Nicholas Campbell Makes Tradition Feel Restless on People Like To Talk

Released January 23, 2026, the 10-track, 30-minute album was produced by Campbell and James McKenty, with Campbell carrying most of the instrumentation himself. The Peterborough songwriter leans further into rockabilly, crooner country, and a little “reefer” blues, but the record’s real strength is how alive it feels

I’ve spent time with Nicholas Campbell’s People Like To Talk, and what I hear is an artist who understands that tradition only matters if you can make it move. The album’s public framing is clear enoug. Rockabilly, crooner country, and a dash of “reefer” blues, all filtered through a record Campbell and James McKenty cut at In Record Time Studios and polished at Dreamlands Mastering.

What gives the album its pull is the balance between looseness and control. Campbell handles vocals, guitars, bass, piano, drums, and steel guitars on most of the record, which helps the songs feel like one mind chasing a shared pulse. I hear that most vividly in the sequencing. The sharp snap of “He Said She Said,” the near-instant brevity of the title track, and the longer, more spacious “Pasta (More Sauce)” keep the album from settling into one lane. After Gonna Have a Ball Tonight! leaned toward 1950s rock ’n’ roll, this album feels a little broader and more self-aware to me, with Campbell sounding like he is recreating an era and testing how much life he can pull out of it now.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Nicholas Campbell on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist

What was the first spark for Carousel as an EP rather than a single or a full-length?

How did the title track set the emotional and sonic tone for the rest of the record?

“Tv Static” suggests interference and signal loss. What was the idea behind that song?

“Your Friends” feels like the most immediate track on the EP. Was that sense of directness intentional?

“A Strange Night At Dave N Busters (Kiss The Pavement)” is your most expansive title and longest song. What made it the right closer?

How did your self-production shape the final versions of these songs?

What did Csaba Laszlo and Roberto Angel-Dwyer each bring to the writing and arranging process?

Your own description points to influences ranging from 70s New Wave to Cowboy Grunge. How do those reference points meet on Carousel?

Where did you hear the biggest leap in confidence compared with earlier releases?

Did any song on Carousel change dramatically once you started tracking it?

What do you think Carousel reveals about Hotel Decor as a collaborative project right now?