Nichols+Roark craft cinematic electronic music with a storyteller’s instinct, combining deep, hypnotic grooves with emotional, story-led sound design. Built on progressive energy and indie dance influences, the duo balances melodic arrangements with a driving pulse.
Photo credit: Connor Baker
With releases on labels including All Day I Dream, The Soundgarden, Manual, Mango Alley, Selador, and Balance, Nichols+Roark have developed a sound rooted in atmosphere, rhythm, and musical storytelling.
The duo, formed by Guy Tolhurst and Grant Nichols, have also launched SHIFT, an independent electronic music label and event series built around an artist-first approach. Rather than focusing exclusively on individual releases, the project aims to develop longer-term relationships through collaborations, remixes, events, and professional opportunities.
Following its launch during Amsterdam Dance Event and the introduction of its debut compilation, ‘Transmissions 001’, SHIFT is establishing a curated collective of artists working across progressive house, melodic house, and indie dance.
In this conversation with Electronic Groove, Nichols+Roark discuss the philosophy behind SHIFT, the importance of artist development, their experiences within the label landscape, and their ambitions for the collective.
EG: Hi guys, welcome to Electronic Groove. It’s great to have you with us. How have you both been, and how are things looking as you prepare to introduce SHIFT to the world?
Nichols+Roark: Thanks for having us. We’ve been good, very busy! Between our own music and bringing SHIFT together, there’s been plenty going on, but it’s exciting to see something we’ve spent so much time discussing become real.
The most rewarding part has been seeing the artists respond to the idea. You can have a vision for a label, but it only starts to mean something when other people believe in it and want to contribute. There’s a real sense of shared enthusiasm around the project, and we’re looking forward to people hearing the music and getting to know the artists joining us for season one.
EG: You’ve founded SHIFT around the idea of being “artist-first, not track-first,” pushing back against a model that can often feel transactional. Was there a particular experience or frustration that made you feel it was time to build something different?
Nichols+Roark: It was more an accumulation of experiences than one particular moment. As artists, we know how much of ourselves we put into our music. A release can take months to make, then have a very short window of attention before everyone moves on to the next thing.
We’ve worked with some brilliant labels, so this isn’t about dismissing what’s already out there. It’s about taking the things we’ve valued most, particularly communication, belief, and ongoing support, and making them central to SHIFT.
The music has to be strong, of course, but we also want to understand the people making it, where they want to go, and how we might help beyond a single release.
EG: The label’s approach goes beyond signing music: you’re bringing artists together through collaborations, remixes, events and wider industry opportunities. What does meaningful artist development look like to you in practice, beyond simply releasing records?
Nichols+Roark: It starts with listening. Different artists need different things. Someone might have a very clear musical identity but need help reaching the right people. Someone else might benefit from a collaboration, honest feedback, or an opportunity to play their music in a new setting.
For us, development means having those conversations and following through. That could mean connecting two artists, finding a remixer who brings a fresh perspective, sharing useful contacts, or creating opportunities through events.
We don’t pretend to have every answer. There’s a lot of experience within the group, and part of the value is making that available to each other. We want those relationships to keep building between releases.
“Our view is that people should want to be involved because the experience is worthwhile”
EG: You’re building SHIFT around a curated group of ten artists each season, with eight already confirmed and a global search planned for the final two places. How do you decide who belongs in that group, and what makes a collective more valuable than a roster of individual acts?
Nichols+Roark: The music is the starting point. We need to feel excited by what someone is making and believe they bring something distinct. Beyond that, attitude matters enormously: openness, ambition, generosity and a willingness to get involved.
We already have eight artists confirmed and are about to launch a global search for the final two places. We’re excited to discover people outside our existing network who connect with both the musical direction and the idea behind SHIFT.
Keeping each season focused on ten artists gives us a chance to build proper relationships and give everyone meaningful attention. A collective becomes valuable when people take an interest in each other’s progress, whether that’s sharing feedback, supporting a release, or making an introduction. Those things build trust, and that trust can lead to better music and opportunities.
EG: The first compilation, ‘Transmissions 001’, offers an introduction to SHIFT through music from Sonickraft, Seizmic, N1NJA, Willis and yourselves. As curators, how did you approach giving the artists a shared identity without losing what makes each of them distinctive?
Nichols+Roark: We weren’t looking for everyone to make the same kind of track. What excited us was hearing different personalities within a selection that still felt connected.
Our musical direction sits between contemporary progressive house, melodic house and indie dance. We’re drawn to music with emotion, character and a strong sense of purpose, which gives us room to bring different sounds together.
With ‘Transmissions 001’, we wanted each track to stand on its own while helping introduce the wider world of SHIFT. The shared identity comes through our taste and the way we present the music. There should still be room to hear exactly who each artist is.
EG: Both of you have built Nichols+Roark through releases on labels including All Day I Dream, The Soundgarden, Selador and Balance. How has your own experience navigating the label landscape shaped the kind of environment you want to create for other artists?
Nichols+Roark: Being on the artist side gives you an appreciation of how much the smaller things matter. A constructive conversation about a work in progress or a finished track, feedback on what you share on social media and how often, or someone taking the time to explain a decision can make a real difference.
We also know what it feels like when someone you respect believes in your music. That encouragement can give you the confidence to keep developing and take more creative risks.
We want to bring that understanding into SHIFT. We’ll have to make difficult decisions like any label, but we want people to feel they can speak openly with us and know where they stand. That’s an environment we’d value ourselves.
EG: One of SHIFT’s principles is that artists can remain connected to their existing management and release music elsewhere. Why was it important to build a model that supports an artist’s wider career rather than asking for exclusivity?
Nichols+Roark: Because an artist’s career is bigger than any one label. Different relationships can offer different things, and releasing elsewhere can help an artist develop musically and reach new audiences.
We want SHIFT to sit positively alongside those relationships. If an artist already has management or a strong connection with another label, there’s no reason to disrupt something that’s working.
Our view is that people should want to be involved because the experience is worthwhile. If we’re creating opportunities and supporting the music properly, that gives the relationship a reason to continue.
When the first season finishes, we hope SHIFT will feel like a musical home: somewhere artists continue to send music because they’ve valued the experience and want to stay connected. With ten new artists each season, the plan is to have a network of thirty by the end of season three. That creates exciting possibilities for collaborations and connections across the different seasons.
EG: The label officially launched at ADE with an event at The Crane Faralda, bringing the SHIFT artists together alongside international guests. What can a gathering like this accomplish for a new label that a compilation alone cannot?
Nichols+Roark: A compilation introduces the music, but an event lets people experience the personalities and energy behind it. You hear how the artists play, how their sounds connect and how people respond in the room.
It also gives everyone time together. So much of music now happens through messages and emails, but a conversation in person can lead somewhere you hadn’t expected. A collaboration or a new friendship can start very casually.
ADE felt a fitting place to bring those elements together. With a venue as distinctive as The Crane Faralda, it felt as though the stars had aligned. We wanted the launch to be a great party in its own right; the feedback has been incredible, and it was great for people to feel part of SHIFT from the beginning.
“There’s something special about discovering an artist through a label you trust, and we’d love SHIFT to become that kind of place”
EG: With artists such as Cristina Tosio, Leena Punks, N1NJA and Sonickraft bringing different backgrounds and musical identities into the project, how do you see collaboration working within the collective? Is the aim to encourage unexpected creative pairings as much as to give each artist their own platform?
Nichols+Roark: Absolutely. Some of the most interesting possibilities come from people approaching music differently. Someone might bring a strong melodic instinct, someone else a particular feel for rhythm or a completely different production process. That exchange can take both artists somewhere new.
Our role is to make introductions and create space for those ideas to happen. We want collaborations to grow from a creative connection, with people feeling free to explore an idea without the pressure of having to deliver something for a release schedule.
Each artist needs room to develop their own identity. Alongside that, we’d love people to feel comfortable experimenting together. If a pairing surprises us, that can be a very good starting point.
EG: You’ve described a longer-term ambition to build an independent music company connecting releases, events, collaborations and professional opportunities. How do you balance that broader vision with the need to keep the project personal and genuinely artist-led as it grows?
Nichols+Roark: By being realistic about what we can deliver and growing at a pace that lets us keep our commitments. It’s easy to have a big vision. The harder part is doing the everyday work consistently and making sure people feel supported.
Working with a focused group each season helps us give that support proper attention. As the wider network grows, we’ll need to make sure we have the time and resources to maintain those relationships.
We also want the artists to have a voice in how SHIFT develops. Their experience should help shape the decisions we make. The wider ambition gives us a direction, but we don’t need to do everything immediately. We’d rather build something people trust and expand from that foundation.
EG: Finally, if we look beyond ‘Transmissions 001’ and the ADE launch, what would you like SHIFT to have achieved by the end of its first season, for the artists involved and for the wider electronic music community?
Nichols+Roark: We’d like every artist involved to feel that being part of SHIFT has helped them build momentum. That could mean a release they’re especially proud of, a new audience, a collaboration, a booking or a relationship that opens doors.
We’re thrilled with the artists joining us for season one. We believe they all have enormous potential, and we want to play a meaningful part in helping them realise it.
We’d also like listeners to have a clearer sense of our taste and feel curious about what comes next. There’s something special about discovering an artist through a label you trust, and we’d love SHIFT to become that kind of place.
If we finish the first season with strong music, closer relationships, and artists who want to keep building with us, we’ll have a foundation we can feel proud of.
EG: Thank you so much for your time. We wish you all the best with SHIFT, ‘Transmissions 001’ and everything ahead. Take care!
Nichols+Roark: Thanks for having us and giving us the space to talk about SHIFT. A big thank you to the artists who’ve put their trust in the project, and to everyone supporting the music. We’re excited to share it with you.
SHIFT’s debut compilation ‘Transmissions 001’ is out now. Stream and download here.
Follow Nichols+Roark: Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram | Website
