Nicole Atkins - Goodnight Rhonda Lee (2017). Entrevista a Nicole Atkins

La estadounidense vendrá en noviembre a presentar su cuarto disco, "Goodnight Rhonda Lee", con ecos de Roy Orbison y Loretta Lynn 

La extraordinaria voz de Nicole Atkins sonará y resonará el 21 de noviembre en Madrid (Siroco) y el 22 en Barcelona (Sidecar).

La estadounidense vendrá a presentar su cuarto disco,"Goodnight Rhonda Lee", con el que ha elevado más que nunca el listón de su repertorio, una especie de incursión en el pasado de la que sale con ecos de Roy Orbison y Loretta Lynn, torch songs de muchos quilates y una sensación atemporal parecida a la que tenemos al escuchar a su amigo Chris Isaak (quien ha colaborado en ese flamante álbum). Fue precisamente Isaak quien le aconsejó que sus nuevas composiciones subrayaran, pusieran más bajo los focos, otorgasen un rol más principal, a su voz, ese instrumento soberbio, contundente, nada liviano, con el que en directo tanto arrebata.

NICOLE ATKINS
Goodnight Rhonda Lee (2017)
  

Nacida en Nueva Jersey, Atkins sacó su primer LP en 2007, "Neptune City". Allí ya mostraba un molde personal, que ella se había confeccionado inspirándose en rockeras como Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde y Siouxsie Sioux, y evidenciaba su capacidad y potencial para volar alto. Conectaba con lo vintage, en un viajé romántico que parecía salido de la era Eisenhower y enlazaba con Phil Spector y aquellas melodías de los grupos de chicas. Pero Nicole sabía hacer suyo el terreno de las baladas de piano bar y el pop "noir" nocturno. Había madera. Su sucesor, "Mondo Amore"  (2011), fue un trabajo más afilado, pulido alrededor de una ruptura sentimental, y llevó las virtudes de su debut largo a una década posterior, digamos que su nuevo viaje se alejó del pop del Brill Building para acercarse al blues-rock y la psicodelia de finales de los 60. 

En "Show Phaser" (2014), grabado en Suecia igual que su primer LP, mostró que su madurez alcaba nuevas cotas, superadas incluso este 2017 con "Goodnight Rhonda Lee" , obra publicada en el sello Single Lock, propiedad de John Paul White (Civil Wars). Un cuarto trabajo facturado en Nashville con el equipo de producción que abrilllantó el debut de Leon Bridges, con colaboraciones de nombres como el antes citado Chris Isaak o Jim Sclavunos, de los Bad Seeds, y con unos modos confesionales íntimos pero más directos, sin metáforas en las letras, con los arreglos también más contundentes. Música para cualquier año, de ayer y hoy.

Nuestro compañero Josechu Egido ha hablado con Nicole para saber más de este nuevo trabajo y de sus conciertos por España,

THE INTERVIEW

Your songs sound like intensive and elegant Folk and Rock mixed with Jazz, Soul and a bit Psicodelic music and Pop. A great mix of styles that results on the fantastic sound of your music now. So, what really are your musical influences?

You pretty much nailed it. I listen to so many different styles of music and I try to mix everything I love together to get my own sound. My main influences have always been classic crooners like Roy Orbison and Frank Sinatra. Cinematic song writers like Lee Hazelwood and David Bowie. 1930s and 40s jazz. All things 60’s like Mama Cass and Love and a healthy dose of classic guitar rock like Zeppelin and Derek and the Dominos. Also Tommy from the Who was a big influence since I was 3 years old.

Next year marks 10 years since Nicole Atkins edited your first album “Neptune City”. What is the difference between the music of Nicole today and your music 10 years ago?

I’m able now to go a lot deeper with my writing and to access the exact sounds that I want. I’m also able to produce and record my records with the sounds I want because I’m able to communicate with the people I work with better. Ive learned that my music is best experienced live so I think it’s best to record as close to live. Get that warm, wooden and energetic feel and sounds. To be able to hear the air in the room is very important to me as well.

You edited your last LP titled "Goodnight Rhonda Lee" in Summer 2017. What do you expect from this album?

I didn’t expect anything from this album except that it would sound exactly like my soul over the last couple of years. I actually didn’t even know if anyone would hear it!

What do we will see and enjoy in your live concerts for next tour around Spain?

Barcelona and Madrid will be my first headline shows ever in Spain and I couldn’t be more excited! For these two shows it will just be me and my guitarist Cooper playing the new songs and some older songs and a couple covers and telling the stories behind the songs. It will be a very intimate way for me and the audience to get to know eachother! Kind of like the MTV Storytellers series. Then for the next time we are over I hope to bring the full band and present the songs with their full arrangements. Its really nice to be able to show my audience these songs in a number of ways!

What are your plans for this year 2017 and next 2018? We assume that you will touring around clubs and festivals. Can you advance anything to us? Any important event?

Mostly I will be touring the heck out of this record and stretching and expanding my live show to it’s limits. I’ve also been doing a lot of production and writing work for other artists. I recently produced Tommy Stinson of the Replacements and Bash and Pop for his new singles on Fat Possum! Im also writing a solo record for an incredible artist named Brittni Jessie who is in Leon Bridges band.

I enjoy working on creative projects nonstop. I’m also finishing a duets record I’ve written with Jim Sclavunos of the Bad Seeds!

Do you think the digital world will end with music as we know it today? What do you think is the future of music?

I think the future of music lies in the hands of the artists and the fans. The industry will always change and business people won’t know what to do to make money and they’ll continue to put their bets behind quick and cheap hits. If real artists continue to make quality work and fans engage, go to shows, buy their albums and spread the word to their friends, the future will be full of wonderful music.

What is your best memory about music?

That’s a hard one to answer because there are so many. Maybe one that comes to mind is when I wrote “Maybe Tonight.” The melody came and I called everyone I knew and sang it to them to ask if it already existed and they said no, it was mine! I wrote the lyrics in ten minutes on the steps of an art gallery in Dumbo and was so excited that I called my band for an emergency rehearsal and they abided. We gave that song life in an hour. It was so exciting!

How is a normal day in the life of Nicole Atkins?

Lots of emails while listening to Krautrock, too much coffee, a good long walk, a few hours working on music, and usually going to see live music at night and capping it off with a good horror movie at home. If I’m not working and making stuff I’m usually eyeballs deep in horror movies or old wrestling videos.

What do you think about the current economic and social situation in Spain, Unites States, and World in general?

The world seems to be on fire these days. Figuratively and literally. Theres a lot of division and hatred coming out into the open that has been bubbling under the surface for a long time now. I’m hopeful that these hard times can be a catalyst for real change in a positive way. The world is full of just as many thoughtful and loving people that want to help eachother and we all just have to keep caring for each other in all the ways that we can.

NICOLE ATKINS

Listen up (2017)

MISCELLANY

Could you tell us about...

... A book?:

“a night of serious drinking” renee dumal. This is a very funny book from the 40s about a group of writers and the emotional platitudes of the artist. Ego. Addiction. Delusions. I go to back to it often and buy it for my writer friends. It’s a constant source of humor and inspiration for me.

... A movie?:

Dead Again. It’s a ghost thriller from the 80s. Its super romantic and creepy.

... A song?:

“In and Out of the Shadows” by Dion

Dion recorded this with Phil Spector. It didn’t come out until recently. It’s a very lonely song produced in wall of sound grandness. It’s a song I listen to over and over and over. It makes you wanna cry and dance.

... An album?:

JD McPherson “Signs and Signifiers” Its for sure one of my desert island records. JD is one of the best rock n roll singers and poets of our generation!

... A group or soloist?:

Dungen from Sweden. Psychedelic folk that is so pure and live they are so inspiring. Ive been a fan for a long time and I think there are a lot of popular modern day psychedelic bands that owe a lot to Dungen.

... A hobby?:

I like to draw cartoons and comics about dreams and anxieties.