The front man for rock band Lucero and alt-country troubadour, Ben Nichols, has released a new solo album, entitled In the Heart of the Mountain, for the first time in 16 years.
He will be performing songs from the album at Cherry Street Tavern this Friday, August 8th, starting at 6 p.m.
Having cut his teeth in Memphis and released 12 albums since they formed in 1998, Nichols has carved a name for himself with his band Lucero, and along the way developed a reputation as an elder statesman of alt-country.
In sitting down with The Pulse in July to talk about his sophomore solo album and the record release tour, Nichols mentioned how excited he was.
"I can’t wait for the solo record to be out. I’ve been working on these songs for a couple years, Nichols explained. "I have been living with them, listening to them, and refining them for so long that I am ready for them to be out in the world and for folks to hear them. And super excited to play them live, especially with the other musicians.”
While his latest project, In the Heart of the Mountain, is not a concept album like his first solo record, The Last Pale Light in the West, it does read as a small poem when the title tracks are strung together, and the entire album feels like an intimate, southern gothic patchwork of songs about loss, love, morality, and processing.
In speaking on what the album means, Nichols suggested, “I think it is me processing things from the past and how they stand today. How my life at this moment compares to my life in the past. The things that have changed in my life and within myself as a person. All that’s floating around in my subconscious and some of that comes out in the songs.”
When asked about what has changed in his songwriting process since his first solo record, Nichols offered, “I’ve tried to work a little harder on the songwriting and be a little more conscious of the words I’m using. In the old days, it was more of a flow of consciousness, and I would catch myself overusing the same word. Especially little things like ‘darling’.
"I’m a little more careful with my editing, and I think that just comes with time. I have played a lot more shows, and so I have that live experience of being on stage by myself and knowing how to play songs that are tailored to that presentation. I was going into this recording with more experience as a solo artist.”
On songs like “When the Stars Disappear," you can feel how personal and stripped down this record is, with lyrics reading “Everything between us, that was long ago, but I can still recall the times. Laughing at our cosmic fate, together and alone. Voices crossing wires in the night. While the stars disappear.” At once haunting and poetic, the lyrics point to a relationship lost, but with a glimmer of hope that one day they can reconnect, if only for a short time.
Other songs lean deeper into the album’s reflective lyricism and quieter instrumentals, crafting an album that is quite the departure from his band, Lucero. The record is truly a solo work and Nichols’ most expansive, raw, and intimate soundscape to date.
When talking about his upcoming show at Cherry Street Tavern and performing in smaller venues, Nichols offered, “I do prefer smaller venues overall, and Cherry Street Tavern is just my kind of bar. It has a lot more character than other dive bars, and I got to play there once with Rick Steff, my piano player, a few years back, where we did a two-piece show.
"That was a few years back and I’ve been trying to get back to Cherry Street Tavern since then. It’s definitely intimate, and the audience is kind of right up on top of you while you’re on stage, but the folks that come to Cherry Street Tavern are there for a reason, so it's always a really good vibe. It’s super cool and in general, I like the smaller spots.”
Ben Nichols’ solo album, In the Heart of the Mountain, was released on July 25th and he will be performing songs from it alongside ‘Friends’ on Friday, August 8th at 6 p.m. at Cherry Street Tavern.
Ben Nichols and Friends
- Friday, August 8th, at 6 p.m.
- Cherry Street Tavern, 719 Cherry St, Chattanooga
- More info: facebook.com/cherrystreettavernchattanooga