NIKKI HILL

Those who have seen Nikki Hill sing her ass off agree—this isn’t just another newcomer on the scene, this is a ‘whiplash’ moment. Where did this fireball come from? Why haven’t I heard of her before? If you haven’t heard of Nikki Hill yet, you soon will, and once you see her perform, you won’t forget her. Hill draws on vintage female rhythm and blues influences such as LaVern Baker, Etta James and Ruth Brown, as well as some of her favorite male singers Otis Redding and Solomon Burke, without being stuck or pigeonholed strictly as a ‘retro’ artist. Her tough vocal style fits with contemporary sensibilities yet evokes all the great blues shouters of previous decades. With the success of similar artists such as Amy Winehouse or Imelda May, Hill is poised to blaze her own trail in their wake. Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Nikki comes by her Deep South soul honestly. Her musical roots began while singing in gospel choirs at church. A stint living in nearby college town Chapel Hill introduced her to many different styles of music and the awareness of music (and more importantly, unique and non-mainstream music) as a possible career. After pairing up with her guitar-playing husband Matt Hill, they promptly relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, where they have established themselves as roots rock, rhythm and blues powerhouses! Recently creating a whirlwind of excitement following her performances at the Viva Las Vegas festival (the largest roots music festival in the United States), Nikki Hill is currently anticipating the release of her first recording. Following the release of her debut effort, Hill plans to extensively tour the United States and Europe for the remainder of 2012 and well into 2013, spreading her message of down-home dirty R&B to believers and new converts everywhere. If you haven’t heard of her yet, prepare for your ‘whiplash moment’—you have been warned. Nikki Hill has arrived!