NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — Nick Sarazen has an impressive resume as a music producer and songwriter. He's worked with the likes of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Snoop Dogg to name a few. "I've been very lucky," Sarazen told 12 News. Now he has a vision: bring more mainstream-level music to the Ocean State. "This is the place I am inspired most," he said. "It's kind of like a magnet to me." While moving to Newport over the summer of 2024, he started working on a country-dance collaboration with DJ Tiesto and Alana Springsteen. The song, "Hot Honey," made it to number one on the radio dance charts. Sarazen said it was produced almost entirely from his couch in his apartment in Newport. "I really just had my laptop and headphones," he recalled. "I think a lot of how the song came out was just getting inspired by being back in the place that I love the most." Sarazen grew up in North Kingstown and graduated from Brown University in 2017. He moved to Los Angeles for a few years to kick off his career, but he missed his home state. (Sarazen working with 1/2 of the musical duo Sofi Tukker. Courtesy: Nick Sarazen) "That's one of my dreams," Sarazen says, "To share Rhode Island with my collaborators and artists I am working with, and also just artists around the world that I have no association with. I would love to show artists how beautiful and amazing the state is hopefully will be able to draw them here with a studio here." He is currently building that studio inside the Belcourt Mansion — a historic gilded age summer cottage in Newport. "Rhode Island itself, it already has the beauty and the inspiration there," Sarazen told 12 News. The studio itself is really what I hope will be a rock to really kind of draw people in." (Courtesy: Nick Sarazen) Sarazen hopes to open the studio before the summer of 2025. He says the possibilities for music production in Rhode are endless, and hopes to be a guiding hand in developing the scene. "I really feel like the energy that Rhode Island has lends itself to such a creative atmosphere," Sarazen says. I would love to just connect with the community here and the greater music community to start focusing on Rhode Island." While he works on opening the studio, Sarazen says he is also doing work on upcoming albums for rapper Jack Harlow, and fellow Brown alum Sofi Tukker. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Good News SIGN UP NOW