As a teen in Hornell, NY, guardin—aka the alternative singer-songwriter, rapper and producer Nicholas Kerr—started making trap and lo-fi hip-hop beats on his laptop. ∙ In 2016, guardin released the EP Lost & Found, his first recording with vocals. ∙ “Cold,” from his full-length debut, 2017’s lacuna, featured a guest vocal from popular hip-hop/emo artist guccihighwaters. ∙ guardin and alt-rock singer-songwriter Flowars cofounded Acid Castle, a label and artist collective that includes such indie artists as yung van, Qawi Kamri, and yesterday. ∙ He has guested on tracks by Afro Nostalgia (“Find Your Love”), convolk (“Whatever It Takes”), and Kevinhilfiger (“I Smply Dnt Care”).