A Quick Chat with Name UL

What are the origins of Name UL? Where and how did the project start?

I started Name UL when I was about 15, recording music at home. I've always loved hip hop, and it's been my outlet for that love ever since. It began with EPs, shows and support slots around New Zealand, and grew to my debut album, Choices, in 2016. Since then I've been lucky enough to support some of my favourite artists and make music in different parts of the world. I lived in London for a couple of years and worked with some great local artists, spent time in the States, and now I'm based in Melbourne. All of it has shaped my practice and grown me as an artist.

Tell us a bit about the new single 'Dice Roll'.

Dice Roll is the first song from my new album, Chosen, which comes out on 4 December and follows Choices. It's a cheeky love song about noticing the girl who sits outside the friend group and gets overlooked. It takes a lot from my favourite producers, with a bit of Pharrell and Timbaland in there. I made it with a couple of good friends, and it's out now.

You've created a new video for the track, tell us a bit about the making of that.

It was definitely a new challenge for me, directing and starring in it, but I really enjoyed it. We shot it in Melbourne, run and gun style, with some friends, and my friend David was behind the camera. The best part was finding my favourite spots in the city and turning them into something visually engaging. I spend so much time in these spaces, so location scouting was really fun: going around where I usually am and seeing it differently. The idea was a performance video shot from the perspective of the person the song's about, watching from a distance.

Are there any inspirations you look to beyond music when writing or performing?

Film and cinema are a huge inspiration. I love watching films, I've been going to the cinema a lot over the past few years, and I enjoy going back through the history of great directors. Visual work in general gives me a lot. I also take a lot from the world around me. Living in a big city like Melbourne and watching how people operate feeds into my work.

Name the five songs that have informed your song writing more than any others.

Kendrick Lamar - United in Grief
Tom Scott - Dark Intro
Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y.
Erykah Badu - Window Seat
Mos Def - Fear Not of Man

What Australian artists are you listening to at the moment?

Gold Fang
Pania
Glass Beams
Agung Mango
Genesis Owusu

How do you hope your music might impact listeners?

I hope people enjoy what I have to say and the lyricism, and that they feel some of the love I put into the craft and the art form. I hope they can feel the emotional core of the songs and the albums. There are a lot of layers in my music, so I hope people can sink their teeth into it and get something out of it.