MOU: So NSA are back! How does it feel?
NC: It feels like the right thing to be doing! I originally brought our time as a band to an end because it felt like things had become stale and we weren’t going anywhere, plus we kept having to replace members of the band. Now it’s a refreshed line-up made up of all the musicians I’ve met since 2018 and it feels like the right time to be out and playing these songs again!
MOU: How has the tour gone so far?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and ticket sales have been better than they were before we split up. Every show so far has been a huge success and it has been great to team up with Stone Foundation for a few of the gigs (Norwich, Birmingham, Liverpool and then Glasgow still to come) as there is a lot of crossover with our fan bases. The highlight so far would have to be the Birmingham show as the venue (The Crossing) was fantastic and everyone turned up early to see our set - I feel like we made a lot of new fans that night!
MOU: What have you missed most about playing these songs?
NC: A lot of the songs on “No Hard Feelings” are very uplifting and performing them again really takes me back to where I was in life at the time I wrote them. They are all a pure expression of how I was feeling at the time and it’s cathartic to go back to that place. I wouldn’t say I had missed performing them before but I’ve had a realisation of how much the songs mean to people.
MOU: How do these shows differ from the Big AC shows?
NC: The Big AC Revue Shows featured myself, Carmy Love, Abi Farrell and Emma Noble, with all four of us on stage at the same time, alternating between lead and backing vocals. It was great fun but difficult to work into everyone’s schedule and it took us a few goes to get the flow of the show feeling right. It’s nice for me to have a good amount of time as a vocalist as you can lead the band and get a better feel for how the crowd are feeling. The set feels like more of a journey. Carmy Love is part of the new look NSA, along with Chloe Ravat and Paige Stubley on Backing vocals. These shows still feature a couple of Carmy’s tunes because it would be a crime not to include any!
MOU: Have you played any NSA tunes that you didn't play first time around?
NC: No although the set does include the first song we put out on a 45, before we released ‘No Hard Feelings’ and that has gone down very well! There are also a couple of my solo songs in there because it’s nice to introduce people who only recently discovered New Street to what I’ve been doing since we split up!
MOU: You've always been into your clothes, describe your look at the moment...
NC: I’m into my Cuban/loop collar shirts at the moment and have a few nice things from Universal Works plus a couple of overshirts from Uskees and Folk. I’ve never been super-sharp but it’s nice to make a bit of an effort!
MOU: Can you see any new NSA tunes being written and recorded?
NC: I’m always writing and have started recording some new material - let’s see what happens next year!
MOU: What's next for Nick Corbin and the Big AC?
NC: I have some great collaborations lined up in both 2025 and 2026 (although that feels ages away) - I can’t really say much about them until they come to fruition but I can promise next year will be busy for me. As for Big AC Records, it has become tough to do much with the label since Sophie and I became parents. It’s the 5 year anniversary next November so perhaps we will get something together for that!
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