Nick D’Virgilio is one of the most versatile musicians in rock. Drummer par excellence, who has handled sticks for Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard and more sessions than one can count. A top singer-songwriter, whose 2020 solo album “Invisible” was one of the best of the year. And vocalist? The man’s sweet leads and background harmonies grace more albums than we can remember.
With all that in mind, Nick and others had plenty of free time during the pandemic. That was when longtime friend/colleague Neal Morse talked to him about doing a vocal album a’ la Crosby Stills and Nash. Nick loved the idea, but they still needed a third voice. Both identified Ross Jennings of HAKEN as being a likely subject—and Ross had been working on some songs in that genre.
And so the three got to work, in their own separate studios, crafting a remarkable album of hooky, relatively easy-going songs that would reach a broad audience. And they called it “Troika.”
Sonic Perspectives village idiot Mark Boardman sat down with NDV to discuss the writing and recording of “Troika.” They also talked about Nick’s solo efforts, the future of Big Big Train after the death of vocalist David Longdon, and the possibility of taking “Troika” on the road. For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 38:58 — 89.5MB)
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