Following the growing buzz of his 2024 singles “Gimme” and “Shooting Star,” Australian singer/songwriter Nick Ward has announced that his debut album, House With the Blue Door, will be released on October 4th via Republic Records.
To go alongside the album announcement, Ward has shared a magnetic new single, “All Your Life.” It’s a send-off to the listener that explores themes of nostalgia, bittersweet endings, and his own personal struggle with mental health.
The official music video — also out today — was co-directed and edited by Ward with his twin brother, Tom Ward, using super 8 footage from the 1950’s and 60’s that was filmed by their grandparents in Malaysia and Perth, Australia.
“When I was 10, I made my first film using family photographs on iPhoto with a Foo Fighters song, which sparked my interest in filmmaking. Ten years later, after our grandma passed away, we found a suitcase of unseen photographs and super 8 footage filmed by our grandfather during their journey from Malaysia to Australia, which we used in the ‘All Your Life’ music video and album cover,” explains Nick. “‘I really hope you’re happy all your life’ reminded me of scenes in movies where characters said farewell – never to meet again – but still wished the other person a happy rest of their life. As someone who struggles with their mental health, those words felt like an impossible idea to live up to, but something to chase anyway. I’ve never consciously made ‘sad’ or ‘happy’ music, but I’m proud to call this my most life-affirming song,” Nick shares.
“Working on this video was an emotional experience, as it allowed us to see our Dad through our grandfather’s eyes, capturing fleeting family moments. There’s something universal in this, especially now with the pressure to both capture everything and be present,” adds Tom.
Watch the music video for “All Your Life” below and pre-order House With the Blue Door here.
Nick Ward initially envisioned his debut album, House With The Blue Door, completed just before his 22nd birthday, as a kind of blurred time capsule for his youth. After spending an afternoon at a Sydney exhibition of Hilma af Klint’s “The Ten Largest” (1907) paintings, Ward had the idea to create an album about childhood and the lingering emotions of the past.
“It’s about family, childhood, and the difficult relationship we have with the past. I think your early-twenties is about coming to terms with your childhood, especially after finishing high school and experiencing more of the world. Starting therapy really made me realize how much emotional baggage I was holding onto, and this record was made while I was unpacking all of that. I finished this album right before my 22nd birthday, so it felt nice to encapsulate my adolescence in one statement. For a while, it was hard for me to listen to, just because of the headspace I was in while making it, but now it brings me a lot of joy and it gives me closure to finally release it,” explains Nick.
In addition to being announced as Australian tour support act for Troye Sivan, who Ward collaborated with on Sivan’s album track “Can’t Go Back Baby,” Nick will also play shows at All Points East Festival in the UK and SXSW Sydney 2024.
‘House With the Blue Door’ Artwork
