Nicki Bluhm

Nicki Bluhm (born September 22, 1979) is a singer, musician, and songwriter from Lafayette, California. She has performed with The Gramblers since 2008. She has also guest-performed with Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, Chris Robinson, Grace Potter, The Avett Brothers, Keller Williams, and Galactic among others. In the winter of 2016 she toured as guest vocalist with the Infamous Stringdusters. She has also sung on album tracks for Karl Denson (The Rolling Stones, Greyboy All-Stars) and The Brothers Comatose.^[1]

Early career, Toby's Song, and The Gramblers

In 2006 Nicki was heard singing by Tim Bluhm, singer of The Mother Hips. He offered to help her record in his home studio, Pacific Dust, in San Francisco, and in the course of making the record the two dated and married. Nicki began performing in San Francisco with guitarist Deren Ney, a friend from grade school, at night as she worked on the album. That debut, "Toby's Song" (Little Knickers, 2008),featured an ad hoc studio band including Ney, singer/songwriter Jackie Greene (Jackie Greene Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, The Black Crowes) and ALO's Steve Adams (bass) and The Mother Hips' John Hofer (drums). When Toby's Song was released Bluhm assembled a touring band and began performing under the name Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers.

Nicki is credited with writing or co-writing most of the band's songs, but also integrates those written by other songwriters in the band, predominantly Tim. In an interview with The Independent Bluhm said:

"There’s four songwriters in the band — me, Tim, lead guitarist Deren Ney, and rhythm guitarist Dave Mulligan. Basically we all write independently and then bring songs to the table and play ’em for each other. Typically we always like the songs that people bring in; I think there has yet to be a song that we didn’t like, which is really lucky. We all definitely have a common thread in our songwriting, but it’s all got some personality to it. I think it’s really cool to have multiple songwriters; it kind of diversifies the feel and the sound. So far it’s worked well for us." ^[2]

Driftwood

Bluhm's second album, Driftwood, was the first to be recorded mostly with the live lineup of Nicki, Tim, Ney, Adams, and drummer Mike Curry. It also featured Greene on keys, Adams' ALO bandmates Dave Brogan and Dan Lebowitz, and Railroad Earth's Tim Carbone. Shortly before the album was released singer/songwriter Dave Mulligan joined the touring band on rhythm guitar/vocals and Tim shifted to keys. ^[3]

Driftwood had a modest run on its initial release in 2011 but was re-released in Summer 2012 as the band's popularity surged, after their next album was already in the can. They performed that year at the Bonnaroo Festival, SXSW, and Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival.

For subsequent releases see Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers).

YouTube Success

The band became widely known after their "Van Sessions" videos, where the band performs cover songs in a van while driving between gigs, became a viral hit in March 2012. Their cover of the Hall & Oates song I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) was viewed over a million times a week after it was posted. It gained the band noteworthy fans such as Cameron Crowe, Ryan Adams, Melissa Etheridge and even John Oates and Daryl Hall. The video's popularity brought the group media attention. MSN, CBS News This Morning and New York Magazine all did features on the band. Their "nbluhm" YouTube Channel as of this writing has nearly 10 million views.^[4] Bluhm performed the song with John Oates in 2014.

Icons Redefined campaign

In 2012 Bluhm was featured in a global ad campaign for The Gap called "Icons Redefined", which featured "the icons of tomorrow", including The Avett Brothers and Kaki King.^[5] These ads were featured on Gap billboards and in magazines worldwide. The band performed at the campaign launch event in New York.

Discography

Studio albums

Nicki Bluhm

• Toby's Song (Little Knickers, 2008)
• Driftwood (Little Knickers, 2011, rereleased 2012 on Little Sur Records, 2012)

Tim & Nicki Bluhm

• Duets (Little Sur Records, 2011)

Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers

• Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers (Little Sur Records, 2013)
• Love Wild Lost (Little Sur Records, 2015)

Brokedown in Bakersfield

• Brokedown in Bakersfield (Little Sur, 2014)

References

External links

• Personal Website bio
• Broke Down in Bakersfield website
• The Mother Hips