Nick Waterhouse

Nicholas Ryan "Nick" Waterhouse (born February 8, 1986)^[1] is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He is a guitarist and singer known for a sound rooted in rhythm & blues, jazz, and soul.

Early life

Waterhouse was born in Santa Ana, California. He was raised in Huntington Beach, California, the son of a fireman and a saleswoman ^[2] . He took up guitar at age 12. As a young teen he found himself more interested in increasingly obscure and eclectic Americana outside of the pop and contemporary rock of his peers.^[3] He has cited Bert Berns, Mose Allison, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, and a reading of Peter Guralnick's portrait of Dan Penn as early influences in his musical development.^[4]

Waterhouse started his career as guitarist and singer-songwriter with Intelligista (2002-2003), a combo compared to the Animals and High Numbers-era Who.^[5] This band performed in the Orange County underground music scene that yielded artists such as Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, The Growlers, Cold War Kids, as well as Burger Records. In 2002, the band entered the Distillery in Costa Mesa to record a radio broadcast and a 7 inch single, beginning a friendship between Waterhouse and owner-engineer Mike McHugh. At the end of high school, the band split, finding Waterhouse attending San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California.^[6]

In San Francisco, Waterhouse continued pursuing playing music with little luck, concurrently becoming more involved with the burgeoning DJ community. During this time, he became a fixture at the all-vinyl Rooky Ricardo's Records in the Lower Haight District, eventually taking a job. He has repeatedly cited apprenticeship to owner Richard Vivian and the shop's connections to local soul club scene as a great influence.^[7] During this time he also struck up a friendship with Matthew Correia, later of the Allah-Las.^[8]

Musical career

Waterhouse recorded his debut single in late 2010 at the Distillery Studio in Southern California. "Some Place", backed with "That Place" was recorded with a pickup group billed as the Turn-Keys,^[9] featuring Ira Raibon of the Fabulous Souls playing saxophone. The initial release of "Some Place" in November 2010 was on Waterhouse's own PRES imprint. The single was recorded, mixed, and mastered completely analog to lacquer, plated and hand-pressed. The labels were handset letterpress printed. Copies of "Some Place" sell for as much as $300.^[10]

On the strength of the self-distributed single, Waterhouse assembled a backing group, The Tarots, as well as taking on a trio of female vocalists, The Naturelles. This line up coalesced in time for a debut performance in the last week of December, 2010.^[11] His earliest performances were with artists such as Ty Segall, The Strange Boys, White Fence, and most frequently, The Allah-Las. He signed with Innovative Leisure Records in March 2011.^[12] He relocated from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2012, and began touring North America and Europe, as well as working as producer on the Allah-Las 2012 self-titled debut.

In May 2012, his debut album, Time's All Gone, was released on Innovative Leisure Records.^[13]

Waterhouse toured North America and Europe with the Allah-Las through 2012 in support of Time's All Gone.^[14] Another European tour in Spring 2013 found him playing Germany,^[15] France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain (with an appearance at the Primavera Sound Festival,^[16] and the UK. He is now at work on his second album as well as doing production work on the Allah-Las sophomore release.

Nick was Daryl Hall's guest on Live From Daryl's House, Episode 58, September 15, 2012.

Waterhouse appeared in a commercial for the Lexus CT hybird in 2014, performing "Time's All Gone Pt. 1". His second LP, Holly, was issued in March of that year.

Discography

Singles and EPs

• "Some Place" b/w "That Place" - Pres 2010
• "Is That Clear" b/w "I Can Only Give You Everything" - IL 2011
• "Don't You Forget It" - Record Store Day split w/Allah-Las 2012
• "Say I Wanna Know" b/w "(If) You Want Trouble" - IL 2012
• "Raina" b/w "Don't You Forget It" - IL 2013

LPs

• Time's All Gone - IL 2012
  • "Say I Wanna Know"
  • "Some Place"
  • "Don't You Forget It"
  • "I Can Only Give You Everything"
  • "Raina"
  • "(If) You Want Trouble"
  • "Indian Love Call"
  • "Is That Clear"
  • "Teardrop Will Follow You"
  • "Time's All Gone Pt. 1"
  • "Time's All Gone Pt. 2"

• Holly - IL 2014
  • "High Tiding"
  • "This Is a Game"
  • "It No. 3"
  • "Let It Come Down"
  • "Sleeping Pills"
  • "Holly"
  • "Dead Room"
  • "Well It's Fine"
  • "Ain't There Something That Money Can't Buy"
  • "Hands On the Clock"

Production credits

• Catamaran - (45) Pres 2010
• Tell Me (What's On Your Mind) - (45) IL 2012
• Allah-Las - (LP) Innovative Leisure 2012

References

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