Jack Leech, known professionally as Nurko, grew up in New Jersey in a family with generations of artists. Encouraged to be creative since birth, he picked up both drums and piano as a child and went on to study music in college. Using the classical knowledge of music with the influence of sub genres of electronic music on the internet, the moniker Nurko was born. His first big track, ‘Goodbye,’ released in 2015 and soon after was followed by ‘Your Embrace,’ which garnered over 2 million streams and YouTube channel placements on MrSuicideSheep, and Chill Nation. Continuing the momentum, Nurko released an unofficial remix of Halsey’s hit single ‘Without Me,’ which went on to surpass 10 million plays on YouTube tastemaker channel Trap Nation.
THE INTERVIEW
CR: Hello Jack, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?
N: I’m doing well. Just working on tunes and discovering new sounds! Always a fun time.
CR: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where does the name ‘Nurko’ come from?
N: I was born in a small town called Roosevelt, NJ. The town was founded and contains a large artist population (so it’s an easy commute to NYC) and Nurko is a street name in that town. Where I come from and my upbringing plays a big part in my music so the name Nurko being a street from where I come from means a lot to me.
CR: Your recent track is a little emotional, what inspired the song 'Lost Without You' and how did you connect with Crystal Skies' and KnownAsNat on it?
N: Always making the emotional stuff :) haha. KnownAsNat actually sent me a demo vocal to my email. I really liked it and my girlfriend Samantha who is a lyric writer collaborated with Nat on making the final vocal. Crystal Skies and I planned on working on a track for a while now, so I sent them the demo project and they liked it so then we went from there!
CR: Before you release a track, do you listen to it repeatedly to see if anything is missing?
N: Too much. It’s hard as a producer to know when a song is 100% finished. You have to listen over and over to make sure there’s nothing wrong with the mix after you mix the song. (Eg. Not enough bass, too much bass, harshness in the high end, not harsh enough, etc.) So by the time the song is done, you are almost tired of hearing it haha.
CR: It has taken you some time to create your signature sound as you have progressed in your career. Were there any obstacles along the way?
N: Yes there were some obstacles. I knew I wanted to keep creating emotional feels music. But I felt that it was easy to get lumped into what a lot of great producers are already doing. One day when I was making “If It Isn’t You” I accidentally made my signature sound and have been really honing in on that since. It’s really cool that people hear a song and are able to tell it’s me without reading the title.
CR: We know you are on tour, and we like to ask this question to the artists we interview, what is the one must-have item on your rider?
N: Topo-Chico mineral water. I drink them all the time and love them so much. It’s nice to be able to drink one before, during, or after the show!
CR: Outside dance music, what other styles do you like listening to?
N: I love rock. Specifically Hard rock like 1970’s Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, etc. I also love classical music (where a lot of inspiration comes from) like Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, Liszt, etc.
CR: In your opinion, what is one mistake most aspiring DJs make? How would you advise aspiring DJs?
N: I would say the biggest mistake is to copy a signature sound that has already been established for that artist. For example, I remember when Marshmello started growing up, I started to hear so many songs sounding exactly like his. Marhsmello will always be known for that sound regardless of how dope the track is.
CR: Aside from DJing and Producing music, what makes you happy?
N: Spending time with loved ones. My friends, family, girlfriend, and pets. I also love to travel and visit new places!
CR: While it is February, we would like to ask, what is your new year's resolution for 2022? Are there any projects that you are working on that we ought to be aware of?
N: My new year’s resolution would probably be to be a little more organized. I tend to be a little messy and lose things a lot haha. Keys, wallet, etc.) I also want to work on not starting a water bottle, putting it down, and then starting another. I want to start investing in a one water container system that’s better for the environment!
LIGHTNING ROUND
Texting or talking? Talking. I’m not the biggest texter
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Hard liquor or Wine? Wine (Even though I don’t really like either lol)
Cake or pie? Cake
Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers
Xbox or PlayStation? PlayStation? Don’t really play either of them though haha
Movie theatre or arcade? Movie theatre
Guitar or piano? Piano. Been playing since a wee lad
Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel
Dog or cat? Both tbh
Hot weather or cold weather? Hot
Nurko Socials: