Artist Nick Dorian just added another unforgettable tune to his groovy indie discography. “Follow The Leader” features a prominent raspy voice, upbeat tempo, and… a photo of a giant rooster as the cover art. Why, you may ask? Well, we’re not exactly sure either, but we do know that “Follow The Leader” is the first single off Nick Dorian’s upcoming album Rooster. And the specific rooster pictured above, impressively, is the largest rooster monument in Northern America, which was loyally coveted by Nick’s uncle, Gaetano “Guy” Valentini. This larger than life bird was the guardian of Uncle Guy’s land and the object of his utmost pride and adoration. While his infatuation may have seemed odd and nonsensical to others, Guy did not care– legend has it, his rooster and the land surrounding it were the only things he deemed worthy of boasting about.
Accordingly, Nick has a (figurative) rooster of his own– his music is a mountainous monument that stands for and symbolizes everything he loves. Ah, so now the rooster theme is starting to make a lot more sense…
Besides the cryptic anecdote Nick Dorian shared about the featherless effigy above, and a brief note that “Follow The Leader” is about escapism, he didn’t reveal much about the inspiration behind his new single or soon-to-be album. But his reclusiveness doesn’t stem from a pretentious attitude, more like a sincere desire to give listeners the space to freely come up with their own interpretation and ideas based on the sounds alone. And after listening to “Follow The Leader” a few times, that’s exactly what I did!
Speaking for myself, I feel like the lyrics are confusing and chaotic and mildly overwhelming, yet overall soothing somehow. In the least corny way possible, the song sounds fitting for a dope coming of age movie, and I see the tune as a reflection of inner struggles, self-doubt, and wanting more out of life but not knowing exactly what or how to go about it. The layering of vocals towards the second half of the track reminds me of those moments when all the unsolicited advice that any random person has ever given to you is swirling around in your head as you try to pinpoint exactly what you want to do. Even though we lack a precise interpretation from Nick’s point of view, I can say one thing with certainty: you will definitely enjoy listening to this track– and Nick is excited for everyone who does to draw their own conclusions. Surely, “Follow The Leader” is just scratching the surface in terms of rooster symbolism and storytelling, and we’re excited to hear the rest of the mystery unfold with Nick’s upcoming releases.
Stream “Follow The Leader” on Spotify and Apple Music. Keep up with new music updates by following Nick on Instagram.
