RAS (musician)

RAS
Background information
Birth name Nicholas Furlong
Born (1986-09-16) September 16, 1986
Origin Carson City, Nevada United States
Genres Rock, pop, dance, electronica, dance-pop, electro house
Occupation(s) Singer, musician, songwriter, producer, remixer
Years active 2008-Present
Labels AttaBoy Music
Associated acts Avicii, 5 Seconds of Summer, All Time Low, Steve Aoki, Good Charlotte, WALK THE MOON, Krewella

Nicholas Furlong (born September 16, 1986), professionally known as RAS, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer.[1][2] Furlong's work is noted to cross many musical genres, ranging from pop, rock, and hip hop, to electro house and dance music. He has had many chart successes both in America and internationally. He is best known for his work with Avicii, 5 Seconds of Summer, Diplo, All Time Low, Steve Aoki, Good Charlotte, and Waka Flocka Flame.

Early life

Furlong was raised in Carson City, Nevada. A self-taught musician, he began writing music at the age of twelve. As a teenager, he started recording his own songs and sharing them on various music sites. While still a junior in high school, his music was discovered by a music director at Midway Games, who offered him an opportunity to write songs for video games. Furlong contributed to various game soundtracks between the years of 2004-2005. At the age of twenty he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a songwriter and producer. Through networking and word of mouth, he met and began working with various other songwriters and producers.[3]

Career

2010-2013: Career breakthrough

Furlong had his first commercial success in 2010 as a co-writer of the Big Time Rush and Jordin Sparks' duet, "Count On You". The song was featured on the band's debut album BTR, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. Shortly after, Furlong caught the ear of OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, who signed him to a publishing deal. Alongside Tedder, Furlong worked with many artists including Colbie Caillat, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis, and The Wanted.[4] Furlong worked with Big Time Rush again in 2011, co-writing "Time of Our Life" on their sophomore album Elevate. A music video for the song was filmed live during the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and was premiered at the end of the show.[5]

Furlong began transitioning into electronic music in 2012 upon collaborating with Diplo on his Express Yourself EP. "I'd always been an avid fan of dance music, but after working with Diplo I felt immediately drawn to the genre," he stated.[6] Furlong taught himself to DJ over the next several months, and later that year began working with Steve Aoki, co-writing the single "Singularity", which was featured on the It's The End of The World As We Know It EP. They would collaborate again in 2013, when Furlong wrote and featured as a vocalist on the single "Bring You To Life (Transcend)", which peaked at number forty-four on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.[7]

2014-2015: Commercial recognition

In 2014, Furlong began working with pop punk band 5 Seconds of Summer for their debut self-titled album. Furlong co-wrote "Everything I Didn't Say" on the full-length album, "Social Casualty" on the Deluxe edition, and "Independence Day" on the Target exclusive version. "Everything I Didn't Say" was released as a promotional single where it peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also featured on the band's live album LiveSOS. Later that year, Furlong worked with post-hardcore band Sleeping With Sirens for their fourth studio album Madness. The band released the album's first single "Kick Me," co-written with Furlong, on November 10, 2014. The single peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. "Kick Me" won an award for song of the year at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.

In 2015, Furlong worked with All Time Low for their sixth studio album, Future Hearts, co-writing "Runaways" and "Don't You Go." Despite it being the best selling album of its opening week, Future Hearts debuted at #1 in the UK and #2 on Billboard, still making it the band's highest debut ever. Furlong worked once again with Steve Aoki, contributing a song with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo to Aoki's third studio album Neon Future II. Later that year, Furlong co-wrote and co-produced "Game On," a single by Waka Flocka Flame featuring Good Charlotte, which served as the theme song of the Adam Sandler film, Pixels. Pixels was released in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D on July 24, 2015. Though uncredited, Furlong was noted to have co-written the song "Open Your Eyes" for Disturbed's sixth studio album, and first album since a four year hiatus, Immortalized. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200, making it Furlong's sixth number one album in his career, and fourth within one year. Furlong ended his year co-writing the Good Charlotte single, "Makeshift Love," which debuted at number nine on the Billboard Rock Charts. Variance Magazine claimed that 2015 was a "pivotal year" for the songwriter and producer.[8]

Avicii single: "The Nights"

In addition to co-writing, Furlong was also the vocalist of Avicii's single "The Nights". The single premiered on the soundtrack of FIFA 15 on September 23, 2014. It was released on December 1, 2014 on The Days / Nights EP, alongside Avicii's prior single "The Days", and as a single in the UK on January 11, 2015. "The Nights" peaked at number one on the UK Dance Chart, number six on the UK Singles Chart, and number ten on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.[9] It has accumulated more than two-hundred million streams on Spotify and has achieved certified sales in numerous countries. Furlong is also said to have introduced the idea of using his friend Rory Kramer's footage for the official music video, which has since surpassed one-hundred and seventy million views on YouTube.[10]

2016: Current projects

In 2016, RAS announced via Twitter he was working with All Time Low again on new music. He is also reportedly credited on future releases by WALK THE MOON, DED, Miyavi, Krewella, and a solo project from Logan Henderson. Krewella teased their collaboration with RAS, titled "Marching On," in a video recapping a New Year's Eve performance in Las Vegas that was posted on Instagram.[11] RAS and Steve Aoki confirmed via social media that they'd collaborated again on a song with WALK THE MOON titled "Back 2 U." The single is reportedly due out in May of 2016. After six years with ASCAP, RAS decided to change his publishing to BMI. RAS is also rumored to be one of the few outside songwriters to collaborate with blink-182 on new music. In April of 2016, Papa Roach also shared a photo of the band working on new material with RAS.

Awards and nominations

Alternative Press Music Awards

Year Song Category Result
2015 "Kick Me" Song of the Year Won

Discography

Songwriting and production

Year Artist Song Album Label Charts and awards
2016 blink-182 TBA TBA TBA
Papa Roach TBA TBA TBA
All Time Low Various TBA TBA
Walk Off The Earth TBA TBA TBA
Good Charlotte "Makeshift Love" Youth Authority - Coming July 15 Kobalt Label Services
#9 Billboard Rock Single
#9 Billboard Alternative Single
Logan Henderson "Sleepwalker" TBA - Release Date Coming Soon TBA
Krewella TBA TBA - Release Date Coming Soon Columbia Records
Steve Aoki & Boehm "Back 2 U" (feat. WALK THE MOON) Neon Future III - Coming May 2016 Ultra Records
Steve Aoki & Headhunterz "Feel (The Power of Now)" Feel (The Power of Now) - Single Ultra Records
2015 Timeflies "Burn It Down" Just For Fun Island Records
#61 Billboard Top 200
Jack Novak "If It Kills Me" (featuring blackbear) If It Kills Me - Single Power and Light Records
Disturbed "Open Your Eyes" Immortalized Warner Bros. Records
#1 Billboard Top 200
#1 Billboard Rock Album
#1 ARIA Album
#8 UK Album
Jake Miller "Selfish Girls" Rumors Warner Bros. Records
#7 Billboard Rap Album
Waka Flocka Flame "Game On" (feat. Good Charlotte) (Pixels Motion Picture Soundtrack) Atlantic Records
ListenBee "Save Me" Save Me - Single Lokal Legend / Ultra Records
#93 European Single
Steve Aoki "Light Years" (feat. Rivers Cuomo) Neon Future II Ultra Records
#2 Billboard Dance Album
#16 Billboard Digital
All Time Low "Runaways" Future Hearts Hopeless Records
#1 UK Album
#2 Billboard Top 200
#4 ARIA Album
#3 Canada Album
"Don't You Go"
Sleeping With Sirens "Kick Me"
(#23 Billboard Rock Single)
(#13 Billboard Rock Digital)
Madness Epitaph Records
#13 Billboard Top 200
#26 UK Album
#13 ARIA Album
"Better Off Dead"
"November"
ONE OK ROCK "Paper Planes" (feat. Kellin Quinn) 35XXXV A-Sketch / Warner Bros. Records
#1 Japan Album
Oricon (Japan): Platinum
Avicii "The Nights" The Days / Nights EP
Stories - UK and Japan Versions
PRMD / Island Records
#1 UK Dance Single
#6 UK Single
#10 Billboard Dance Single
#3 Billboard Club Single
#9 ARIA Single
RIAA (U.S.): Gold
BPI (U.K.): Platinum
GLF (Sweden): Platinum
FIMI (Italy): Platinum
ARIA (Australia): Gold
2014 Heffron Drive "Could You Be Home (RAS Remix)" Happy Mistakes TOLBooth Records
#84 Billboard Top 200
5 Seconds of Summer "Everything I Didn't Say (Live)" LIVESOS Capitol Records
#13 Billboard Top 200
#31 UK Album
501 & Protohype "Won't Change" Crystallize EP Never Say Die Records
Issues "Disappear" Diamond Dreams Rise Records
5 Seconds of Summer "Everything I Didn't Say"
(#24 Billboard Single)
5 Seconds of Summer Capitol Records
#1 Billboard Top 200
#2 UK Album
#1 ARIA Album
#1 Canada Album
RIAA (U.S.): Gold
BPI (U.K.): Gold
ARIA (Australia): Platinum
"Social Casualty"
"Independence Day"
Nick & Knight "Deja Vu" Nick & Knight Mass Appeal Music / BMG
#24 Billboard Top 200
2013 Makua Rothman "Underneath The Halo" Sound Wave The Mountain Apple Company
#1 Billboard Reggae Album
#1 Billboard World Album
"The Nite B4"
Steve Aoki "Bring You To Life (Transcend)" Bring You To Life (Transcend) - Single Ultra Records
#44 Billboard Dance Single
Kay "Next To You" My Name Is Kay Last Gang Records
#6 Billboard Japan Single
"Bus Stop" (feat. Ryan Tedder)
"It's Over"
Janoskians "Best Friend" Best Friend - Single Sony Music Australia
#58 UK Single
#30 ARIA Single
2012 Steve Aoki "Singularity" (feat. Kay) Singularity - Single Ultra Records
Crystal Kay "Take It Outside" Vivid Universal Music
#35 Japan Album
Diplo "No Problem" (feat. Flinch and Kay) Express Yourself EP Mad Decent
2011 Big Time Rush "Time of Our Life" Elevate Sony Music
#12 Billboard Top 200
Stan Walker "Won't Let You Down" Let The Music Play Sony Music Australia
#18 ARIA Album
#3 ARIA Urban Album
Howie D "Back To Me" Back To Me AVEX Entertainment
"Going Going Gone"
2010 Justice Crew "And Then We Dance" And Then We Dance - Single Sony Music Australia
#26 ARIA Single
ARIA (Australia): Platinum
Big Time Rush "Count On You" (feat. Jordin Sparks) BTR Sony Music
#3 Billboard Top 200
#1 Billboard Digital
RIAA (U.S.): Gold
NOTE: "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Vocal production and engineering

Year Artist Song Album Label Charts and awards
2016 Steve Aoki "Can't Go Home" (feat. Adam Lambert Can't Go Home - Single Ultra Records
2011 The Wanted "Satellite" The Wanted (EP) Island Records
#7 Billboard Top 200
2010 Jordin Sparks "I Am Woman" I Am Woman - Single Jive Records
#82 Billboard Hot 100
"The World I Knew" African Cats Soundtrack Walt Disney Studios
Colbie Caillat "Brighter Than The Sun" All of You Universal Republic
#3 Billboard Top 200
#47 Billboard Hot 100
RIAA (U.S.): Platinum
NOTE: "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

References

  1. "Nicholas "Ras" Furlong - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  2. "Kobalt Music". Kobalt. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  3. "Douglas High graduate finds music success". The Record Courier. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  4. "Patriot Records". patriotrecords.com. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  5. "Big Time Rush - Time Our Lives Music Video - 2012 Kids Choice Awards". perezhilton.com. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  6. "Singer, Songwriter and Producer Nick "RAS" Furlong Has Hustle and Flow [Interview]". EDMTunes. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  7. Music News Desk. "Steve Aoki to Release New Single 'Bring You To Life (Transcend)' on 10/15". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  8. "Interview: Avicii Collaborator RAS Says Rock's Comeback 'Already Happening'". variancemagazine.com. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  9. List of UK Dance Chart number-one singles of 2015
  10. "See It First: Avicii's Euphoric New Video, 'The Nights'". yahoo.com. 15 December 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  11. "Krewella 'Marching On!'". Retrieved February 9, 2016.

External links

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