Cub Sport: Influences

It’s no surprise that Cub Sport’s Tim Nelson lists such diverse influences as Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, BROCKHAMPTON, and Beverly Glenn-Copeland. With each release, the Brisbane four-piece—which originally began as Nelson’s solo project—continues building upon their own sound and style. Follow the group across their four albums and you’ll find a band experimenting far beyond the realms of synth-led indie pop and, lyrically, feeling more and more comfortable with honest, emotional, letting-it-all-out storytelling. Here, Nelson accompanies his handpicked playlist with comments about the songs that have made the greatest impact. Leonard Cohen, “Chelsea Hotel #2” “When I was little, dad would play Leonard Cohen in the car, but the artistry was mostly lost on me at the time. In 2013, Lana Del Rey released a cover of ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’ and I listened to the lyrics properly for the first time. I remember hearing the lyrics ‘giving me head on the unmade bed’ and being floored by the candidness. At that point in time I was closeted and secretly in love with Bolan, and I’d try to give all of my lyrics witty double meanings so I wouldn’t give anything away. But upon delving into Leonard Cohen’s writing, it completely changed the way I approached my own. Dad loaned me a Leonard Cohen poetry book, and that week I wrote one of my favorite Cub Sport songs, ‘Come On Mess Me Up,’ which felt like one of the first times I’d written with a fully open heart. I’ve been writing from the heart ever since, and LIKE NIRVANA is no exception.” The Blaze, “Virile” “This song conjures pure emotion. The beauty, intensity, the energy—it’s everything I’m drawn to in music. The way it sweeps you up as it builds and the intricacies of the production, I feel like this influence is most clearly felt in the [Cub Sport] track ‘Best Friend.’” Kanye West, “Runaway” “Kanye is one of the most talented, individualistic, and fearless musicians/producers to live (and it breaks my heart that his political views don’t reflect that same visionary genius). I feel like Kanye is really connected and there’s something very special, beautiful, and unique about the music he makes. The juxtaposition of harsh Auto-Tune and abrasive textures interwoven with beautiful chords and heavenly sounds hits so hard. I’ve used a similar palette in ‘Confessions,’ where abrasive distorted guitars and vocals meet vulnerable lyrics over a foundation of ethereal organs and angel choirs.” Beverly Glenn-Copeland, “Ever New” “Beverly Glenn-Copeland makes the most divine, heavenly music. His voice is timeless and beautiful as it glides over layers of emotive synths. Beverly describes his creative process as ‘co-creating with the universe.’ That really resonated with me and the way I feel when I’m writing and recording something that I love. It’s like the ideas and inspiration don’t come from me, but rather through me.” FKA twigs, “Cellophane” “I’m obsessed with twigs’ entire creative vision—everything is so beautiful, ethereal, and otherworldly. I love how emotive and revealing the vocal production is in this song. You can feel every emotion that has gone into its creation. I love the vulnerability—nearly all of the vocals on LIKE NIRVANA are the original demo vocals. I feel like there’s something about capturing the raw emotion in the moment of a song’s creation that can’t be recreated.” Britney Spears, “Everytime” “Britney is one of the main reasons I pursued a career in music. I’ve been obsessed with Britney at every stage of her career: the music, the videos, the styling, the strength and transformation through eras. I was always drawn to Britney’s ballads and sadder B-sides, so when ‘Everytime’ came out as a big single, I was captivated. I love the light, ethereal vibe of the instrumentation in this song—I feel like there are hints of that in ‘Be Your Angel’ on LIKE NIRVANA.”