Nicole Atkins (Photo courtesy Big Hassle)
New Jersey-bred singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins performs at The Hamilton Live in DC on Sunday, July 10, with support from Levi. On her latest album Italian Ice, Atkins conjures the romance and danger and wild magic of a place especially close to her heart: the Jersey Shore in all its scrappy beauty.
Inspired by the boardwalk’s many curiosities — the crumbling Victorian mansions, the lurid and legendary funhouse, the Asbury Park rock-and-roll scene she played a key part in reviving — Nicole ultimately transforms her never ending fascination into a wonderland of her own making.
Named dually for her favorite summer treat growing up in Asbury Park and an alter ego she’s taken on while shooting dice, Italian Ice has been described by Nicole as “an acid trip through my record collection,” at turns as opulent as symphonic pop and as gritty as garage punk with shades of psych-rock, honky-tonk and girl-group melodrama. Conjuring the romance and danger of the Jersey Shore, Italian Ice’s eleven tracks ultimately channel an endless summer set to the sounds of the AM radio dial.
Watch the official music video for “Captain” by Nicole Atkins featuring Britt Daniel on YouTube:
For the Italian Ice sessions at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Nicole gathered a group of her “best musical friends” — who just so happen to be Jim Sclavunos and David “Moose” Sherman of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Dap-Kings’ Binky Griptite, and drummer McKenzie Smith (St. Vincent, Midlake) – along with Spooner Oldham and David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Co-produced by Nicole and Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes), Italian Ice also features special guests Seth Avett, John Paul White and Erin Rae, and songs co-written with Hamilton Leithauser, Britt Daniel and Carl Broemel.
Nicole Atkins is a songwriter and performer with a fearless and frank style. Fans of Atkins’ previous release Goodnight Rhonda Lee include Rolling Stone (which before named her a “Top 10 Artist to Watch”), NPR, and American Songwriter. In addition to writing, recording, and playing music, the Nashville-by-way-of-Asbury Park musician is an art school graduate who specialized in wildlife illustration and is an active painter.
Nicole Atkins
w/ Levi
The Hamilton Live
Sunday, July 10
Doors @ 6:30pm
$20/$27.50/$40
All ages