Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers return with Loved Wild Lost, their brand new record.
The first time I heard Nicki Bluhm sing, it was in a van. And she was driving.
Nicki, along with her band, did a ridiculously good cover of Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That” while cruising down the highway. While my driver’s ed teacher might not approve of such impromptu, on-the-road recording sessions, I certainly do.
Since seeing that video a few years ago, I have followed Nicki Bluhm as she and her brand of Califonia folk/country have gained increasing national exposure. Now a festival staple, Nicki Bluhm has become an icon in contemporary Americana.
Last month, Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers released Loved Wild Lost, the follow up to their much lauded eponymous debut.
I recently chatted with Nicki Bluhm and went totally random. Among other things, chatted Disney characters, guilty pleasures, and first slow dance tunes.
BRO – Favorite pop song that you sing way too loudly?
NB – Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
BRO – Last time a TV commercial made you cry?
NB – The Like a Girl ad for Always. It’s so powerful and the message is so true and needs to be perpetuated. I have two older brothers, so it kinda hits home for me.
BRO – Favorite Disney character?
NB – Cinderella. She’s adored by the animal kingdom.
BRO – Beer, wine, or whiskey?
NB – Beer and wine. Sierra Nevada or a good Cabernet Sauvignon.
BRO – Something you always have in your fridge?
NB – Realistically, baking soda. Ideally, half ‘n half.
BRO – One item you won’t leave home to go on tour without?
NB – My Ray Bans.
BRO – A week at the beach or a week in the mountains?
NB – I live at the beach, so I’ll go mountains. I love both.
BRO – First song you ever slow danced to?
NB – Probably “More Than Words,” by Extreme in seventh grade.
BRO – First record you ever bought with your own money?
NB – That’s a tough one to remember. I want to say Like A Virgin, by Madonna.
BRO – TV show you watch that you don’t want anyone to know about?
NB – If I didn’t want anyone to know I wouldn’t put it in an interview to read! Seriously, I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. I don’t feel guilty liking something.
Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers head to Hunter, New York, for Mountain Jam and then a bill with The Mother Hips in Jamestown, New York, next week. After that, it’s a steady slate of festival gigs beginning in early July, with appearances at High Sierra, Santa Cruz Mountain Sol Festival, Seven Sisters Festival, Northwest String Summit, and Floyd Fest on tap.
For more information on the band, tour dates, and how you can grab the new record, cruise over to the band’s website, and also make sure to take a listen to “Waiting On Love” on this month’s Trail Mix.
