Last year I did an interview with the founder and President of Bluebeat music, Charlie Lange. During our discussion on the current state of the blues Charlie said, “There is something about youth that imbibes this music with excitement.” It could be argued that as the performers and their audience seems to age, the excitement level in the blues and roots music fields seem to be on the decline.

There is however a handful of young musicians on the rise and whose careers are in their infancy. One of these emerging artists is Nikki Hill. I caught up with the 28 year old singer while she and her band were barnstorming throughout the Mid West on a tour that has and will take them to virtually every corner of the U. S. Hill is an engaging live performer and has a terrific new album. She has come a very long way in a very short time. Enjoy a conversation I had recently with the very exciting Nikki Hill.

David Mac (DM): Hi Nikki. Where are you this afternoon?

Nikkie Hill (NH): Right now we are in Indiana. It’s like the fourth week of our tour. We are playing in Evansville tonight.

DM: Let’s talk about your background in music. I read somewhere that like so many musicians I have interviewed through the years you were in your church choir as a youngster.

NH: I didn’t grow up in a family that was particularly musical. The choir was about as musical as it got.  Like most southern children I sang in the gospel choir as a kid.  I started doing that when I was around 6 or 7 and that really kind of helped me develop my voice and technique. I kind of did it because my dad made me but it really was a cool experience. It kind of teaches you the ins and outs of show biz without even knowing it.

DM: How long have you been singing professionally as an adult?

NH: I’ve really just started my career in the past year. It’s all still very, very new.

DM: This is very exciting.  Let’s talk a bit about that guitar player in your band. I forget his name.

NH: (laughing) His name is Matt Hill. He is my husband. We’re both from North Carolina and had a lot of mutual friends. We had been friends for years. He’s someone I could kind of nerd out with and trade music with. I didn’t really start singing until after we started dating.  He would kind of hear me sing and encouraged me for some reason.

DM: You relocated to Saint Louis recently. Why?

NH: North Carolina is not necessarily a good touring hub. Saint Louis is obviously more centrally located in this country. They have a little scene there as well. So we can get gigs there when we are off the road. We still have North Carolina in our hearts but we love Saint Louis. 

DM: The age demographic of the people making this music and the people who are consumers of various types of American blues music is getting older all the time. That’s why I think it is so important to hear from young people like you in the business.

NH: There are definitely not a lot of young people doing it, at least not in the way that we are going about it.

DM: What do you mean?  

NH: We have the ability to go out and do these long tours and do this full time without having a day job.  None of us have any kids. That in itself is a luxury. We also have the luxury of having a band with us on the road. That is pretty rare these days. I do see a resurgence of young people that are really into roots music.  It seems that there are people that are really trying to bring that back and also give it an appeal to young people because otherwise it will all just die. The older fans it seems just seem to be into classic rock and blues–rock.

DM: That stuff is pretty much is a turn off to a younger audience. When listening to your music Nikki, it sounds like you draw inspiration from source material that was recorded decades before you were even born. Is that a fair assessment?

NH: Most definitely. I do definitely take a lot of inspiration from the artists of the 50’s and 60’s.  I’m really into the Staple Singers, I love Chuck Berry. Little Richard is one of my all time favorites. I am into Otis Redding and the entire Stax catalogue. I love all the old Chess Records as well, you know what I mean. 

DM: I most certainly do. Are there any contemporary players that you draw inspiration from?

NH: I love Amy Winehouse and Nick Curran. If it’s rocking for me, I can definitely pull something from it.

DM: Did you ever get a chance to see Nick perform or meet him?

NH: It was just kind of a hello in passing, but nothing more than that unfortunately.  I did see him perform.

DM: He was a great performer. The reason I bring this up is I hear a similar approach to the music that he made and what you are making these days.

NH: Nick was true original. I feel like every night that we go on stage we’re partly doing it for the people we admire like Nick.  It’s kind of a ‘Thank you for your music.’ As far as Nick is concerned we have some of the same influences. It kind of all just circles back. Maybe we are coming to it from a similar place.

DM:  When was the first time you were in a recording studio?

NH: About a year ago.  I wrote four tunes for an EP. We recorded it in Chicago.  Matt and I went up there and got a couple of cool Chicago players and we just recorded it all in a few hours.  That was the first time. It was very organic in there but it was a great experience.  I couldn’t have asked for it to be any better.

DM: Was it intimidating to be standing behind a live mic for the first time?

NH: It was just exciting more than anything.  It was like ‘Oh man, this is really happening. I’m really doing this.’ It was just fun.

DM: Let’s talk about the band on the new CD, Here’s Nikki Hill.

NH: The drummer is Joe Meyer. He is from St. Louis. He’s a Webster University graduate.  He studied music in school. He has played with familiar names on the circuit like James Harman, John Nemeth and others.  Matt met him a few years ago when they were both playing together backing some other artists and that’s how they got to know each other. Matt noticed how good Joe was and they always stayed in touch.  When we moved to St. Louis, Matt started getting together with him to play more and then he ended up on the recording as well.  Ed Strohsahl is the bass player. He is a Georgia boy, but is right now based in Chicago and we all know Ed from when he played with a friend of ours named Dave Herrero. 

When we started traveling up to Chicago, sometimes I would get Ed to play on the shows with us. I really, really enjoyed the way he and Joe play together. There is nothing better than when the drummer and bass player actually play together.  I really noticed that it was just really tight.  Ed was really well versed. He was in New York for a time and played with various r&b, rock and jazz bands. We recorded the album in different trips through Chicago.  We would just stop in Chicago while on the road.  The recordings came out really cool. We had a great time hanging out with Ed and I just finally said ‘Man, you’ve got to come out on the road with us and be a part of it full time.’ And here we are.

DM: The album has a very stripped down raw live in the studio sound that really works for me.

NH: That’s right Dave. There are no overdubs. The whole album was recorded live.

DM: The album is full of your original material. Let’s talk about your songwriting.

NH: The songwriting thing is really new for me. I seem to have a knack for it, but that’s been all brand new.  So far it’s been going well.

DM: Let’s talk about your writing process?

NH: I was always jealous of those musicians who have this profound, descriptive way that they write.  They can walk around with a notebook and gain inspiration.  For me it’s either, an idea pops in my head, sometimes lyrics come first, a lot of times the melody comes first and then sometimes it’s like we have forty five minutes to get to the studio and I have to write a song (chuckles). It kind of varies but being on the road I can pump them out a lot easier.  Being on the move your brain operates a bit differently than being at home where you’re kind of settled into whatever you do at home.

DM: That makes perfect sense to me. You are seeing things you may not have seen before. Everything is viewed with a fresh perspective.  

NH: That’s a very good point. When you are on the road your mind goes in different directions. With the trips with the band we just have the iPod on shuffle and there will just be a groove that will pop up or someone says something that might trigger a thought.  I’ll write that down and check that groove out later.

DM: There is an old tune that put a smile on my face when I heard your album for the first time, Who Are You Thinking Of.

NH: That is actually a Texas Tornadoes song.  We rearranged it a little bit, almost kind of a ska arrangement and the vocals are a little bit different than the original too. It’s kind of me harmonizing with myself.  We really like that one.

DM: I love the Texas Tornadoes.  You did a great version of that tune. Let’s talk a little about performing live in front of an audience. What are your thoughts about that experience?

NH: It definitely is a good feeling. If it was not a good feeling I would question why I’m doing it.  The thing for me about performing in the choir as a little kid was that it just ripped away all nervousness or any of those feelings. It’s funny the things you do as a little kid, what sticks with you and what you remember. Singing as a little kid definitely helped out. Now I just get really excited, I don’t get nervous at all.  It feels good to play music for people.

DM: What I find interesting is the difference between your two primary live settings. You play both small nightclubs and bars and turn right around the next day and are on stage in front of a huge festival audience. Let’s talk about that. Does the venue change your approach and do you have a preference between the large outdoor crowds and the small night club gigs?

NH: It doesn’t really change anything besides seeing the response of so many people at a festival is really cool.  You know night clubs have a special place in my heart as well. At a club is where you get this great mix of people. It is great when someone goes to a club they have never been to before just to see us.  That’s really cool.  Obviously festivals help push our name out there even more and we appreciate the attention we get at these events. The clubs have a lot of power as well because it’s the night club people that we still need to reach.

DM: I can tell you have a great affinity for the clubs. Are there any joints out there that hold a special place in your heart?

NH: I really like Blue City Deli in St. Louis. It’s got a great vibe and we love the family that runs it.  Bradfordville Blues Club, in Tallahassee, Florida has a really cool country juke joint vibe that we really enjoy.  We always have a great time playing there. Otto’s Shrunken Head in New York City is a kind of rock and roll dive bar that we really, really love.  We just played there a few months ago and I would definitely go back there again.  We had a good time.

DM: What would you like people to know about you perhaps outside of music? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you would like to share with our readers?

NH: Let me think about that a second. I’m into keeping some sort of air of mystery about myself (laughs) at least while I can. Is that OK?

DM: Of course it is. In fact I kind of like the fact you are hanging on to a little mystique. In this day and age I think we know way too much about way too many people. Now that I think about, the mystery lady kind of works for me. What are your immediate plans for the future?

NH: We are just going to stay on the road through October. Our touring schedule is very hefty between now and then.  We’re really just trying to push the record. We’re an independent band.  We’re really lucky with the response we’re getting so far, but we still lot of work to do. The plan is just to keep touring and be on the road.  I want to do some writing and hopefully we can put out a really, really good album that I can we can record by the end of the year or the beginning of next year.

DM: I look forward to that and in the meantime I look forward to hearing you and the band at the San Diego Blues Festival on September 7^th.

NH: I’ll see you there Dave.

DM: Have a great show tonight.

NH: Thanks.

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