Nic Coolidge is a Providence, Rhode Island-based musician whosplits his time between the United States and Prague, Czech Republic.
Labrador, his first solo record, is a loose collection of folk songs and rustic ballads he has recorded over the past few years.
Labrador, his first solo record, is a loose collection of folk songs and rustic ballads he has recorded over the past few years. It’s a gravelly collection of balladry that shows off hints of Bon Iver crossed with Shakey Graves. It’s an homage to old Americana with an expat’s wisdom.
As a guitarist, he has played with a slew of touring bands. In the summer of 2010, playing with Notar, he joined The Counting Crows and Augustana in The Traveling Circus and Medicine Show Tour. He was an accompanying guitarist for both The Counting Crows and Augustana, filling in on acoustic, electric, and banjo where needed. Nic has worked with Swiss Chris (drummer for John Legend), toured and recorded with The Broadcast, Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), and opened for Alicia Keyes at Cayman Island Jazz Festival, playing with Elle Varner (MBK/ J Records Artist).
Discover Nic Coolidge
— ERA EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
When did you find your passion for music and who inspired it?
I had an interest in music from a very young age, I come from a musical family and was always encouraged to pick up something and play. There were a couple key moments that solidified my desire to make music, hearing my Dad play guitar for the first time, picking up an old beat up acoustic and strumming ‘Wild Thing’ pretty much settled which instrument I would play. And, at age 12, being sat down in the dark with headphones and introduced to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon opened my mind to the possibilities and power of recorded music.
What do you hope to achieve within the industry?
My goals in the industry have always been to follow my musical intuition, work hard, be kind, and share my music with as many people as I can connect with. Following those guidelines, I hope to travel and bring my music to more places and connect with more amazing likeminded musicians.
Who are some of your idols?
Jimi Hendrix was my first guitar idol, followed by Prince, who probably had the biggest influence on my guitar playing. The Beatles have been my greatest influence in terms of production and songwriting, they are the best, bar none.
How long did it take you to finish your EP and why did you create it in the first place?
‘Labrador’ is an album I began working on in late 2012. I started composing simple folk-inspired melodies, singing and playing guitar, as a fun escape from the more electronic centered music I had been heavily involved in at the time. The first recording sessions started in the summer of 2013, at a family cabin in the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont. I stayed there alone for 2 weeks with a small studio setup and a few guitars. I recorded the first 4 songs that would come to make up ‘Labrador’ on that trip. It started out as a sort of musical diary for myself and some close friends I shared it with, I didn’t have much of an aspiration to release the work initially. I found myself returning to Vermont every summer for a get-away and the inspiration to record and write more songs in this fashion grew. With the help and guidance from some very dear friends, I slowly pulled and pieced together these songs into a body of work that I felt needed to be shared.
If you were put in the Emergency Room what would it be for and why?
If I was to be put in the emergency room…. it will probably be when the last Beatle departs this earth, did I mention I love The Beatles?
Haha, we believe you did!
Discover Nic Coolidge on social media now!
Facebook | Apple | Instagram
SoundCloud | Spotify | Bandcamp
FOLLOW ERA FOR UPDATES!
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram