Get to Know Lilac War!

While exploring JMU’s campus during my Freshman year, I remember seeing stickers with various pastel colors, flowers, and the words “Lilac War” printed on them in small italic font. From the street lamp outside of Madison Union to the ceiling of Duke Dog Alley, chances are you’ve seen at least one Lilac War sticker on campus too.

You may also recognize the name Lilac War from Mad4U’s (pre-pandemic) Tuesday open mic nights. These open mic nights were a great way to meet fellow musicians and music lovers, and the atmosphere of Taylor Down Under in Madison Union (inspired by Central Perk, the coffee shop in the “Friends” sitcom) was always warm and welcoming. I remember my first open mic and watching Lilac War -- who introduced himself as Nic -- perform, and I instantly made the connection between his music and the stickers I’d seen all over campus. He looked so comfortable on stage, despite the elaborate melodies and chord progressions within his songs.

Nic graduated from JMU in May, 2020. He was a Computer Science major, which he says with a laugh “took up all of [his] non-music time.” Nic grew up listening to a variety of music, but classic rock and grunge in particular inspired him to learn how to play guitar at age 7. He learned several other instruments throughout his life, but only began singing when he was a freshman at JMU. He notes musical influences from moody artists like Hozier and Death Cab for Cutie, to synth-heavy Mac DeMarco and The 1975. Once his passion for music grew, Nic had “a pretty lengthy list of band name ideas,” but his favorite was inspired by a book with a passage about a war of lilacs. And thus, Lilac War was born.

Nic’s songs are consistently mesmerizing, and his earlier song “Caroline” is somewhere right in the middle of heart-warming and heart-breaking. The subtle melodies of “Caroline” are similar to Hozier’s “Cherry Wine,” with soft vocals and a sweet indie folk guitar sound. At one open mic, I remember Nic explaining that he wrote the song about a girl he met at a party and sadly never saw again. In the heartbreaking chorus, Nic sings “I remember your face, oh sweet Caroline.” The trouble is, she “left without a trace” and the rest of the song consists of longing for one more night for the two of them to spend together. Nic’s description of Caroline is so beautiful and well-written, it makes listeners themselves fall in love with this mystery girl. “Caroline” now has over 325,000 streams on Spotify. You can watch the official music video below!

Lilac War’s latest release is “Kissing,” an upbeat, synth heavy song that contrasts with his earlier music and is comparable to the sounds of The 1975 and Wallows. Nic begins by singing “it was a pretty face that complicated everything.” The song features a bright, hopeful chorus that resolves with the two characters finally “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” “Kissing” is the type of song you could belt at the top of your lungs, or listen to on a peaceful night drive. You can listen to "Kissing" here: https://open.spotify.com/track/56ztVrbztOQiDkSQLaDBIN?si=v4ldrU9RQFiS27glGCcveQ

Lilac War has dozens of songs on Spotify to fit each and every mood. Nic is a truly incredible writer, producer, and musician as a whole. You can check out Lilac War on Spotify, linked below!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1aW7rqLKwWC4pn5OWkOiT0?si=VGtACy_IRWKac7K_nk06sQ