Intrepid Rock Journalism: Nero

Author's Note: The story below was published in the July 16, 2009 edition of Fredericksburg's monolith of news and information, The Free Lance-Star. To view the article on their site, visit this link. For more information about the artist Nero, visit his site here.

When Faisal Hasan walked into work at Merrill Lynch one morning last December, he could tell that something was wrong. As it turned out, layoffs were coming at noon, and everyone around him was panicked.

But Hasan saw the layoffs as a blessing in disguise, and spent his last morning at the financial giant sharing his plans with his closest colleagues.

"They all looked at me," Hasan recalled, "and said--pardon my language--'What the [expletive] are you doing here? Go away and do exactly that. I've never seen you so alive as you are right now."

He was alive, Hasan said, because he was taking the opportunity to devote himself to making music, a dream he had since he was a boy. Onstage, the Stafford County resident becomes "Nero," and will perform his personal, hyper-rhythmic style of rock this Sunday afternoon at Jammin' Java in Vienna.

While he independently released the album "Nine" in 2007, Nero became much more serious about his music after the layoffs. He's cranked up his output of songs, writing more in just a few months than ever before, and now sees performing as more than just something he loves to do.

"I'm trying to do this with more rigor," Nero said. "Each show for me is like, 'What if this is the only time I have onstage--the only thing I ever have to communicate?'"

What Nero communicates are personal, introspective lyrics on top of a hypnotic blend of Eastern rhythms (a Bangledeshi-American, he uses instruments like the tabla drum in his recordings), pulsating electronic drumbeats and solid guitar licks. This sound echoes the eclecticism of Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel--Nero lists both as influences and freely admits trying to capture the feel of their music.

"I'm trying my best to be like them, but in the process, I've created something that's different," Nero said. "It's like a catalog. You listen to whatever it is that you like, and you safely tuck it away in the back of your head."

He was introduced to bands like Talking Heads by his father, Nero, who instilled in his young son a love of music early in life. The elder Nero passed away 12 years ago this May. The younger remembers his father as someone whom people loved being around, and sees performing with his father's name as a tribute to him.

"When he passed away, I adopted that name, because that's how I want to remember him," Nero said.

Despite his inspiration and distinctive sound, the dreams of rock 'n' roll success have yet to be fully realized. With bills to be paid and no golden eggs filled with record deals and concert tours on his doorstep, Hasan has recently gone back to work at another financial planning firm in Northern Virginia, making the long drive up Interstate 95 each day to his office.

"I tried to hold out for as long as possible, but the music wasn't paying off as fast as I thought it would be," Hasan said.

Still, Hasan has seemingly been transformed by his experience in December. He has committed himself, he said, to making music the driving force in his life.

With hope in his voice, he continued, saying, "I'm still a financial adviser--but I hope not for long."