IVRLV artist, Nick Mills, shares footage of his tour Energy Never Dies. Dealing with the absence of live performances due to the pandemic, Nick creates a direct way to connect with his audience. Accompanied by the Carey Frank band, Jersey songstress Tahj, and the aesthetics of the Gold Diggers Studio, delivers a 23-minute live performance filled with potent messages of self-reflection, growth, and inspiration.

Dive deeper into IVRLV below in our Q&A.

When did you decide to do music professionally?

I decided to do music professionally when I was 18 years old. Started in a group and then broke up from that situation around 21 years old. From then on, I started my solo career.

Who were some of your musical influences?

Common, Busta Rhymes, Nas, DMX, The Lox, Jay-Z, Black Thought .. to name a few

What inspired you to make the sound heard on Energy Never Dies?

Energy Never Dies has always been a dream of mine, The passion behind it came from me falling in love with oldie records like James brown, Teddy Pendergrass, Stevie Wonder, Frankie Beverly, and Maze. The dynamism within their music always stood out to me. I always told myself that this would be the way I made my hip-hop. Live! With sounds that the listener could feel. With music that pushed me to continue to love the craft and challenge me. Energy Never Dies is simply a manifestation of that love and connectedness to the music that came before me. 

You say "can't hide from your path because it's chiseled in stone" ... do you believe making music you make is part of your path?

Absolutely. I don't think I would make music if I didn’t feel it was something that was a part of my divine path. Expression in general is a tool for human evolution. It just so happens that in this lifetime music is one way I express my perspective.

You filmed the piece out in LA, was there a reason you decided on that location?

Since 2015 I've been traveling out to LA at least twice a year for a reset. As an artist, this was the place I escaped to clear my head and find new meaning and inspiration. Once this idea to finally do this project came to the forefront I knew that my first stop had to be LA. in my eyes, had it not been for the constant trips out here, centering myself along the coast and figuring out where I wanted to go as a human being, an artist, I probably wouldn't have made Energy Never Dies. I felt like I owed it to LA to start such an intimate project here. So that's what I did. Tapping in with musicians from California was special because not only did I get to share my lyrics with this project but I was able to create an organic LA feel for the project that wouldn't have been possible without the Carey Frank group.

What message do you want people to take away when they hear your music?

Introspection is my main objection. That’s essentially what I write music for. To understand me better. To get a better look inside of my soul. To understand the world and the people in it better. I would hope it aids people to do the same. 

Moving in his purpose to deliver reflection, enjoy the live performance of Energy Never Dies below.