Harmless

For Harmless, songs affirm his survival and just how far he has come. On a turbulent rollercoaster of life, he went from a lonely childhood as a Mexican immigrant in Southern California to struggling to be heard as an artist and enduring a near-death crime to eventually achieving gold-certification, playing sold-out shows, and getting married. Now, the Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer born Nacho Cano chronicles the trip on his full-length LP, Springs Eternal [Nettwerk Music Group].

“On every song, I’m touching base with the avatar or ghost who died after that crime,” he reveals. “I’m talking to myself about my marriage, my job in the music industry, and how rejected I feel despite having ‘the biggest dreams come true.’ I’m granting myself a moment where I can reach back into my past and give the 19-year-old version of me a hug or a high five. That’s truly the aim of the record.”

Rewinding back to the very beginning, Nacho grew up in Mexico before his family settled in San Diego. At 17-years-old, he developed an obsession with the “blog-o-sphere,” intently following the commentary of Pitchfork, Anthony Fantano, and more as a self-professed “early high school internet kid.” This obsession made him realize it was possible to make music of his own. Not long after gaining citizenship, his life took another series of dramatic turns. Even though his musical output was gaining traction, he still needed to hold down a day job. Riding his bike to work one morning, a drunk driver disregarded a stop sign, and left him practically in ruins. Hours upon hours of surgery followed as doctors rebuilt his spine and face. “The optimism sort of vanished,” he sighs. “I knew it was a long road ahead, but I couldn’t really comprehend it.”

As if by a stroke of well-earned luck, his anthem “Swing Lynn” organically exploded on TikTok. In between the jarring experience of the criminal trial for his accident, it picked up a Gold certification and scored nearly half-a-billion streams and counting. He maintained this momentum with the Mr. Baby EP [2022] highlighted by “Nacho’s,” “Mrs. Moody,” and “Call Katie.” Simultaneously, he toured with Vacations, Wavves, and many more. In 2022, he recorded Springs Eternal at the legendary Sunset Sound Studios with co-producer Yves Rothman.

“To me, the biggest thing that comes out of this music is pain, but I don’t want to be that anymore,” he leaves off. “Harmless is contradiction and confusion, but we all go through those things. Maybe somebody else can listen to this and feel better, and in turn, it might make me feel better too.”