Interview: No Comply On Who Influences Them, The Release Of Their Debut Single 'Tic Tac Toe,' & more

New Zealand rapper/producer duo No Comply take their music seriously, but themselves, not so much. Their music is bold and considered, yet they infuse a playful and melodic take on the rapidly changing, forever evolving, genre we know and love as hip hop.

The Auckland-based brothers – Fynn and Ethan Blackwood – have released their debut single, ‘Tic Tac Toe.’ Fynn opened up to us about Kendrick Lamar influencing him, how his surroundings have shaped him creatively, having ‘Tic Tac Toe’ out, and more.

Hey Fynn, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. How are you doing now that we are in lockdown mode?

Thank you for having me. I’m pretty good actually, the whole scenario has been crazy for sure but my brother and I spend a lot of time locked down writing music anyway so really we just have more undistracted time for music. I think having a creative outlet in a time like this is a blessing though, I would go a bit crazy if I didn’t have music.

 How have your surroundings shaped you in a creative sense, and in what way(s)?

We have always been surrounded by creative people for the better parts of our lives. Growing up we were introduced to art and music at an early age and took to it very quickly. I know for sure that a lot of my musical influences and art styles have come from the people I have played with, and looked up to in the past. New Zealand has always had a wide range of very talented artist and I feel like music, in particular, is really competing with the rest of the world, so its an amazing time to be growing among so much great talent and inspiration.

Where does your influence come from?

Oh man, that’s a hard question. Growing up we listened to everything! From Jimi Hendrix and zeppelin to Radio Head and Coldplay. I really got into rap and hip hop at the start of primary school. I was massively into Eminem, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, NWA, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, Biggie you name it. So rap was always going to be a part of the equation. These days as a lyricist I’m mostly looking for a fresh take on the scene and I’m usually listening to a lot of New Zealand hip hop, but having said that Mac Miller and Kendrick will always be my main sources.

What is one experience in life that, without it, you wouldn’t be the artist you are today?

Honestly, for me, it would have had to of been when I dropped out of Uni Tech a few weeks out from my exams to go and play Rhythm and Vines with my friends. I later joined Lakes & The Magic Band and that was kind of like the “this is it, I don’t want to do anything else” moment for me. As for my brother, a few years ago the mongoose somehow managed to step on a glass coffee plunger, slicing his Achilles in two! He'd been interested in music production for a while so when he was in the hospital he started looking up tutorials for the music programme Ableton. The rest is history! (in the making) 

What is the story behind your song ‘Tic Tac Toe’?

I wish we had some deep and methodical answer for that, but really my brother cooked up the beat and we kind of just wrote it/freestyled it on the spot. On a bench. Outside. With a shit microphone. The demo was done it like 20 minutes but then we took out and rewrote verses, changed the structure, re-recorded the damn song around 5 times (you get the idea) and so the whole process ended up taking a while longer before we got to what the track is today. Tic Tac Toe is meant to be a sort of metaphor for our lives as well as a bit of an opening statement. Sometimes you feel like you’re up on a high note and that nothing can touch you, but everyone has their demons and those highs can quickly be swept out from under you. You win some, you lose some. I hope that makes some kind of sense haha.

You and your brother make up NO COMPLY. Do you come from a musical family?

Yeah, our parents have always been big supporters of music. Dad used to play drums in a few bands and still keeps up on the one’s and two’s (he’s actually pretty bloody good too) Dads family was filled with great pianists and singers. A lot of jazz. We’ve even been told our great grandfather was the first person to bring and accordion to New Zealand (weird flex)

Both our parents grew up around a lot of musicians and mum worked at Radio Hauraki back in the day! Dad worked at the record warehouse for a few years as well so it’s safe to say our vinyl collection is alive and healthy.

How does it feel knowing that your debut single is finally out?

SUCH a good feeling! We have been patiently scheming for a while with it now so its amazing to be able to finally share it with the world!

Apart from ‘Tic Tac Toe,’ what are you listening to?

Ethan and I listen to a lot of the same music as well as some very different stuff. I’m always switching it up but at the moment I’m listening to a lot of Toro y Moi, Smino, Adventdale Bowling Club, Wax Mustang, Benee, Jonwayne, Harper Finn and Mac Miller just to name a few. Ethan’s really into Denzel Curry, Trippie red, Kaytranada, and of course, some OG flume. 

What is next for NO COMPLY? What do you want your supporters to know about you?

I know it sounds cliche but more music. It’s amazing to have our first single out in the world and we are super proud of it but we have so much shit in the bank it’s crazy. We just can’t wait to show everyone what we have in store for them. Also when this crazy time simmers and people are allowed to venture out of their homes again we want to be playing a bunch of gigs. With all this music stored up and even more time to create we have ended up with a lot of different tracks with different vibes for people so I think we should be able to showcase something for everyone.

Stay safe and all the best with everything.