Photos by Scott Preston
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers have announced details of their much-anticipated new album. Loved Wild Lost, which follows the Bay Area-based band’s eponymous 2013 debut, arrives on Tuesday, April 21st. The band teamed with producer Brian Deck (Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse, Josh Ritter) on Loved Wild Lost. It’s their first time working with an outside collaborator and the result is their most compelling collection of songs to date. The richly layered sound forms the ideal foundation for Bluhm’s soaring vocals and increasingly powerful songcraft. Further color comes from San Francisco’s Magik*Magik Orchestra (Death Cab for Cutie, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Walkmen), whose complex arrangements serve to amplify the indelibly universal themes of Loved Wild Lost.
Watch the exclusive Loved Wild Lost album trailer HERE
“Loved Wild Lost is a sincere and sophisticated collection of songs steeped in tradition, but of its own time,” says Nicki Bluhm. “After three solid years of playing as a band across the country, we have had time to learn, reflect and grow. This album displays a departure into the deeper and more contemplative themes of people in transition and the struggle to retain the energy and optimism of youth as life becomes more complex.”
“The longer something moves away from its inception point, the more it takes on a life and a narrative of its own,” adds Nicki’s husband and the band’s musical director, Tim Bluhm. “In these songs, I think you can clearly hear that happening; idealism and optimism losing control to the forces of inertia and a life of constant traveling. Happiness becomes an intention and love becomes a long-term study of oneself and of one another.”
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers will herald Loved Wild Lost with a series of month-long residencies in intimate venues in Chicago, Nashville and their own native San Francisco Bay Area (announced tour dates below). In addition, the band has slated a number of headlining shows and performances at upcoming festivals through the summer. Additional dates will be announced soon – for complete details and ticket information, please visit www.nickibluhm.com.
Nicki Bluhm had already received national applause for two solo outings before 2013’s Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers self-titled album propelled her and the band to even wider acclaim and attention. Its contemporary take on classic West Coast folk rock and modern Americana showcased Bluhm’s remarkable voice and resonant lyrical gifts, earning praise from American Songwriter as “a modest, melodic gem [that] neatly combines the rustic vibe of The Band with the more polished approach of Buckingham/Nicks-era Fleetwood Mac.”
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers won over fans far and wide with their equally exciting live show. The six-piece band logged over 300 shows in 2012 and 2013, including memorable appearances at such famed festivals as Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Hangout, Newport Folk, Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Mountain Jam. As if that weren’t enough, Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers were memorably featured on CBS This Morning, streaming HERE.
NICKI BLUHM AND THE GRAMBLERS
Loved Wild Lost
Release Date: April 21st
COMPLETE TRACKLISTING
1. Only Always
2. Waiting on Love
3. Heartache
4. Queen of the Rodeo
5. Mr. Saturday Night
6. Love Your Loved Ones
7. Heart Gets Tough
8. Simpler Times
9. Me and Slim
10. High Neck Lace
11. Heavy Hey Ya
NICKI BLUHM AND THE GRAMBLERS
North American Tour 2015
MARCH
5-8 Negril, Jamaica Ramble On The Island
11 San Rafael, CA Terrapin Crossroads
18 San Rafael, CA Terrapin Crossroads
22 Squaw Valley, CA Winter WonderGrass
23 Chico, CA Sierra Nevada Big Room
24 Chico, CA Sierra Nevada Big Room
25 San Rafael, CA Terrapin Crossroads w/ Phil Lesh
APRIL
14 Chicago, IL Schubas
15 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House
16 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox
17 Birmingham, AL Avondale Brewing Co. w/JJ Grey & Mofro
18 Asheville, NC New Mountain
21 Chicago, IL Schubas
22 Louisville, KY Waterfront Wednesday w/Shakey Graves
23 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox
24 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio
25 Columbus, OH A&R Bar
28 Chicago, IL Schubas
29 Cincinnati, OH Taft Ballroom
30 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox
MAY
2 Guthrie, OK Queen of the Prairie Festival
21-24 Cumberland, MD DelFest
JUNE
4-7 Hunter Mountain, NY Mountain Jam
JULY
22-26 Floyd, VA Floyd Fest
For more information, please visit www.nickibluhm.com
