Artist description With guitar in hand, Nicki Sutherland brings to the stage a fresh attitude and sound. Combining elements of folk, pop, and rock, her songs are pensive, direct and oblique, often about relationships, but not strictly romantic in nature.

Music Style Acoustic Pop/Rock

Musical Influences Melissa Etheridge, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan

Similar Artists Sounds like a young Melissa Etheridge, with a combination of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan

Artist History Born and raised in South Africa (where her family still resides), Nicki came to America in 1993 on a tennis scholarship. She attended Weber State University in Ogden, Utah for two years. Eager for a change, she transferred to Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia, where she completed her Computer Science degree. Nicki was originally trained in classical piano. She began using her musical background to teach herself to play the guitar and together with that, she started writing songs. Exposed to the emotion of those first few songs, friends of Nicki's convinced her to perform at a local pub's open mic night. That performance opened the door for her to start playing on a regular basis at area bars, coffee shops and music festivals. In little over a year Nicki was nominated for 'Best Female Vocalist' in a 1998 reader pole in Columbus's local arts and leisure newspaper, Playgrounds. She went into the studio in 1997 to record a two song tape which increasingly sold with each performance. April of the following year she was invited to play on the Folk Life Stage at Riverfest in Columbus, joining other regional and national known artists. Early in 1999, she released her first full length CD, 'Precious Things', recorded with bassist Ray Blair and percussionist Dave Holland. With the addition of Blair and Holland, Nicki was able to add a new dimension to her sound. This venture proved to be so successful that Nicki asked Blair and Holland to perform with her on a regular basis. Now touring the southeast to promote her CD, she performs both with a band and individually.

Group Members Nicki Sutherland - Guitar, Vocals, KeyboardRaymond Blair - BassDavd Holland - Percussion/Drums

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Piano/Keyboard, Drums, Percussion

Albums Precious Things

Press Reviews CD REVIEW "Precious Things" What's on Disc by Thomas Schulte WomanRock.Com Nicki Sutherland is a singer-songwriter par excellence. Her album "Precious Things" is replete in solid songwriting and percussive acoustic guitar with intricate, enticing melodies. Nicki mixed the recording herself and the results show her care. The voice and guitar, the melodic mainstays of her material, are foremost. Sutherland's delivery is personal and warm; each of the album's ten tracks is a 'precious thing.'CD REVIEW "Precious Things", Hermit's SongKaren E. Reynolds - Writer's Block/ Sound Advice "I've seen Nicki Sutherland play live...and her CD has the same excitement to it. Her voice runs from 'breathy brush', to 'in your face'. Arrangement wise, Hermit is a roller coaster ride, taking the listener wherever it chooses." CD REVIEW "Precious Things"Laura Vess - 'Reaching Out', Volume 2, Issue 1 Nicki Sutherland, the Columbus based girl behind Precious Things, is definitely this reviewer's new flavor of the month. Graced with a voice reminiscent of a young Wendy Bucklew and an unconfined passionate style uniquely her own, Sutherland already has tongues wagging in her adopted home town. It's no wonder her CD, Precious Things, is blessed with both beautiful music and good production, a rare find for a first recording. The stand out percussion on "Stop the World", "Hand to Mouth", and the untitled track 11 are one of the most obvious signs Sutherland has something different to offer Atlanta audiences. And though track 11 might be treading a little close to a Tori Amos sound, the bare bones, percussion only arrangement is a great vehicle for Sutherland's impassioned lyrics and ample vocal ability. In fact, Sutherland's voice is what really drives this CD and gives her a distinctive edge. Her unusual accent and husky, breathless tone propels her above the sea of aspiring female musicians choking Atlanta's open mic nights. Nicki Sutherland, quite simply sounds fresh. Women musicians in the local scene too often want to be the next Michelle Malone or Indigo Girl instead of taking he time to find their own style and expression. Sutherland hasn't been around that long, but she already knows who she wants to be, and it isn't a clone of somebody else already out there. Sutherland only learned how to play the guitar and started performing a few years ago, but if this is the kind of music she can put out with only a couple years of experience under her belt, this girl is going to kick some major ass in the future. One of the best aspects of Precious Thins is the way it manages to interweave a variety of musical styles into an exotic and tasty tapestry with ease. The album is primarily a juicy blend of pop, folk and rock, but Sutherland also manages to add a touch of jazz and world music to some of the melodies. The songs also cover a wide range of emotions and experiences, both intensely personas and intimately accessible. Though this twenty-three year old still projects the underlying optimism and unbroken spirit of her age, she also shows a hard wisdom and maturity far beyond her youth. Most anyone will find something to relate to in Sutherland's music, whether you prefer kicking yourself in the teeth over your latest relationship, "Haunted", or trying to reconcile the injustices of your childhood, "Not the Daughter". If you are looking for just another chick CD to pop in your card stereo for long road trips, search else. But if you want to get the lowdown on what may be the next hot women musician to conquer Atlanta, Precious Things should be your next stop.

Location Columbus, GA - USA

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