Nick Heyward
about the artist
"One of the architects of the 1980s pop explosion. The good part of it — with the whacking choruses, wry lyrics and great hair… "
The Monocle
Creatively ambitious from the start, critically acclaimed English singer-songwriter, Nick Heyward, began his career as the songwriter and frontman of Haircut 100. Marrying Chic with The Monkees, they rode the post-new-romantic-funk-wave of the early 1980s burning brightly, but briefly. Following four UK top 10 singles, "Fantastic Day," "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," "Love Plus One" and "Nobody's Fool," and their debut album, Pelican West, going platinum, the band parted ways.
North of…
More"One of the architects of the 1980s pop explosion. The good part of it — with the whacking choruses, wry lyrics and great hair… "
The Monocle
Creatively ambitious from the start, critically acclaimed English singer-songwriter, Nick Heyward, began his career as the songwriter and frontman of Haircut 100. Marrying Chic with The Monkees, they rode the post-new-romantic-funk-wave of the early 1980s burning brightly, but briefly. Following four UK top 10 singles, "Fantastic Day," "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," "Love Plus One" and "Nobody's Fool," and their debut album, Pelican West, going platinum, the band parted ways.
North of a Miracle, Heyward's first solo album saw him working with The Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick to craft pop landscapes incorporating full orchestra, a jazz band and catchy pop-funk all knitted together with top-flight songwriting that was featured in John Hughes' classic film, Sixteen Candles.
Continuing to record through the 80s, Heyward found his stride again with 1993's From Monday to Sunday. Lead single "Kite" took off in America's burgeoning alternative scene, reached #4 in the Billboard Alternative Chart, and found Heyward touring the country with the likes of The Lemonheads and Tony Bennett. The follow-up album, Tangled, was more pure power pop and lead to Heyward signing to Creation Records for his final album of the 90s, The Apple Bed.
Critic's favourite, Woodland Echoes (2017), Heyward's most recent release saw him return to touring with shows in the UK, USA and Japan.
2022 saw Heyward reunited with Haircut 100 bandmates to celebrate the 40th anniversary of 'Pelican West' with an album reissue, UK and US tours. More recently they released their first single in 42 years, The Unloving Plum, which was b-listed on BBC Radio Two and saw them make their Glastonbury debut, play the BBC Radio 2 Piano Room with a stellar cover of Harry Styles' As it Was, and open the BBC Radio 2 In The Park in Preston in 2024.
Heyward is currently in the studio recording with Haircut 100 and their follow up to 1982's 'Pelican West' will be released in 2025. He's also working on a solo album planned for release in 2026.
"A classic pop songwriter"
Sunday Express
"A songwriter of the highest order"
Louder Than War
"The world of pop music always needs music this smart, tuneful, and unabashedly romantic"
AllMusic.com
"Expertly crafted songwriting and gifted lyricism"
HMV