Today, country crossover talent Turbo releases his debut EP ‘Cocaine & Fireworks,’ available now via 10K Projects/Homemade Projects. The EP arrives after the growing success of his single “Bo Exotic” (also featured on the album) which has become a top pick on Spotify playlists like Country Favourites, New Music Nashville, It’s a Bop, and more for its catchy, tongue-in-cheek spirit. The album features standouts like the titular track “Cocaine & Fireworks” and the recent single “Zombiez.” The music video for “Zombiez” is out now, alongside the release of the EP.
A truly original and fearless artist, Turbo combines the gritty authenticity of outlaw country with hip-hop’s hard-hitting beats and rhymes and pop’s sticky melodies. Born Nicholas LaMonaca, 10K Projects/Homemade Projects signee grew up on country thanks mainly to his father (a famed guitarist in the international bluegrass scene) but felt drawn toward rap music and obscure electronic genres like hardstyle (a fusion of techno and hardcore).
At the age of 12, he started making his own music, a move heavily inspired by Avicii’s progressive-house classic “LE7ELS.” “Once I heard that song I couldn’t get enough of it,” Turbo recalls. “I was so obsessed, I ended up downloading FL Studio to try to recreate the melody on my own.” Although he instantly discovered a natural talent for production, Turbo put music aside for several years, then started producing again after graduating high school. “On my 18th birthday I bought a laptop and keyboard and set of speakers, and figured I’d have rappers come in and do their thing,” he says. “But after a while I just started winging it, making beats and rapping over them myself.”
As he pushed deeper into his artistry, Turbo began mining inspiration from left-of-center country singers like Colter Wall, a Canadian musician he stumbled across while stocking the shelves at his full-time liquor-store job. “Colter Wall has one of the raspiest, rawest, rudest voices I’d ever heard in my life, and it just completely took me over,” he notes. From there, Turbo tapped into his own country roots and created a full-length project titled Sixth Gear, a 2019 release featuring his breakthrough single “Light Speed.” Soon after YouTube curator, Astari shared the song’s video on his channel, “Light Speed” caught the attention of 10K, quickly paving the way for Turbo’s signing to the label, along with Homemade Projects.
Since then, Turbo has embraced even more confidence in his songwriting, thriving in the in-between of diverse genres. With tracks like his stunning debut “Heart Stop” and carefree summer jam “Bo Exotic,” Turbo has proven to be one of the most original and intuitive new artists today. “The more music I make and the better I know myself, the more I’ve realized that the best songs come from me sitting in a room alone and just taking my time—that’s how I come up with something honest and timeless,” he says. “I don’t really follow a particular process. Instead of worrying about any kind of rules, I just do what I want, and go with whatever feels right to me.”
Tracklist For ‘Cocaine & Fireworks’
- Cocaine & Fireworks
- Zombiez, featuring Landon Cube
- Racing After Me
- LA
- Broke My Heart
- Reckless
- 18
- Exes
- Bo Exotic
- Hell On Earth
- Lucy
- Heart Stop
Follow Turbo:
Instagram / SoundCloud / Twitter
