Nicole McKenna

About the Artist
Nic's Story...kind of...

Back in NYC, Nicole honed her songwriting and live performance skills as a regular headliner at The Living Room, the legendary CBGB's and The Bitter End. Critics raved, calling her one of the city's "best kept secrets."

The secret is out. Nicole single handedly cultivated a flowering underground scene of her own. Through ingenious networking and word of mouth, Nicole's sexy, breathy vocal mystique and natural gift for melody got heads turning fast. In 2001, she released her debut eponymous CD, produced by Saul Zonana (Blue Oyster Cult, Luv Junkies, Ace Frehely). Performing Songwriter magazine chose Nicole's song "You Can't" as one of the top 12 independent releases to appear on their Editor's Choice Compilation CD, Volume 8 in 2001, alongside artists such as Alice Peacock (Aware/Columbia) and Will Hoge (Atlantic).

With her second album "Stay Awhile" (20/20 Music), Nicole's song craft has reached new levels of maturity -- a fresh, honest, diverse set of songs packed with emotional realism and an irrepressible optimism that shuns the dark and trendy cynicism found in many singer/songwriters of her generation. Produced by Saul Zonana and recorded at 20/20 Music and Acme Studios, "Stay Awhile" showcases Nicole's stunning voice in the context of finely-polished, compact guitar driven pop. Initial response to "Stay Awhile" has been fantastic, judging by the enthusiasm of those who packed the many NYC shows to hear Nicole debut the songs live. Pre-publicity ad-publicity advance online sales of "Stay Awhile" have been unusually brisk. Beyond the Big Apple, the accolades for Nicole's artistry continue to pile up. In October 2002 Nicole was selected to play the Nashville New Music Conference and in November 2002, she was selected to participate in the Independent Music World Series. Nicole was one of only 6 artists chosen from the thousands considered.

Product Description
Nicole's music captures its listeners with guitar driven pop hooks and a hypnotic earful of vocal melodies. On her CD, produced by Saul Zonana (Halfman Wonder, Blue Oyster Cult, Luv Junkies), Nicole has clearly accomplished the rare task of defining her own sound. Nicole's music has been described as "Sultry, haunting and beautiful..." and "A perfect mix of subtlety and melody. "Nicole's live performances have become her NY trademark. She's a regular headliner at The Living Room, CBGB's and The Bitter End. One writer quipped "Nicole has never disappointed live, her voice is even more effective in the intimate settings of a small venue, making her one of the city's (New York) best kept secrets."

Nicole McKenna,Nicole McKenna,20/20 Music,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Rock Music: