Australian singer-songwriter Nick Ward releases his new album, Year of the Snake, today. Drawing on Brian Wilson, Simon & Garfunkel and Vampire Weekend, the record has a distinctly 70s soft-rock influence, with rich harmonies, inventive percussion and a playful approach to songwriting. It’s fun but there’s a clear intention behind its sound. Ward has spoken about wanting to make something “optimistic and healing”, and that sense of openness runs throughout the album. Loverboy caught up with Nick to talk about Year of the Snake, the musical influences behind it, and his approach to style and identity.

Hi Nick, congratulations on the new music you’re putting out. How is this album cycle proving to be different to your debut?
I feel like I’ve grown up a lot since that first record came out. Nowadays I’m quite unconcerned about what’s happening with the album. It’s definitely the strongest response I’ve gotten to music I’ve put out but I’m in a place now where I am just focussed on what’s next. I used to get too caught up in the rollout of it all, and get really stressed out. This time, I’m just doing my own thing. I asked my team and friends not to tell me anything about what’s going on or how it’s going. I just get slivers from people messaging me or saying hello when I’m out. Long story short – it feels good!

The album is titled Year of the Snake. Tell us about thatt…
I was born in 2001, the year of the metal snake. It’s said that return years – for me, 2013 and 2025 – are supposed to be really difficult. My whole life changed in 2025. It was easily the hardest year of my life, where I was made to confront a lot about myself and my relationships. This album is a way of coming to terms with all of that, and trying to work out how to move forward. I wanted to make something optimistc and healing – rather than wallow in the darkness of what was going on.

We loved single ‘Jenny’. That chorus feels so familiar but fresh. What was it about this song that made you want to release it before the album?
I think it just felt like new territory which is always what I’m looking for in a new record. I always wanted to be trying things. I’d feel much more anxious and self-conscious about repeating myself. Trying something new actually feels more comfortable.

You wrote the track on an Auckland trip. Was there anything about the city that influenced the track?
I think the laidbackness of Auckland really got me into a headspace where I was just having fun making that song.

Love the video too. There’s some Michel Gondry style cinema going on, some Kinbaku and a scene with a meat grinder that was a lot haha. Which scenario did you enjoy the most?
Honestly the whole thing was so fun to make. The shibari was definitely the funniest part of the whole shoot. I always enjoy working with that crew.

Your style seems much more refined, pared back compared to your earlier club kid looks. Can you tell us more about this progression?
I think I’m just getting older and not spending as much money on clothes; being more intentional with my wardrobe. I used to buy so many clothes and then hate them six months later, so I think I’m just buying things that are bit more classic and well-made. My stylist Tristan is also a genius, who comes on every shoot we’ve done for this record.

You’ve said before that ‘there’s a whole infinite space in-between straight, gay or bi, that you can float around in.’ To some people being that loose in defining themselves could be scary. Maybe people need a label to be able to find some certainty. But equally labels can be restraining. But I guess everyone has a different relationship with labels. Anyway, I wondered how things have changed for you since your debut album and how you see things now.
I think I am even more fluid now. From the age 17 until 22, all I thought about was gender and sexuality. Nowadays, it’s just not on my mind because I’ve given up trying to be certain about anything. Then, I was also in relationships with women and I constantly felt really self-conscious being so open about queerness in my music. These days, it’s not usually on my mind, which inevitably means I don’t write about it as much. I only write about things I’m actively questioning or working through, and I feel like I’m now much more certain about who I am in that regard.

Finally we are named after the biggest-selling single of 2001. So we always ask what is your favourite Mariah Carey song and why?
I like that Emotions song. I am not the biggest Mariah head so I can’t really elaborate much more. I like the sample flip.

The Year of the Snake is out now