Nicki of Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers in conversation

Hi Nicki, how are you today? 

Woke up in Washington DC.  just doing some office work to finish preparing for Europe.  Getting excited!

How did find yourself in the music business and how did the band come together and, with what ambitions?

I have always loved and appreciated music and musicians but it wasn't until I met Tim (band mate, producer and husband) that I ever thought I would do it myself. He was really the one to encourage me to start singing and performing.  I had never even considered it as a profession before meeting him.  

The music business feels like living in the Wild West most of the time but the band and I are motivated to it give our biggest effort. I put the band together back in 2008 to support my first record "Toby’s song" and our album release show.  I wanted the show to represent the full sound of the record and I needed a band to do that. It was so much fun playing together we decided to keep going.

The band are called the ‘Gramblers’. What is a Grambler?

It’s a word our good friend Greg Loiacono (of the Mother Hips) made up a while back.  I guess it's a little bit gambling...a little bit rambling...but really it can mean whatever you want it to.  

Is it a plus being in the same band as your Husband?

Most of the time!  Tim has been my mentor through all of this. I can't imagine doing it without him. Now we are a team and we work very well together.  It’s not always easy but we are learning how to be married and be in a band together more gracefully every day.  

What is your song writing process and where do you tend to be located when the seed of new ideas are sown?

I am most productive writing at home in my living room. I typically sit down with a guitar and just see what comes out. Sometimes I’ll have something on my mind I’m trying to process or get out and other times it is much vaguer. I just started writing on our piano the other day which is new to me. I am not a piano player but sometimes you stumble on something cool in your own ignorance.  

How do you approach getting your music heard and making an income? How important is it to find a label? What are you feelings about Social networking as a means to musical recognition?

It seems like if you are in the music business to make money...you're in the wrong business.  We try to make music we believe in, music that we love and that speaks to us. Hopefully other people feel that as well. We have found social networking to be an amazing tool in spreading music around. It’s a great way for people to connect and share. It is a community within itself...probably the largest one there is and there's power in that.  I think if you find a record label that suits you and your needs it can be a great thing.....but, I do believe that is rare these days.

Tell us about your hometown and does it have any influence on your music?

I live in San Francisco which is an incredibly inspiring place for me. We have a house near the ocean that is cool and foggy most of the time...a wonderful place to cosy up and write.  There is also so much musical history in San Francisco...to think of the songs written in that city and the music that has been played there is a pretty magical thing to envision.  

When at home what do you listen to today from your music collection that still inspires you?

Some of my favourite albums to listen to at home are: JJ Cale "Naturally", Joni Mitchell "Court and Spark"and  Sarah Siskind "In The mountains" 

What was it like playing Bonnaroo and Newport Folk this year, polar opposites it terms of festivals?

Both festivals were incredible in their own right. The shear volume of people at Bonnaroo was remarkable. We played the opening set of the fest and the crowd was huge and ready to hear music and start the weekend.  There was incredible energy in the air.  Newport has the reputation and history that first lured me in and all that was there 100%.  The grounds are beautiful and inspiring in their own right.  The musical acts were fantastic...we were in amazing company.  Playing both festivals was a huge honour for us.  

Is there any downtime from music and if so, how do you like to spend it?

Lately there hasn't been much down time from music. When I have time at home I love to cook, go to the beach, see family and friends.  Sometimes you can find down time on the road.  We just played our friend's (the infamous Stringdusters) festival "festy" in Virginia.  We got to stay for four days and spend time with the folks there.  it was very grounding and comforting to be around the people, the music and the energy. It was the perfect storm. Sometimes songs are the pause in this kind of life.  

You have an acoustic Euro tour coming up. What would you like to say to anyone thinking of coming along to a show?

Come out!  It’s our first time playing overseas and we are chomping at the bit to make music over there.  It will be a nice collection of songs, beautiful guitar playing and harmony singing.  I would invite everyone to come spend a night of music with us...we like to have fun and it would be better with you there!

Website

Dates are:

29 Oct    The Islington - London

30 Oct    The Bullington Oxford (with Beans on Toast)

09 Nov   Gorilla Manchester (with Pokey LaFarge)

10 Nov   The Fleece - Bristol (withPokey LaFarge)

11 Nov   Rescue Rooms - acoustic Monday free show