‘VOL. 3’ is an immersion, with thoughtful and deeply felt storytelling. From the first note, everything that exists sonically and visually in this album has been deliberate. The Taxes-born artist, Novulent, approaches music-making the way he’d write a full-length feature film, heavily influenced by cinema. Sounds and visuals come together to tell an emotive story.
‘VOL. 3,’ filled with reverberant vocals and electric guitar soundscapes, feels like an angsty coming-of-age movie written by someone who’s looking back into these situations and decisions that shaped his life with wisdom and clarity, but never quite loses the edge, ambitions, and vulnerability he had. Like an A24 sonic movie, emotions blend into both the vocals and the backdrop. ‘VOL. 3’ feels raw, authentic, and unapologetic. It’s familiar in the way the story goes, but unlike anything you’ve heard.
Novulent leaves a sonic imprint on his listeners. He has a signature vibe/aesthetic that separates him from other artists in the genre.
While ‘VOL. 3’ works as a standalone project; it continues the story from Vol. 2 and Vol. 1 and marks another step forward in Novulent’s artistic journey. Bridging the past and the present, the broad and personal views, the album peels back the layers and offers a fresh angle to the journey of growing up.
“Sacrifice” is about the end of a bond with maturity and mental clarity. When asked what the carousel in the music video symbolizes, Novulent explains that it “represents the idea of the light to a new beginning,” and the song is about “sacrificing a bond with someone who’s holding you back.” The “sad morning tone” of the song captures the feelings of departure, which in this particular case, have more to do with hope and a new beginning than the ending of a story.
Press Q&A with Novulent
Q: What are some things that the listeners might miss when they first listen to the album?
Novulent: The storytelling aspect of the entire album. Till recently, a lot of people (my dedicated fans) have started to realize how personal Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 is – from the cover art to the lyrics, people name the songs, with some songs being less wordy, and other songs being more wordy and specific, and just the overall tone that I have throughout different projects I made. They’re just realizing now these are not random songs that I’m putting together.
Someone who doesn’t know who I am will not pick that up until they decide to really listen to it and look at the album from start to finish and see that it tells a story perfectly from start to finish.
Q: Do you see this album as a continuous piece or song by song that came up to you that then became an album?
Novulent: It’s a tiny mixture of both. From a writing standpoint, they’re coming-of-age movies but in music form. I thought of it as writing a script – having an opening act, having a beginning, having a rise and climax, and having a proper ending.
Q: How are essential visuals created to build the world within your music?
Novulent: They are heavily important. Without the aesthetics, 70% would be gone. Because of how influenced I am with movies, I’m very particular with visuals. From the colors that you use for certain shots and how certain things are portrayed to the tone of your voice and the way you sing, they’re all of a particular emotion. Depending on who you are, they will lead to an understanding of whatever you’re listening to or watching. So I’m very picky about that. Sometimes that leads to delays at times, but I personally believe that you can’t rush any creative art form. You just have to authentically let it flow out. When it comes to ‘VOL. 3,’ in particular, the green tone, the old iPod camera, the DIY headphones, all of that are intentionally, which is supposed to feel at home.
Q: About your music video “sacrifice,” your scene takes place on a carousel. What does it symbolize for you?
Novulent: The carousel and the idea of the carousel being the ongoing scene tie back to where I’m outside the building, carrying heavy wires. It represents the idea of the light to a new beginning. I always have the idea to improve myself, to get better – you always have to sacrifice something, and in this particular context, it’s really about sacrificing a bond with someone who’s holding you back. That’s why throughout the song, it has the sad morning tone – you’re fully aware that you’re letting go of this bond to better yourself. I’m not happy about it, but I’m self-aware that this is what I have to do.
Q: How has the lyrical process changed for you?
Novulent: Fun fact: I still work from my phone. That hasn’t changed. I just got better at mixing my vocals to be less scratchy, compared to my older work. Songwriting-wise, I wouldn’t say it changed. I would say it’s more mature. I always wanted to convey a storytelling style of music. Sometimes, learning that adding a specific detail could really strengthen the song, and being too vague can sometimes weaken it, or not make it stand out as much.
Q: What would be something you’d tell your younger self about your music?
Novulent: If I gave myself too specific advice, my music career would change in an unpredictable way. Even though I’ve gone through a lot, I feel like it’s just one of those necessary journeys anyone pursuing anything has to go through. Those rough periods end up shaping who I am. I’ve always wanted to make music for a while, but I only got the motivation when I was 17. I would tell my younger self to just start making your music now, start being confident in your music. Even though it’s gonna be rough for sure, always stay confident – because if you’re not confident in your music, how do you expect random people to take you seriously?
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NOVULENT
FOLLOW NOVULENT
