I first heard Nicole Atkins’s name last year as a result of the bidding war she instigated in New York City, and I finally saw her perform her nostalgic, surreal pop in support of The National and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Bowery Ballroom in September. Though I enjoyed her set that night, I was truly convinced by her performance at Rothko a few months later, and it appears I’m not alone: Nicole will be named one of Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Artists To Watch In 2006 in the magazine’s upcoming issue. Perhaps this is a good time to get acquainted.
MP3 Masala: "Great Idea" - Nicole Atkins
MP3 Masala: "Carouselle" - Nicole Atkins
Sidewalk Café, on the corner of 6th Street and Avenue A in the heart of the East Village, served as an ideal rendezvous point for Nicole and me; my apartment is a stone’s throw away, but for Nicole the significance is much deeper.
“I used to live at this place,” she said as she unwrapped her scarf and settled in. “I used to do the open mic. That was the first thing I did, in 2002. I came with my friend from Australia, and they gave me a gig right off the first bit. I went on at like 4 am!” While this little anecdote may give the impression of incredible luck – and one can’t deny that Nicole has consistently found herself in the right situations – her path from open mics to Columbia Records took time to take shape.
Take the jump for more with Nicole Atkins...
“I had many years where no one knew who I was. I moved back here from North Carolina having graduated college. I was writing, and I spent a few years here with no one coming to my shows but meeting all these great artists like Regina (Spektor), and the Hopewell guys. I was working for a psychedelic record label and began getting really into psychedelic rock. I went down to North Carolina again for a year – just to get away -- and started singing for an indie rock band down there called Virginia Rail. When I moved back I put this band together, but we were super under the radar.”
“Then slowly it happened,” she said, and her eyes betrayed the excitement she must have felt, despite her charmingly relaxed demeanor. “Jeff from Rykodisc Records became my fake manager, then Jasper from Pianos gave us a residency…but it really all started going after I met my lawyer.” Nicole’s lawyer, Gillian Bar, also represented the likes of Antony (of The Johnsons) and Devendra Banhart. “Ever since I got her, people knew who I was; people started coming and it was suit city.”
The suits came, and a war to woo Ms. Atkins began. Nicole’s performances, a showcase for her undeniably emotive voice and refined song craft, were now well attended by all the right people. The label interest in Ms. Atkins isn’t at all surprising; the fact that she signed with a major like Columbia, given her unique and somewhat challenging sound, is another story.
“After months and months of showcasing – which was fun, I ate many, many different types of fishes! -- Columbia was the last label we played for. I didn’t think anything would come from it. I thought, ‘Alright, we’re going to their office to play, and that’s going to be weird,’ but they were letting us bring our friends. So, we went in and played, and right there everyone in the office was like, ‘We want to do this.”
When she began showcasing, Nicole was no longer the solo troubadour; she had her band, The Sea. “I was looking for a label that would let me have my band. They’re like my E Street Band. Columbia was one of the labels that stepped up and let me keep them. I used to play solo all the time before then, but I can’t play solo since.”
Signing with a major label has obvious benefits, though these typically come at the expense of creative freedom. For an artist with a broad and somewhat unclassifiable sound, this can create issues. Nicole next spoke about her hopes for her major label debut and her writing.
“Most artists I like, they were their own thing, and it worked out really well; hopefully I can do something similar. I hope they really dig into the nuances of what I do. A lot of people seem to identify with the nuances. The kind of sound we create is this carnivaly, circusy, apocalyptic thing with a very 60’s girl group vibe. Most of my songs are laments on childhood and my town. A lot of people from my hometown in New Jersey really identify with my stuff.” I went for the obvious and drew the comparison to The Boss.
“That’s what a lot of people say! ‘You’re a post-apocalyptic Bruce Springsteen.’ It’s weird, we write about a lot of the same things but it’s from different eras. He had the boardwalk growing up, and I had the last lick of it when I was 5; it was awesome to go to, and then it was bombed out all of a sudden. You know,” she interrupted herself suddenly, “Bruce goes to my gym. But I figure if I’m going to meet him, it won’t be stalking him at the gym!”
Digressive, self-effacing moments like these make Nicole’s easy charm evident; no matter the circumstance or context, she manages to project a sweet, nearly innocent disposition, a magical ability that translates perfectly on stage. As we asked for the check and started reaching for our coats, I asked if agreeing to terms with Columbia had impacted her lifestyle.
“I don’t really allow myself to enjoy things too much; even when I got signed it was like ‘Dude, today sucks!’ I’m just really freaked out and neurotic all the time, so I don’t think anything is going to change that. Even relationship wise, I’m in a really great relationship right now but I’m still writing songs like ‘You fucking suck!’ and I have to say, ‘Baby, it’s not you!” After a moment’s reflection on the question, she added: “Well, since I got signed, my dad is kicking me off his cell phone plan…”
Nicole’s EP is scheduled for release this summer, and her next show is at midnight on March 10th at Mo Pitkins. Hear more of her songs at her Myspace, and keep an eye out for next month’s Rolling Stone.
i really dig nicole's stuff. i was at the Rothko show, and i fell in love with her sound right off the bat and she toke me through the whole show like that. great writing, and it really hits ya.
also, great interview...it gives some nice insight into what nicole is all about.
Posted by: sarab | March 01, 2006 at 09:56 AM
I love her!!
Her music is so... fantastic! I don`t know... she is great!
Posted by: Juli | July 31, 2007 at 01:41 AM
you so great and so fantastic. . .you are wery wery . . . sexy
Posted by: | May 31, 2008 at 02:32 PM