Review Fix chats with Atomic Bronco to find out all about their new EP and more.
About Atomic Bronco:
Atomic Bronco is a retro-inspired yet decidedly modern indie/alt rock act from London. The creation of producer and songwriter Kyle Nuss, Atomic Bronco blends an interesting mix of indie, alternative, garage rock, lo-fi and classic rock. The one-man rock band is originally from the heart of rural America, but now makes guitar driven music in his East London studio.
Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?
Atomic Bronco: My mom is a piano player, so music was all around growing up. I started out playing the drums when I was 13, and my brother was taking guitar lessons, but we were both so competitive that we wanted to be better than the other at both instruments. So that presented an incentive to practice playing, and around that same time I heard Nevermind by Nirvana for the first time, which was a huge influence on me. I had never heard anything like it, and I started to write songs to try to recreate the feeling I got listening to that album. Not sure I’m there yet, but it’s so rewarding to try! Those two things definitely got me started on the path towards Atomic Bronco.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Atomic Bronco: I like to start with the music first, usually a guitar or bass part and then play a few drum beats on top of it to get a sense of the vibe. Once I have a skeleton of the songs I’ll just sing nonsense over the top until I find a vocal melody that works well. After that I’ll listen a bunch of times until I get a sense of what the song wants to be about, and then try to write the lyrics to match that feeling. I know a lot of artists do the opposite and start with the lyrics, but I have always just had a much stronger connection with the rhythm and feeling of a song rather than the words.
Review Fix: What inspires you?
Atomic Bronco: Chord progressions that make your hair stand on end, drum beats that get stuck in my head for days, and guitar riffs that immediately grab your attention.
Review Fix: What does music mean to you?
Atomic Bronco: I think music is all about conveying a feeling, whether it’s through lyricism or instrumental compositions. It’s our way of communicating across languages. Sometimes I really geek out over the fact that pressure waves could cause this huge emotional reaction; it’s really amazing when you think about it.
Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
Atomic Bronco: Imagine if Beck and Kurt Vile had a child who only listened to The Black Keys and Interpol and then was told to make a record by himself.
Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?
Atomic Bronco: This project was started in March 2020, so I actually haven’t been able to perform live yet, although I am working on it! Obviously being a one-man band the live version of Atomic Bronco will sound different than the studio stuff, but I’m excited to try and see if I can build a live band similar to Tycho or Tame Impala, where the live version is a distinct listening experience from what you hear on Spotify.
Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?
Atomic Bronco: Cruel started out as a laid back guitar riff that just sort of seemed like it had this nonchalant attitude, and I’ve always weirdly admired the sort of confidence that the protagonist of Cruel has. I really wish I had the ability to just not care what others think, so I did some aspirational writing and came up with the lyrics, and it just fit really well.
Review Fix: What are your goals for 2021?
Atomic Bronco: To witness some live music! Both as a performer and a spectator. It’s been a rough year without any concerts, so I’m very excited to get back to one soon.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Atomic Bronco: I have my upcoming EP, Spectrum, coming out on June 1, so I’m very excited for everyone to hear that! I think it does a good job of exploring new sounds and directions, so it’ll be interesting to see how people react!
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