Nikki Hill, the punk-turned-soul-singing fireball whose voice is a raw amalgamation of Tina Turner's luscious wail and Bon Scott's larynx-shredding roar, will set NYC aflame with a pair of shows in mid-October. She'll be playing Carroll Place on Wednesday, October 14th as part of CMJ and Rockwood Music Hall on Monday, October 19th. Details below.
She's backed by the volcanic rockabilly riffs of husband/guitarist Matt Hill, and the band will be playing selections from their forthcoming new album 'Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists.'
Listen to a sampler of the smoking new tracks here.
A former bartender, Nikki never deigned herself a singer until her husband Matt Hill (now her guitarist) discovered that raw, passionate rasp singing along as he practiced. She tours hard, over 200 dates a year, and in 2015 alone has played everywhere from Lincoln Center to India and Morocco, preaching the rock & roll gospel: late nights, hot licks, and intoxicating love.
She and her band are absolutely devastating live. Here's Nikki doing her best AC/DC:
Wednesday, October 14th
WHO: Nikki Hill
WHERE: Carroll Place
WHEN: 11pm
ADDRESS: 157 Bleecker St, New York, NY
Monday, October 19th
WHO: Nikki Hill
WHERE: Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2
WHEN: 7pm
ADDRESS: 196 Allen St, New York, NY
Praise for Nikki Hill:
"Looks back to the most confidently grizzled retro sounds... Hill's got too much passion to tidy things up, but she knows exactly what she's doing." -- SPIN
"The fast-rising, hard-charging, 20-something, North Carolina born-and-bred singer Nikki Hill has more than earned her evocative "Southern Fireball" moniker." -- LA Weekly
"If Tina Turner and Little Richard had a daughter and raised her with the help of uncles James Brown and Chuck Berry, she'd be like Nikki Hill." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Hill is a petite powerhouse, with a booming voice that is as sweet and luscious as it is gritty and raw." -- Portland Monthly
"Channels such rhythm and blues greats as LaVern Baker, Etta James and Ruth Brown--with a little Sam Cooke and Solomon Burke thrown in for good measure. Hill is the real deal...steeped in gospel and soul, wrapped up in a punk rock DIY ethic." -- Time Out Los Angeles
For more information, contact James Rainis (jrainis@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com) or Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media,(712) 588-7171.