The Al Nicol Interview
From Montreal to Durham, Joshua Tree, and Nashville, Alex Nicol, a singer-songwriter originally based in Canada, is a self-made wordsmith whose vision for himself in the Volunteer State is something straight out of the liberating literature of legends and tall tales, which Nashville is infamously known to ask of its sonic subjects over the decades. Crashing landing in Music City, Nicol got busy investing in his visceral vision for a creative career steeped in melodic meditation by linking up with one of his harmonious heroes, M.C. Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger), making not only his dreams of working with one of the greats come true, but putting forth his greatest effort yet, “Only Hoping,” which is swt for release October 2nd. A captivating body of work that pairs well with the ghostly glow of the melodic moonlight, which reveals a poetic pathway to the harmonies of the heart, similar to that of Neil Young or F.J. McMahon. Nicol may be new to town, but his distinctive drawl on sophisticated songwriting is a fantastic forest whose roots run deep through the essence of its ecosystem, while simultaneously summoning the true response to lyrical legitimacy.
Tell me about growing up in Canada and how you initially connected with music, more specifically, the guitar? Who were some of your earliest influences in your more formative years, and how quickly did you begin playing music after that initial impact? What were those early days, and how did that culture and specific style of music eventually pave the way for a more stripped-down embrace of sound?
Photo: Alysee Gafkjen
I grew up in Toronto and Ottawa before moving to Montreal for University, and music was always around in my formative years at home. My Dad loved to play the acoustic guitar, and my siblings and I would enjoy listening to him sing covers of all sorts — mostly older folk songs by Dick Gaughan, Stan Rogers, Neil Young, and The Grateful Dead. I was just with my Dad, and he remembered how much he tried to get me to learn guitar right-handed! By the age of 15, I was figuring out “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix and exploring chord shapes and progressions freely and with some vigour. Garage rock and post-punk mostly, but yeah, I pretty quickly went from loving The Band to The Smiths, which led me to Oasis, then The Libertines, Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, and the range of other indie-ish guitar bands that exploded in the early 2000s. I wanted to be a part of that for a while, until I discovered Nick Drake and realized my true voice was as a folk-leaning singer-songwriter.
What inspired you to relocate to the States, specifically Tennessee? I’m from a small town just an hour outside of Nashville, and was thrilled to know you lived just down the road. What do you like most about the city, in particular East Nashville, and how much has this influenced your sound and overall approach to music?
I always had an image of Nashville in my head, but when I visited for the first time about a year and a half ago, it just felt so comfortable, almost familiar, and inspiring. I remember my wife and I driving into the city for the first time, and as the downtown came into view, I turned to her and said, “I think Nashville is going to be an important place for us”. I picked up on the good vibes at the very beginning, and East Nashville is where I feel the best. I’ve only been there for a few months, though, so it’s hard to say how it will influence my music just yet. There’s something about the layout of the neighbourhood that makes so much sense to me and is so fun to walk around in. I think the thing I like most about the city at the moment is the amount of creative energy pulsing through the homes, streets, and people I meet. Musicians are everywhere, songwriters are everywhere, music professionals are everywhere, and I love that.
Photo: Alysee Gafkjen
Going back to 2020, a time we’ll never forget, you released your debut, if I’m not mistaken, “All For Nada.” Tell me about this record, and how you got this thing off the ground, especially during the Pandemic. With the incredible follow-up, “Been A Long Year Vol 1 & 2,” just a few years later, you’ve returned with perhaps your most compelling work to date, “Only Hoping.”
“All for Nada” came about by accident, and yet it has opened up so many doors for me. Though my big plans to introduce it to the world at SXSW 2020 were dashed by the pandemic, I was not deterred. I did a live session for a local university music station out of my backyard and sang “Bridge Back to Me”, a throwaway song from “All for Nada”, and posted the performance to TikTok. It went viral, and that’s kinda when things started to change for me. I recorded “Been A Long Year Vol. 1 and 2” during the pandemic, which carries some of that heaviness we were all feeling. When it came to writing songs for what would become “Only Hoping”, I knew I wanted three things: to write more uplifting songs, focus on groove, rhythm, and freedom in the playing, and to work with MC Taylor. By some miracle, all three came to pass!
“I think the thing I like most about the city at the moment is the amount of creative energy pulsing through the homes, streets, and people I meet. Musicians are everywhere, songwriters are everywhere, music professionals are everywhere, and I love that.”
What was the overall process of writing and recording this album, and how did you approach this project compared to others in the past? Tell me about working with the great MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger). How did that connection come about?
I became infatuated with Hiss Golden Messenger’s album “Quietly Blowing It” and began to dream of my songs being shaped by the taste, palette, and energy of MC Taylor. In a confident burst of energy, I messaged MC on Instagram, asking if he produced for other artists, and it flowed freely from there. I knew I wanted the record to have an uplifting air to it, while simultaneously allowing the groove and musicianship to have a bigger role in how the songs were portrayed. MC asked his good friends JT Bates and Cameron Ralston, the rhythm section of Bonny Light Horseman, to participate, bringing a great deal to the songs. Josh Kaufman from Bonny Light Horseman also plays all over the record — he was one of several over-dubbers MC asked, along with Rich Hinman (St Vincent), Sam Fribush, and, Al Bingham (Hiss Golden Messenger) and of course the great Erin Rae, a local Nashville singer-songwriter, who lended her voice to one of the singles “You and Me”. I approached this project with a hands-off, open-minded, “let the universe guide me” mentality, and I’m overjoyed with the result. I think it’s palpable with a feeling of liberation and/or nativity/lightness in the music. MC is such a master at the craft of making records — at knowing who to ask to participate, who to ask in terms of approach to the playing, how to communicate about music, and retain a sort of energetic cohesion across songs that make a record a full statement. He also helped me shape some of my songs leading up to the recording, which made all the difference in how they were played.
From Montreal to Durham, Joshua Tree, and Nashville, this album feels like an emotional experience enriched with growth, bravery, creative challenge, and poetic pursuit. What was most important for you to achieve and express with this work? Is there anything else you would like to share further with the readers?
This album is all about transformation, self-belief, overcoming your own demons, trusting that the world has a plan for you larger than what you give yourself credit for, and a deep and abiding commitment to living in the world with an open heart and open mind. In a time when so many things feel in the balance, having hope in oneself, in the world, in others, can be a radically positive, transformative energy. It sure is for me. I’m excited to play this record live for people. I’ll be announcing really cool shows, so stay tuned, and hopefully we’ll see you out there.
