Hidden Beats

We Are Story Tellers

Today our Spotlight – Splash ‘N Boots. We got a chance to sit down with Nick to get a little insight into the group and the music behind it. Playing for kids is unique so hearing more about it was fun. Check it out!

Welcome. As this is my first exposure to Splash N Boots, I hope to get a little introduction about you and your music for myself and the readers about you and your music.

I’m Nick Adams, the Splash half of Splash’N Boots. We started performing for children and families as a class project while attending Queen’s University in Kingston, ON. We have since dedicated our lives to creating music and experiences for families to help bring children and their caregivers closer together.

I am curious about the creation of the group and the direction of a children-centric focus and how that came about.

Taes (the Boots half) and I were given a class assignment to make a play for young audiences. What started as a script soon turned into songs…those songs we turned into an album with NO idea what we were doing. (Ha!) We did know we loved writing songs for children and performing live for families. We started performing at birthday parties and any festival and fair that would hire us. Eventually, we graduated from theatre shows and decided to create a TV pilot and pitch it. A TV show on Treehouse and 14 albums later we still have that same passion for writing for young audiences 19 years later.

Everyone has a story to tell with their music and I am curious what your story is.

Our story to tell with our music is about love. We want children to feel loved and safe while listening to our music or coming to our live show. We want parents and caregivers to feel loved, and heard and that they are enough as well. That’s our goal – that’s the story we want to tell.

What is your process like when putting together tracks for children?

We start with an idea..and a lot of the time these ideas come from kids we meet or our nieces and nephews. From then on our process is like every other musician in any genre, I imagine. I’m often more of the music person, and then Taes (Boots) comes in and gives her opinions and we workshop it. Our goal is always to write the most honest and authentic songs we can and from there try to work with the most talented and inspiring artists we can to deliver the best product and song.

You have a deep catalog of albums out now. Do you find it hard to come up with new and interesting music?

I actually had a fear that one day there just won’t be any more songs left in me, but I have come to realize that inspiration is always available if I just allow it to be and don’t force it.

How do you think your music has evolved from back in 2002 with “Getting Our Feet Wet” with the new release of “I Am Love”?

We used to sing more about fruit and pirates and now it is all about love and connection…the songwriting evolution is so fascinating, but at its core, it has always been about making the greatest music possible. As we grow, so does our songwriting.

How did you make use of social media during covid to connect with the fans?

Social media has been huge for us. We go live all the time and have even done live events online for just the parents that have been equal if not more popular than our children-focused online events. We have a very close relationship with our fans and engaging with them on social media has been so amazing.

We recently got to chat with Jeremy Fisher who talked about what it's like playing for kids and I am curious what your take on that is.

Jeremy Fisher is great! Performing for kids is absolutely incredible. If they don’t like it they just leave or cry, whereas adults will politely sit through most things without leaving. They are so real and hilarious, we would never trade performing for a room full of children for a room full of adults.

Kids can be so unfiltered and make for such a memorable moment, sometimes funny or touching and I am wondering if you have a story that stands out like that?

So very true. We have a new song on our latest album called “B R A V E” and when we perform this song live we get kids to tell us when they have been brave into the microphone. It’s already caused many tears (and laughs). but we hear a 7-year-old child tell us she was brave when she had to get cancer treatment in front of a theatre of 600 people, it is hard to keep it together.

One of my favorite questions I ask musicians I interview is what is something on your go-to playlist that people wouldn’t expect you to listen to?

I think people would think that with all the energy I give out on stage that I would be listening to more high-energy music but my go-to is very calm acoustic folk music like The Avett Brothers or David Francy

Having been in the music scene for a while now is there any great advice you might give to younger musicians coming up?

Great question. I would say don’t stop writing, keep releasing music, and don’t wait for a “perfect” polished song. ALSO – keep trying to find your voice, don’t worry about what others are doing. Finding your voice and your song is the greatest thing and goal for any artist.

Last question and probably the most important, What motivates you to keep up with music?

Period. They are awesome! They motivate us so much simply by being themselves.

Our Spotlight – Splash ‘N Boots is a wrap! It was great getting to chat with Nick about their music

Check out the new release I am Love

Keep up with Splash ‘N Boots right here

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