MANSFIELD, Ohio — Most young musicians and artists grow up striving for recognition or fame from their creations. Cody Nicolas, frontman for local band Narrow/Arrow, was one of those. And just recently, the band signed with a record label from California: Other People Records.
“Personally, this is something that I’ve been wanting since I was a little kid. Since I was 5 years old I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I only ever pursued that,” said Nicolas.
He realizes that he and fellow band members, Jonathan Hape and Mark Canole, haven’t “arrived” yet, but this is a step in the direction of developing a professional musical career.
“I’m still waiting for the instant gratification part of it, but that’s just not the way it is,” he said. “We’re still at a point where we need to be working. If you want to play rock star, you got to have … James Brown. ‘There’s two parts to show business: there’s the show and there’s the business,’” he added.
So the members of the band are going to work on their new album, which could be released as soon as later this year. But first, they will tour.
As part of the deal, Other People Records booked them a tour from June 18 to July 6 that will take them across the Midwest, to the East Coast, and even into Canada. See the side bar for locations and dates.
Also part of the deal is a re-release of their EP on vinyl, which will be available sometime in the summer, said Nicolas. And the deal includes general merchandise as well.
“We’re so excited,” said Nicolas.
Narrow/Arrow’s members expressed having a desire to rekindle the Mansfield music scene. Canole and Nicolas both work at Relax, It’s Just Coffee in downtown Mansfield. They, along with owner Paul Kemerling, are working to bring bands from the area and surrounding states to bolster the music scene in Mansfield by regularly opening their shop as a venue.
Nicolas sees their record label deal with Other People Records as another step in rekindling the music scene, but also as a way for Mansfield to join the national independent music scene.
“The better the band does, the better Mansfield does, the better Ohio does,” said Nicolas.
Nicolas said he and the band members are eager to get started on writing new music. Despite wanting fame and fortune instantly, he is content with working to be successful.
“What I consider success for a band is being able to just do that for a living. Even if you’re not making like a great living … like I’m making enough just to support myself,” said Nicolas.
Narrow/Arrow will have a summer tour kick-off show at Relax, It’s Just Coffee on Friday, June 19. Check out their tunes on their Bandcamp page.
