Independence has always come easy for singer, songwriter, and bandleader
Nikki Hill, raised by a single mother and two older sisters throughout
Durham, North Carolina. Coming up in the church choir as a child,
curiosity led Nikki to trade the pews for barstools, and her interests
in music exploded in every direction, realizing it was a world with no
boundaries. She felt oddly comfortable, finding a direct connection
between the energy she saw at local shows, and the praise dancing,
gospel shouting church services she experienced every week growing up.
In this unique way, Hill found her inspiration in pulling the different
parts of her musical worlds together, taking the tones of the R&B,
soul, and gospel that raised her at home, and blending with the
expressions of blues, garage, rock n’ roll, and roots that she soaked up
on her own. Overlapping soulful, sensual and bold vocal tones with
powerful chrome-plated riffs and swagger, her voice finds a home in it -
a soul singing, bar rocking, roots revivalist, that writes with frank
self-reflection at a dancing tempo.
Ahead of her album, Here’s Nikki Hill, word was spreading from relentless touring and old-fashioned word of mouth. Hill embraced the muse and jumped into the process of probing the vital role that Black women played in what became rock ‘n’ roll. As word spread, so did interest, allowing Hill opportunities to open for a range of artists like Dr. John, Aaron Neville, to Eileen Jewel and Nelly, before any music was released. Nikki continued to develop her sound, learning with trial and error, a lot of road mileage, self-releasing albums, and carving out a place for herself, and a place for other people going through similar struggles.
Nikki’s songwriting and passion for music of the 1950s and 1960s introduced more opportunities and recordings. Her song “Struttin’” contributed to Deke Dickerson and The Bo-Keys Soul Meets Country EP, produced by Scott Bomar in Memphis, TN. Nikki moved to New Orleans, LA, picking up influence in the Gulf Coast. The momentum continued through the release of her second album, Heavy Hearts Hard Fists, recorded at Fort Horton Studios in Wyldwood, TX. The acclaimed album was accompanied by a worldwide tour in the US, Europe, Australia, India and Morocco, and over 30 festivals, including Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Byron Bay Blues Festival, receiving praise for uplifting the new songs with an erupting live performance. Hill’s current touring band is Matt Hill (guitar), Laura Chavez (guitar), Nick Gaitan (bass), and Marty Dodson (drums).
On Nikki Hill's latest release, Feline Roots, Hill lets her soul rip on this new collection of songs. Nikki and her band take a muscular groove - that used to be called the devil’s music, celebrating and wailing over love, transgressions, the hard times, and wild freedom - and inject it with timeless effect, giving Nikki a foundation on which to build. It's her version of rock n' roll that can only come from her stories. Nikki Hill has never been afraid to take the road less traveled, and it's clear with "Feline Roots" that she's living every word.
