Search - Nick Curran & The Lowlifes :: Reform School Girl

Nick Curran describes his music as a cocktail consisting of the sounds of no less than seventeen widely differing musicians blended together with a cup of broken glass. That only begins to characterize the wallop packed by the 98-proof elixir of this singer, songwriter and monster guitarist who effortlessly carries the past with him as he blazes across the musical landscape in perpetual forward motion. Curran began his professional career at age nineteen, leaving Maine to tour with Ronnie Dawson. Although Dawson was primarily a rockabilly musician, many blues and punk fans appreciated his performances. He taught Curran not to get pigeonholed. Curran toured next with Texas rockabilly doyenne Kim Lenz, moving to Dallas to join her backup band the Jaguars for two years, and performing on Lenz's recording, The One And Only. Nick would stay with the Jaguars for two years. He is also featured on Lenz's latest CD, It's All True, and recently toured with her in the summer of 2009.In 1999 the Texas Jamboree label issued Curran's debut solo recording, Fixin' Your Head. As he would do on all future CDs, Curran used vintage recording equipment to achieve the feel and sound of old 45s and 78s, and the LPs of the 1950s. To support the recording he formed the band, Nick Curran and the Nitelifes, whose performances whipped audiences to frenzied devotion with their wild ride of retro, yet fresh and edgy rock 'n' roll, boogie, r & b, jump blues and a variety of other tasty stylistic devils in the details. A second Texas Jamboree CD, Nitelife Boogie, followed in 2001. When Curran moved to Austin, Jimmie Vaughan, who had heard his CDs, invited him to sit in on a set at Antone's. Vaughan would make a guest appearance on two tracks on Nick's next recording, Dr. Velvet, which garnered the 2004 W.C. Handy Award (now the Blues Music Award) for Best New Artist Debut.From 2004 to 2007 Curran displayed his talents with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kim Wilson's legendary band, appearing on their 2005 recording, Painted On. Also during that time, Curran and bassist Ronnie James started the punk band Deguello, saying that it ''sounded as if Little Richard sang with The Ramones.'' After performing a solo show in November, 2008, Nick was inspired to form the rock 'n' roll roots band, The Lowlifes. Reform School Girl is a culmination of Curran's multitude of talents: a throwback to his roots, only amped up to the limit. ''I've written more songs on Reform School Girl than on any other records. I wanted it to have no filler - only good stuff. All my influences are there, from old blues like Lazy Lester and T-Bone Walker to girl groups like the Ronettes and the Shangri-Las, to Guns N Roses.'' The album also features a couple of appearances by some of Nick's close personal friends including a duet on the song Flyin' Blind, co-written with Blasters' frontman Phil Alvin, as well as harmonica ace Jason Ricci on Reel Rock Party. Catch Nick Curran as he shakes, rattles and rolls a head-spinning combination of genres and tunes into a cool, irresistible cocktail that is rough and ready for action.