Jared James Nichols
Jared James Nichols was a small-town Wisconsin kid, hopping a fence with his caseless guitar to play alone for hours on the final stage Stevie Ray Vaughn ever graced. Now he's a decade into a career that's taken him millions of miles around the planet and made him a peer and jamming buddy of guitar gods like Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Slash, and Joe Perry. Nichols' new record Louder than Fate (Frontiers Music SRL) released une 5th, shows a more song-driven approach, with upfront vocals and harmonies injected into catchy choruses. Of course, Nichols made his name playing roots-based guitar rock, so he doesn't abandon big riffs and shredding leads. Perhaps not coincidentally, since several songs were recorded at the Foo Fighters' Studio 606 in Los Angeles, Nichols went for more of a classic guitar rock feel, intertwined with jagged, evergreen choruses. It's not unlike early Foos or one of Nichols' heroes,. Guitarist Leslie West snarling about a "Mississippi Queen," which still appears on rock radio 55 years later. Foos' keyboardist Rami Jaffee fits right in, with a guest spot on the record, on which Nichols' drummer, Ryan Rice plays Dave Grohl's slice-through-the-mix drum set. If the Foo Fighters aren't enough of a connection to Nichols' classic hard-but-catchy singalong rock, he played through amps belonging to Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, tapping into the vibe of the kings of 1970s Beatlesque power pop. Nichols says it's about honoring the songs.
"That was a really conscious decision," Nichols says. "It's being able to say 'OK, cool. We have the riffs; we're not going to smash people over the head and have them go 'Enough is enough,' as I feel I've done a little of in the past. We were careful with the structure of 'How do we make these songs so the people can sing along, but I can fulfill my crazy rock and roll guitar urges?'"
Nichols was always laser-focused on becoming a guitar hero. From losing his scholarship from prestigious Berklee College of Music as a teenager for not conforming, to arriving in Hollywood in 2011 with no band and almost immediately winning a guitar competition at which his future manager was a judge (and told him to go find a band). He spent much of the next decade as a regular in guitar magazines and playing with legends like Buddy Guy, Joe Bonnamassa, Billy Gibbons, and George Thorogood. Nichols is now mentioned alongside the greats, with a loyal worldwide fanbase big enough to carry a long career for which most musicians would sell their soul at the nearest crossroads. But that's not enough. Nichols wants to evolve. While the Nashville resident has made his power trio's reputation with hair-raising live performances, Nichols is also a gritty and expressive vocalist, with a voice he shaped into a weapon as powerful as his six-string skills. It's only part of a dynamic package that's steadily grown since his first release, 2015's Old Glory & The Wild Revival. Nichols' musical evolution is most evident in the songwriting. He admits his early recordings featured songs in which big riffs and bigger, showy leads were the emphasis.
"What's cool with this record is this is the first time I ever took my time as a songwriter, and we did not rush any aspect of it, working with people who have their eye on the prize of the song ," Nichols says. "It's a totally different vibe."
"Every record has another shade, it's been like cutting a little deeper into the fruit - It's like I know there's more down there and I'm just trying to reach for it."
Charlie Reece
With a sound that blends modern country with the unapologetic grit of rock & roll, Charlie Reece is redefining what it means to be a country artist. His songs, rich with autobiographical storytelling, reflect both the beauty and the heartbreak of a life well-lived—because he's lived through it all. Raised in a small town in rural Alabama, Reece grew up in a working-class home where music became his refuge. His mother, a single parent working multiple jobs to make ends meet, instilled in him the values of perseverance and passion. Left alone for long hours, Charlie found companionship in the voices on the radio—Garth Brooks, George Strait, Guns N' Roses, and Mötley Crüe—artists who would shape his distinct blend of country storytelling and rock energy. In 2024, Reece took his passion to the next level, stepping into the studio to record his self-titled debut album, produced by Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars, Billy Idol, Akon). The album showcases Reece's ability to blend high-energy anthems with heartfelt ballads. Now, with his highly anticipated debut single and album on the horizon, Charlie Reece is ready to make his mark on country music. Authentic, unfiltered, and unapologetically himself, he's not just singing country music—he's living it
