Nick 13

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Nick 13

Nick 13 playing at a Warped tour
Background information
Origin Ukiah, California, U.S.
Occupations Musician, singer-songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, guitarist
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Associated acts Tiger Army

Nick 13 is the lead guitarist, vocalist, and main songwriter of psychobilly band Tiger Army as well as a solo artist in the Americana/Country genre.

Career

Tiger Army

Tiger Army played their first show at the 924 Gilman Street venue in Berkeley, California, on March 29, 1996. The band went on to popularize the psychobilly genre in North America.[citation needed] The band's sound draws from early punk, rock n' roll and rockabilly, as well as dark English pop. Nick 13's emphasis on melody and his lyrical inspirations from various types of literature have helped to distinguish them from some of the more "novelty" aspects the psychobilly genre sometimes embraces. The band's first official release was a self-titled vinyl record EP, now referred to as the Temptation EP. The record was released by Chapter 11 Records. This EP caught the attention of Tim Armstrong, co-owner of Hellcat Records, who signed the band.

Tiger Army recorded their first full-length, the self-titled Tiger Army, in January 1999. It was released that October. Stand-up bassist Joel Day left Tiger Army before the band was signed, so the Quakes stand-up bassist Rob Peltier was hired to play on the album. Drummer Adam Carson of AFI (band), who had been helping out the band live, played on the record, as well. The band then embarked on a California mini-tour promoting the album in 1999. Then in 2000 Nick 13 asked former AFI (band) bassist Geoff Kresge, one of his former bandmates from Influence 13, to join Tiger Army. Ex-Samhain drummer London May came on board as well.

Tiger Army II: Power of Moonlite followed in 2001. Fred Hell replaced London May shortly after the recording. The band toured with TSOL, The Damned (band), Dropkick Murphys and others in support of the record and went to Europe and Japan for the first time on the album as well. The band's friend and drum tech Mike Fasano played on the next Tiger Army album, Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise, when Hell was unable to record or tour behind the album. Nick 13 announced a new line-up for Tiger Army, featuring drummer James Meza and stand-up bassist Jeff Roffredo, formerly of Los Angeles psychobilly bands Cosmic Voodoo, Calavera, and The Rezurex in 2004.

This lineup supported Social Distortion on an extensive US tour. In spring, 2005, the band headlined a string of five sold out shows at the Hollywood House Of Blues. The following year, the band sold out four nights at the Anaheim House Of Blues. They also hit the road with Morrissey and AFI (band) performed several headlining tours around the world.

Tiger Army made major festival appearances across the US and Europe in support of their fourth album, titled Music from Regions Beyond. The album was released on June 5, 2007[3] and was produced by Jerry Finn.[4] "Forever Fades Away" went to #1 on Los Angeles rock station KROQ FM, which Tiger Army performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and at radio festivals like "BFD." Publications like New York Times and Spin covered the band for the first time, as well.

Geoff Kresge returned to Tiger Army in early 2008 and joined Nick 13 and drummer James Meza on tours of the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe. The band launched a multi-night festival, Octoberflame, in Southern California in 2008, concluding two years of touring behind Music From Regions Beyond. Nick launched a solo project focused on Americana/country music in 2009, making his first live solo appearance at the Stagecoach Festival in 2010 in Indio, California. Tiger Army continued to appear at Octoberflame each year, as well as in cities like Las Vegas, San Diego, Tempe, Costa Mesa and the MusInk Festival. On June 7, 2011 Nick 13 released his solo album on Sugar Hill Records. Tiger Army has been less active while 13 has built his solo career in the Americana world.

Tiger Army played their largest standalone headlining show to date at the Orange County Fair in 2011. In March/April 2012, the band performed two shows in Southern California and one in Las Vegas dubbed "Spring Forward." Octoberflame V followed with 6 shows in 5 cities.[5] In December, 2012, Tiger Army announced "Spring Forward 2013," which took place in March, 2013 in San Diego, Ventura, CA and Las Vegas.[6] The band played a radio show in Arizona around the same time.

Octoberflame VI will take place in October, 2013 at City National Grove of Anaheim on October 25 and October 26. [7] The two back-to-back shows have been advertised as Tiger Army's last shows of 2013. [8]The Octoberflame events have become known for varied set lists that explore deep cuts and cover songs, special guests and diverse support acts running the gamut of rock, alt-rock, punk, hardcore, psychobilly, industrial, and rockabilly.

Solo career

In an interview, Nick 13 was asked why the sole songwriter for a band would launch a solo career.[1] "The first person to give me the idea of a primary songwriter making a solo record was Paul Fenech of The Meteors," he said. "I always thought there was something cool about that: You write all the songs for the band, and there's a certain sound people expect. But while Tiger Army has always tested those kinds of boundaries, there are certain things that relate to heaviness and aggression that aren't part of my solo project, at all." When asked about the status of Tiger Army, he said, "Tiger Army aren't going anywhere--we will be back." Nick debuted his solo material at Tiger Army's Octoberflame II event in Los Angeles and Orange County in October, 2009.

His first full performance as a solo artist was at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, in spring, 2010, where he opened for Merle Haggard and Ray Price. A handful of small club dates in California followed, leading up to an appearance at the Hootenanny Festival in Orange County just before Chuck Berry. Press reviews for both festival events were favorable.[2][3]

Nick revealed in an interview with No Depression that he had recorded with a wide-ranging group of notable musicians including Greg Leisz, Eddie Perez (guitarist), Lloyd Green, Joshua Grange, and Mitch Marine.[4] According to Nick's official Twitter page updates, album work continued as of December, 2010.[5] The album was co-produced by Greg Leisz and James Intveld.

Following Nick's performance at South By Southwest, Sugar Hill Records announced that they would be releasing Nick's debut solo album on June 7, 2011.[6] He kicked off touring in support of the album with two sold out nights back to back at the The Troubadour (Los Angeles) in West Hollywood, followed by national touring through October, 2011.[7]

The album has been very well received by the Americana press.[8][9] Nick's road support of the album included an appearance at Austin City Limits Music Festival.[10] Nick made several appearance's on Nashville's WSM Radio in November, 2011, including a performance at Americana Carnival.[11] Great American Country added the video for "All Alone" to their "Out of the Box" program in December, 2011 and has continued to air it throughout 2012.[12] In January, 2012, Nick appeared at the NAMM Show where he performed and met with fans at the booth operated by Gretsch, his guitar endorser.[13] In the summer of 2012, Nick headlined two nights at the El Rey Theatre in Hollywood and released a music video for "Carry My Body Down."

The video for "Carry My Body Down" began airing on Great American Country's "Out of the Box" program and on Country Music Television in late summer, 2012. The video reached #1 on CMT Pure's "12-Pack Countdown" in November, 2012.[14] Nick appeared at the 2013 Stagecoach Festival with Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart and more, broadcast on AXS TV. The video for "Nighttime Sky" arrived around the same time, eventually debuting at #1 on CMT Pure's "12-Pack Countdown" and staying there for 6 consecutive weeks. Nick tweeted plans to shoot and direct a third video himself, for the track "In the Orchard." [15]

According to his official Twitter account, Nick intends to write and record a second solo album before creating a new Tiger Army album.[16] Nick 13 is a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation.[17]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
US Country
[18]		 US
[19]		 US
Heat
[20]		 US
Indie
[21]		 US
Rock
[22]
Nick 13 22 132 2 23 46

Music videos

Year Video Director
2011 "All Alone"
2012 "Carry My Body Down" Aron Paul Orton
2013 "Nightime Sky"

Other appearances

Notes

  1. ↑ "Nick 13 On Tiger Army's 14th Anniversary". Alternative Press. April 7, 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  2. ↑ "Stagecoach Nick 13 Trades Punk for Country". The Press Enterprise. April 24, 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  3. ↑ "Hootenanny Still Strong". OC Register. July 5, 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  4. ↑ "Tiger Army's Nick 13". No Depression. July 21, 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  5. ↑ "Nick 13 official page". Twitter. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  6. ↑ "Nick 13 Sugar Hill Records". Sugar Hill Records. April 22, 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
  7. ↑ "Nick 13 Sugar Hill Records". Sugar Hill Records. April 22, 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
  8. ↑ "No Depression Blog Review". No Depression. August 20, 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011. 
  9. ↑ "Saving Country Music Review". Saving Country Music. August 22, 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011. 
  10. ↑ "Austin City Limits 2011 Festival Line-Up Is Here". Brooklyn Vegan. May 17, 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Nick 13 @ Americana Carnival". Nashville: Get Out Be Active. November 13, 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012. 
  12. ↑ "Nick 13 Biography on GAC". Great American Country website. December 1, 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Nick 13: Live Saturday Set". Gretsch Pages. January 24, 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012. 
  14. ↑ "Nick 13 Tumblr". Nick 13 Tumblr. November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 
  15. ↑ "Nick 13 Tumblr". Nick 13 Twitter. November 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  16. ↑ "Nick 13 Twitter". Nick 13 Twitter. September 11, 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 
  17. ↑ "An Interview with Nick 13". No Depression. August 26, 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  18. ↑ "Nick 13 Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2011. 
  19. ↑ "Nick 13 Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2011. 
  20. ↑ "Nick 13 Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2011. 
  21. ↑ "Nick 13 Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2011. 
  22. ↑ "Nick 13 Album & Song Chart History - Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2011. 

External links

Tiger Army
Studio albums
EPs
  • Temptation
  • Early Years
  • Ghost Tigers
Compilations
Related articles
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