- Words Notion Staff
Ahead of the release of Nathan Sykes' album Ultraviolet, the formidable singer-songwriter talks new beginnings, finding his sound, and why this is the truest version of himself yet.
Nearly a decade since the release of his debut solo album Unfinished Business, Nathan Sykes is stepping into a bold new chapter. Best known as one-fifth of chart-topping boyband The Wanted, Nathan has spent the past few years navigating the highs of solo success and the deeply personal lows that come with loss. Now, with a billion solo streams to his name and a recent sold-out Omeara show under his belt, he’s ready to reintroduce himself with Ultraviolet: a long-awaited second album arriving on October 17th.
The journey to Ultraviolet began back in 2017, but life had other plans. After pausing the project to reunite with The Wanted during Tom Parker’s illness, Sykes threw himself into celebrating their legacy with a Greatest Hits album and a powerful arena tour. That period, though emotionally bittersweet, shaped the artist and person he is today. “This is the most authentic I’ve ever been,” he says of the new album, which draws from years of reflection, growth and vulnerability.
Leading the charge is the new single ‘Getting Lost’: a sun-soaked, serotonin-laced pop track that captures the dizzying headrush of new love. It’s the sound of an artist fully in control, embracing both nostalgia and new beginnings.
Ahead of the release, we caught up with Nathan to talk about rediscovering his voice, the creative freedom behind Ultraviolet, and how the last eight years – from grief to getting engaged – helped shape his most personal project yet.
Congratulations on the release of ‘Getting Lost’! What inspired its creation? What’s the story behind the track?
‘Getting Lost’ is inspired by being back in touch with my now-fiancée, and the endless overthinking that came with it. I wanted it to feel effortless, with a weight to it, to mirror the emotions that were happening at the time. The lyric came really easily; we chose not to overthink it too much, as that would almost contradict the feeling of the song.
The track’s got a breezy summer magic to it, layered with hooks that feel effortless. Was creating that kind of lightness intentional, or did it evolve naturally in the studio?
Thank you! It was very much intentional, we wanted to create a part of the album that felt light and carefree, to balance out the more emotional moments. The song kind of wrote itself: Tobie Tripp absolutely nailed the production, as he does across the whole album, and ‘Getting Lost’ felt like a more important track every time we worked on the production, whether that was by changing the approach to the vocals or by adding another little hook. We wanted it to feel intentionally catchy, as it felt like a nice way to express the emotion within the track.
Honesty and vulnerability are clear in this track and seem to be key themes in your work. Why are those messages important for you to explore through your artistry?
I want to be as authentic as I possibly can be. I spent such a long time at the start of my career not having creative freedom, whether that be in what I was writing and performing, or how I was releasing music, and I don’t want to look back at my career and feel like I never got to show any part of who I am. I have a lot to express and so much to give, and the best way of doing that is by being honest. I can’t wait for people to hear more of the album and see different sides of me as an artist. I feel as if there is so much growth within this album, and I can feel so proud of it as I’m showing exactly who I am for the first time.
The song is taken from your upcoming solo album Ultraviolet, which has been in the making since 2017. What does it feel like to finally be letting it go into the world after such a long, personal journey?
It’s a strange feeling if I’m honest. When an album gets released, I usually hand it over to the listener completely and detach from it slightly, and that’s going to feel hard, as this is such a special album to me. So much has happened between 2017 and now, so much that I scrapped a full album in 2022 and started again, as I needed to tell my story rather than provide songs that briefly touch upon moments. I’m so excited for people to hear what I’ve created, and see me at my most open and honest self, and I can’t wait to discuss the album in more detail once people have had a chance to listen.
You paused working on the album in 2018 after Tom Parker’s illness and then reunited with. How did revisiting your time with the band impact your mindset going back into solo work?
It was obviously tough for many reasons, but it allowed me to look back on some parts of my early career with more understanding. I had a hard time leaving the house as there was a lot of awareness surrounding Tom’s passing, so the only places I could feel fully at ease were either at home or at the studio. I decided to restart my album in its entirety. It’s one of the reasons why there is such a small team across the album; I’ve never really worked like that before, but it allowed us to create a body of work that explored different pockets of my sound.
You’ve said that Ultraviolet represents your most authentic self. How did you allow yourself to let go of external expectations and embrace that creative freedom?
I’ve had to do a lot of personal growth to get to a place where I feel I can now give the most authentic version of myself. I had to really figure out how my mind works and that’s been really hard at times, as I’ve found out that mine is quite complicated. It has allowed me to embrace myself as an artist and truly realise my vision. A new start with an amazing new team has allowed that, as there were always connections to my past with previous teams that I have worked with. It has taken a long time to get here, but if it’s the journey I needed to go on to get to the most honest version of myself, then it’s all been worth it.
So much has happened in your life since your debut, including grief, success, and now, soon, marriage. How have those personal experiences influenced the stories you’re telling in this new project?
I think the range of emotions I’ve experienced has allowed me to be vulnerable when telling my story. I was working with a friend in LA about 10 years ago, and he said to me, “You know what your problem is, you haven’t suffered,” and that really stayed with me. I’ve done my fair share of suffering over the last six to seven years, and it has changed me as a person. I understand how to process emotion in my own way now, and that has really helped when I’ve been putting it all into my music.
As someone who experienced global success with The Wanted, how has the dynamic shifted being a solo artist for almost a decade now?
It’s a massive difference. I now feel like I have control for the first time, both creatively and personally. I think when you’re put in a boy band at such a young age, it’s easy to be influenced by the team and portray the role that they want you to play, and looking back, I very much feel like that happened to me. Taking time out has allowed me to figure out both who I am and how I want to work, and finding a team that supports both of those things has been massive for me. Releasing as an independent artist for the first time is a huge shift from the major label madness of what I experienced before, and everything I’m doing now is for me, and what I think is best for me, rather than being influenced by what may be best for a marketing strategy.
Your show at Omeara sold out in five minutes earlier this year. What was that moment like for you, coming back with new material and getting that instant love from your fans?
It was amazing. I’m so lucky to have a really special group that supports me, and I appreciate them so much. Some of us have basically grown up together, and it’s great to feel like we’ve all been on this journey. The Omeara show had so much love in the room, and it’s how I want every show to feel like for the rest of my life.
You’ve got headline shows in Manchester and London this October. What kind of energy are you hoping to bring to the stage? Any surprises in store for fans hearing Ultraviolet live for the first time?
I think the surprise will be in the variety of sounds that they are yet to hear. I go to places I haven’t been before and I think they will be pleasantly surprised by the growth in the sound I’m giving them. To be able to say I’m doing my biggest headline solo show this early on, is something I’m so proud of, and slightly surprised by, as I knew this era was going to be about reintroducing myself to people who have followed by career previously, but also to introduce myself to a wider audience I haven’t reached before. This album isn’t a one off, it’s a platform for my musical journey over the next decade and beyond, and performing it live is where I’m happiest. I want people to feel like they are in a safe space at my shows, and I hope they know that they’re always gonna have a great night.