DOMINIC NESMEJANOW: NARCISSISTS.

Are you from Manchester originally?

I’m originally from a little town called Wigan, which is in between Manchester and Liverpool. Growing up it was always, which city do you prefer and for me it has always been Manchester. I’ve been as far as Australia but Manchester has always held that special place in my heart. There’s a great culture in the city and always something exciting going on. I’m originally from a little town called Wigan, which is in between Manchester and Liverpool. Growing up it was always, which city do you prefer and for me it has always been Manchester. I’ve been as far as Australia but Manchester has always held that special place in my heart. There’s a great culture in the city and always something exciting going on. 

You’re in a band called ‘Narcissists’, who else is in the band?

For the past few months I’ve been managing pretty much everything. From writing the songs to doing the marketing and distribution alone, which has been great because I am independent and can release music when I feel inspired, and although I have been managing well, it is a lot for one person to take on. I really love the flexibility and freedom of doing it all myself but I’ve decided to get more people involved to help out and prevent creative burnout. There are two of us now but we are yet to do a gig together. 

How did you get started?

I’ve always wanted to be a singer in a band. I grew up watching bands like Oasis, who went from a council estate in Manchester to selling out all these massive gigs and I found that really inspiring and felt that if they could do it, I could do it too. I started in Wigan by trying to join other people’s bands but I would always find that they would want to take the band in a direction that I didn’t really want to go in. They were playing a sort of worn out indie rock formula, which is completely fine and has worked well for a lot of bands but I wanted freedom with my music. 

What is the process like for you when creating music?

Before starting Narcissists, I always thought that I wanted to write my songs and then have the rest of the band work with me to create and release them. However, I’ve ended up pursuing the artistic direction of my music alone and therefore I’ve had to teach myself a lot. I’ve had to pick up instruments that I haven’t had a knack with before. I’ve got pretty good at guitar, keyboard, sound engineering and producing as well.

Have you found it a difficult process?

I wouldn’t say it’s really difficult but it does take a lot of patience. I find that a lot of people will pick up an instrument for the first time and it might not sound great straight away so they’ll get frustrated and not pursue it. You have to be patient with yourself and keep going until it sounds good. I’m quite fortunate that I have a quiet spot to be able to practice in and make quite a bit of noise. 

How long have you been going?

Not long. We released our debut, 12 track LP, Opening Move in October last year. Since then we have just been heading out and playing that music. Some of it is quite electronic so I’ve just been adapting that, depending on which venue I am playing. Sometimes I’ll get the electronic guitar out and really rock it out but sometimes, if I’m in a lounge setting, I might strip it down and just keyboard it. 

The album cover design looks great, did you also design that?

Yes, graphic design is something else I’ve had to pick up. I just started with the idea that this was our ‘opening move’ which got my thinking about chess so that’s where the chequerboard came in and the album has quite a lot of 80s influence, so I have a little bit of the VHS glitching coming through.

It looks really good.

Thanks, you can teach yourself anything online. I learn the best by just jumping in and doing it.

How did you go about it financially, recording and releasing an album?

Well we’ve been self-funding all of it. I do have a home studio so I’ve been quite fortunate to record stuff there. And my dad helped out, he’s going on 50 now, but when he was younger, it was his dream to be in a band. He ended up having kids and doing a degree so he had to pump the brakes on that dream but he had all this equipment lying around. When I joined a youth choir growing up and discovered music to be a passion of mine too, my dad really encouraged me to pursue it. He filled me with confidence and assured me that with hard work and dedication, it would happen for me. 

The first track of Opening Move is called Try Again and it supports the message that if you never try you never know. It is really important that the message of my music is up-lifting. 

How have you found breaking into the music scene and getting gigs?

We are getting more exposure now but it was a bit of a difficult start for me. The style of Opening Move switches between genres, which has been a bit difficult because when you’re asking for a gig in an indie rock joint for example and they think that I am going to bring the electronic stuff out, they are hesitant. Once I have conversations with the business owners and reassure them and explain that I will adapt my set to fit the venue, they seem more confident.

Do you get nervous before you perform?

I was nervous before performing in Manchester, I was nervous how people in the city would react to the music. I had been hearing nothing but great things from the people around me and I was thinking like, ‘You would say that though wouldn’t you?’, so I really didn’t know how it was going to be received but it was a really great time. Once I had finished the first songs the nerves disappeared. 

What would you say your influences are?

There was a record that came out during lockdown in 2020 called The New Abnormal which was a reboot of The Strokes and they combined synth-pop with indie rock and that was the first time I had heard anything like that being done before. Since that, there are artists like Harry Styles who are doing the same thing, combining the two genres. It is a bit of a mixed bag but I would say overall I’m combining elements of the 1980s with a modern indie rock sound. 

What’s the ambition for 2023?

This year I am all about ramping the growth up, reaching triple digit monthly listeners on Spotify. We are doing really well on platforms such as Soundcloud, so it would be really great to mirror that on Apple Music and Spotify. Another target is to get some other musicians on board. I’ve had a few people wanting to join the band so far but I need to be confident that they can commit the time and passion. I need someone who is passionate, serious and can commit to a few practices a week. 

Is it a challenge to get exposure?

I wouldn’t say it’s easy but if you market yourself correctly, speak to people right and have something interesting to say, people will come to you.

Is it easy to get your music out on Apple Music and Spotify?

I’d say it’s a lot easier to release your stuff if you’ve got a record company behind you as you just write and record the song and they take care of everything else. There is a lot of administration that goes into producing and releasing a song to make sure it meets the criteria of the streaming service. I have had to teach myself how to do a tax return for streams, metadata for the album and the album artwork itself. 

How have you found the journey so far?

It is quite exciting because I never really know what is around the next corner, like even doing this interview now! It is an exciting journey.

What’s your front-man stage presence like?

I’m not shy, although I wouldn’t say I’m arrogant either! I get up there and do my thing and sometimes have a bit of crowd interaction, but I’m no Liam Gallagher. 

Where can we see you next?

We’re doing the Station Pub in Preston. It will be a nice, intimate gig with cheap lager and a great atmosphere. 

To find out more about Narcissists follow @narcissistsuk.

Manchester Stories is an ongoing passion project by Blossom Manchester.

For more information or to get involved email: ruby@blossommanchester.co.uk