Nickolas Pierce's music got him through hardships - now he releases his second album
BUCYRUS — Through stints in prison, drug addiction and homelessness, there was one constant in Nickolas Pierce’s life and that is his music.
The 28-year-old Bucyrus man said that writing lyrics and putting them to music got him through a lot of hardships in his life.
“I was always anti-drug until about five years ago. I had just gotten out of prison and went to a friend’s house. There was meth and some peer pressure. I tried meth for the first time and was up for three days. I went fishing for 12 hours and it seemed like I was only there for a little while. I would forget to eat and drink. Meth became an addiction,” said Pierce.
He went to prison a second time on drug charges and thought he was done with meth.
“I really wanted to be done with it but instantly did it when I was released from prison after serving six months,” said Pierce. “I had overdosed and flatlined twice. I had been to rehab in Dayton but went back to meth after I got out.”
He decided he needed to do something to pull himself out of it.
Recognizing the need to get clean
“I went into the woods behind Kroger for four days. I put some meth under a log. I kept checking to make sure it was still there.” said Pierce. “I went to Kroger for food, built a fire in the woods since it was about 30 to 40 degrees outside. I realized that I needed to pull myself out of it.”
He has now been clean for a year but has burned many bridges.
“I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t like me or trust me. I did a lot of stupid things during my addiction, and I regret that,” said Pierce.
He said his music brought him through all of it. He has been writing and recording music since he was 11.
“We lived in Willard at the time. I started reading and writing poems. I was 12 when I figured out how to download software and would rap to every beat with a little kid’s microphone,” he said with a laugh.
By the time he was 15, people were telling him they liked his music, and it encouraged him to keep going with it.
Connecting with the local artist Voice
“I had been listening to an artist named Voice for several years and I was completely shocked to find out he lives here in Bucyrus,” Pierce said.
Voice is the stage name for Derrick Myers who has opened for Afroman and other artists throughout his own music career.
“Derrick actually got me my first show,” said Pierce. “I did some gigs in Cleveland and opened for artists like K Camp. I did three shows in Cleveland and more all over Ohio,” Pierce said.
He also joined forces with his friend, Tyler, and they traveled around and did shows together throughout the state.
“We did a lot of shows and were doing really well, until he went to prison,” said Pierce.
He then struck out on his own again, writing and recording digitally.
“No matter where I have been in life, homeless and sleeping on people’s couches or in the woods, the one thing I always had with me was my recording equipment. Sometimes, that was all I had in my backpack,” said Pierce. “I would record in people’s sheds, on their front porches. It was what kept me going.”
Pierce, who goes by Northside Nick, recently released his second album on ReverbNation, “I Am Not Afraid of the Dark.” He has also released music under the name Nick Get It, which was the title of the album he released in 2021.
“I write songs about love, heartache, addiction. Things that are relatable to everyone,” said Pierce. “I just want people to be inspired by my music and enjoy it.” For more information about Pierce’s music, visit reverbnation.com/northsidenick95/songs.
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Nickolas Pierce releases new album: I am not afraid of the dark
