Nick Furlong didn’t enter the music business with a co-sign or a safety net. Growing up in northern Nevada, he taught himself to write and record songs in a makeshift bedroom studio he pieced together as a kid. He started out as a young rap artist, getting spins on local radio stations and landing songs in major video game soundtracks, but eventually found he was more interested in the work happening behind the scenes. At 21, he moved to Los Angeles with nothing lined up, taking any session he could and learning the business the only way that ever really works: by being in the room with real artists.

His breakthrough came with “The Nights,” written and performed with Avicii, a song pulled from his own life that went on to become a global anthem. The song crossed two billion streams on Spotify alone, and passed a billion views on YouTube. The message at its center, live a life you will remember, stayed with him long after the song’s release. It did not make him an overnight star, but it gave him a foundation to build on.

In the years that followed, Furlong grew into a multi-dimensional creative force, fluent in songwriting, production, and the broader narrative work that helps music find its cultural footing. His catalog earned international awards, a GRAMMY nomination, and a reputation for crossing genres without chasing them. He developed a clear sense of where artists were headed and how to help them get there.

In modern rock, Furlong became a quiet architect in the genre’s resurgence. He produced and executive produced a run of albums that delivered multiple number one singles and pushed the sound into a new chapter. He brought sharper commercial instincts into the creative process, saw a wider arc for the artists he worked with, and assembled the teams capable of carrying that vision through. The result was a stretch of work that cut through the noise and helped launch and reorient the careers of several acts.

Outside the studio, his instincts extended into creative direction and marketing. A mental health campaign he developed in 2023 earned both a Clio Award and the AFSP Lifesaver’s Award, underscoring his ability to create work that reaches people in ways that outlast the moment.

In recent years, Furlong has settled into a steadier rhythm. He takes on fewer projects, choosing the ones with weight and room to grow. The industry noise has become easier to ignore. What remains is the same drive that took him out of Nevada in the first place, only clearer now, more focused, and directed toward work built to last.