Campus Celebrity: Nick Herzog

Nick Herzog, a junior at UW-Madison, has been writing songs and singing for 8 years and is ready to bring his talent to light on the UW-Madison campus. He has written over 20 songs and his first music video features one of these original songs entitled “Maggie.”

What is your major?

Psychology

When did you first learn guitar?

When I was 8.

When did you start creating your own music?

I started singing and writing in 7th grade but I didn’t show anyone anything until I was a sophomore in high school because I was too embarrassed.

What made you want to shoot a video?

My friends are super into film and they’re really good at it and I just figured that they could probably make me look better than I am if they filmed me, so I asked them. I want to get myself out there and I think putting my music into a video is a good place to start.

Where did you come up with inspiration for the song “Maggie”?

The name Maggie has been used in a lot of songs and seems to be a quintessential girl to sing about. She seems like she’s a lot of trouble sometimes and the song is an ironic story of falling in love with the Maggie that people sing about and the troubles behind it.

Is this something you want to do as a career?

Yes, touring and playing live music all over is my dream career.

Is there a particular artist you’ve always dreamed of working with?

Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros seems like a fun crew to play music with.

Who have been your biggest musical influences?

Bob Dylan was all I listened to in high school. Joe Cocker for live performances- he always looked like he was having a lot of fun and that just appealed to me.

Do you play any musical instruments besides the guitar?

I dabble with the piano- I taught myself that by listening, but otherwise no. I wish I could play more instruments!

Are there any events/places people can go to hear you on campus?
The union- I try to do open mics there on Tuesday nights. I would like to play around more and hopefully I will in the near future.

What are you future goals?

To keep playing as much as I can. It’s kind of a pipe dream that I have, but it makes me happy, so I figure why stop now when I’m only 20.

What do you like better, writing or performing?

Writing. I think it’s a very intimate thing to do and I get the most satisfaction out of writing, but there’s really no high like performing for the first time in front of new people.

What do you hope to accomplish through your music?

I really just hope to play for as many people as I can. Regardless of if I go anywhere with it, as long as people still want to hear it I’ll keep playing.

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