Q&A: NO COMPLY

Known for their high energy live shows, Auckland-based rapper/producer duo and brothers NO COMPLY are creating incredibly powerful and raw hip hop music challenging the status quo. With a heavy dose of honest, unapologetic raps and insane hard hitting production, they chat to us about their debut EP that they dropped last month “WELCOME TO BAD”.

We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey so far from when you first started making music together!

We first started making music together in 2019! Ethan was studying down in Wellington and I (Fynn) was hunting for a new musical fix. I had played in multiple live bands but wanted a challenge and a sonic switch up. Ethan had been producing for a while at this point and when he would come up on break, he would share tracks with me and I fell in love with everything that he presented. We’ve been creating ever since! 

Where does the name “NO COMPLY” come from?

It’s a double whammy actually - Ethan got into hip hop through skate culture and we both grew up skating and around skating, so we really wanted to integrate and pay homage to what we had grown up with. The name NO COMPLY is a skate trick but it also sums up what we are about. Going against the grain and doing our own thing.

Congrats on your incredible debut EP “WELCOME TO BAD”! Can you tell us about some of the main themes and ideas included in this EP, and why it was important for you to write about them?

The main idea ties back in with the idea behind NO COMPLY. Showing people that it’s great to be yourself and to just say “fuck it” sometimes. We also wanted to show people where we had come from and where we are at now. “WELCOME TO BAD” is meant to showcase a transitional period of sorts. A coming of age moment. “LOVE LETTER” was also a big topic we wanted to tackle because depression and substance abuse has played a big part in my life (Fynn) and writing and talking about it makes me feel a lot better. We hoped that people listening would resonate with that and take something away from it or start their own conversations. “EYES SHUT I SEE” is just about an acid trip in the coromandel haha.

One of our fave tracks of the album is “THIS FISH”! Can you tell us a little bit about the meaning behind this track?

I wanted to write a love song without all the clichés of a love song so I decided to make it about fishing (for some reason). Ethan’s 90’s inspired production just felt right so we merged the two together and “THIS FISH” was made! Fun fact - the girl is an ex now and I got her star sign wrong by a few days so she wasn’t even a Pisces. Whoops.

What were your main highlights on working on the EP?

For us, it was just having a blank slate and the opportunity to play with different sounds and genres. It’s pretty cool to be steering the ship with your brother on your own project.

Who are your biggest inspirations in music?

Ethan - Right now it’s hard to say but at the moment it would have to be Slowthai, Denzel Curry and Travis Scott. Their live performances are out of this world.

Fynn - At the moment it’s Tom Scott for lyricism and writing, Shakewell for his beat choices and music videos, and Mac Miller for his storytelling and overall projects. R.I.P king.

If there’s anything you could change about the current music industry, what would it be and why?

More women in power and cut the tall poppy shit for obvious reasons. Bring people up, don’t break them down.

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?

Ethan - Mara TK and every song from “Bad Meditation”

Fynn - We have so many amazing talents in NZ that it’s hard to pick and everyday I hear about a new emerging artist that blows me away. All I really listen to at the moment is kiwi music but I would have to say Eno x Dirty’s “Utu” because those boys are like butter on everything they touch.

What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?

Our favourite things about New Zealand would be the scenes, the cultural melting pot and the people. We are lucky enough to have a family bach in Tairua - we have been going there since we were 2 and 4 so it definitely holds a big place in our hearts and it’s great to get out of the big smoke. Wanaka in winter gets a special mention.

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far?

To never compare yourself to anybody else and their success. Understanding that shit can change dramatically on a dime, highs turn to lows and lows turn to highs overnight and it’s best to embrace both in order to grow. And lastly, at the end of the day, art is subjective. Don’t take the criticism to heart and keep making music that makes you happy over anything and everything else. 

Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Don’t be a cu*t :)

Thanks so much lads! Make sure you keep up with NO COMPLY on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or Apple Music.