sell his publishing rights. In addition, it was not an easy thing for him to do. However, by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off his shoulders. He could pay off his house and cover other bills. Now he does not have to work for a living. It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands, which hurts his ability to play guitar.
Do you think you would be willing to sell your back catalog if someone like Universal is willing to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Hmmmm, only if I retained my ability to perform them anytime I wanted and the price was right because I believe shelving this music is a mistake. I would never let that happen. Also, I can always write more music because I am in the prime of my life right now. 100 million would change our lives forever, in ways I can’t even fathom yet.
There are many platforms out there that allow artists to get their music heard. Artist Republik, DistroKid, Tunecore & plenty others offer distribution services. These services enable independent artists to put their music on some of the most popular streaming services globally, from Spotify to Apple Music & everything in between. If you’ve been in any part of the music industry in recent years, you probably know someone that has distributed a song.
Spotify reports that in 2021 there are about 8 million artists on the platform. Of those 8 million artists, about 57,000 are raking in a whopping 90% of the total revenue from streams. That means that .71% of the artists on Spotify are making good money. In 2020, there was a total of around $5 billion paid out to artists on the Spotify platform alone.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
What do you think that could mean to independent artists?
It really is a double-edged sword. We are swimming in a sea of music and rising above the din of everyone else is more challenging today. It becomes much more important for the music to hold integrity and really connect with fans. No matter what as an independent artist we need to remember that 1000 true fans is a powerful thing. We can thrive off of 5-10,000 real followers regardless of streaming. Don’t get discouraged, keep plugging away.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like a dance challenge and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment.
TikTok has become a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners. In which it has become a place for music artists to earn revenue when people use their music. In many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to huge boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.
TikTok does this algorithmically generating a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch.
Because a song can go viral because of this.
Sony Music and Warner Music Group- , The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
I am trying to use tiktok more often. The biggest challenge I find like most creators, I have a hugely full life in which I teach math, write music and do booking too which means I am lacking extra time to create. I wish I could simply create tik toks and become wildly successful.
Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer.The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
Some of the members on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, and Mick Jagger.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary,Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could become a force in the future of streaming music?
We already have our music hosted on tiktok so fans can create stories from our music and share what we do with other people. I have watched our old violin player blow up on TikTok. Check her out @MiaAsanoMusic It titworking very well for her.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
We released our 3rd Album later this Summer after each of the singles drop.
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