Nicky Venus Album Premiere: “Little Runner”

Brace yourselves for the premiere of the debut EP by Nicky Venus

The age-old adage goes, “Only time can mend a broken heart.” If you’re Nick Venti though, turns out that traveling the world with nothing but a laptop, backpack and an unmailed letter does wonders too.

Suffering from a failed relationship and dealing with the heartache that goes along with it, the Republic of Letters drummer -- and the man behind the San Diego Music Award-winning synth-pop project Nicky Venus -- went east with only the aforementioned items to get away from it all and recover. Really far east, actually. 

With his journey taking him from Manila to Tokyo and everywhere in between, the result is Nicky Venus' debut six-song EP, entitled “Little Runner.” As fans (we hit up Venti to perform at one of our SoundDiego LIVE events back in January), we're pleased to offer an online premiere of the record right here.

Over effortlessly danceable beats, soaring synths and Dave Gahan-esque vocals, Venti taps into a retro musical mindset with songs that straddle today’s ear-candy synthwave and the biggest New Wave hits of the '80s. Part Depeche Mode, part '70s David Bowie and part Cut Copy, “Little Runner” is everything it should be -- especially after having his initial single, “Legacy,” on repeat for so long: undeniably catchy songs with hooks that seem ripped straight out of 1985 and a nostalgic pop vibe that would make Erasure blush.

If a broken heart inspires this kind of musical excellence, here's to hoping Nicky Venus stays unlucky in love for quite some time.

Stream “Little Runner” in full below.

Dustin Lothspeich plays in Old Tiger, Diamond Lakes and Boy King. Follow his updates on Twitter or contact him directly.

Contact Us