Jeb Loy Nichols
Encyclopedia
Jeb Loy Nichols is an American
-born singer, songwriter
, musician
, and artist
currently living in Wales
. His music combines elements of soul
, country
, folk
, reggae
and blues
.
. He lived in Missouri
, Austin
, Texas
and New York
before moving to England
in the 1980s.
In 1990 he formed Fellow Travellers with his wife, vocalist Lorraine Morley. That year, they issued the album No Easy Way on the independent Okra label
based in Ohio
, followed by Just a Visitor in 1992, Things and Time in 1993, Love Shines Brighter in 1993 and A Few Good Dubs in 1995.
In 1994/1995 Lorraine Morley released the album A Face Drawn In Sand (OKra/NORMAL Rec) with mandolin, harmonica and occasional backing-vocals courtesy of Jeb Loy Nichols.
In 1997, Nichols released his first album under his own name, Lovers Knot on Capitol Records
. Positive critical reviews could not overcome poor sales and he was dropped from the label
. He then released Just What Time It Is on the Rough Trade
label in 2000. Rykodisc
released Easy Now in 2002. 2005's Now Then on the Tuition label marked the fourth record label in a row. Tuition then released his 2007 release Days Are Mighty. Parish Bar was released in 2009 on Tuition in the UK, and Compass
in the US. Strange Faith and Practice was released in 2009 on the Impossible Ark record label.
song "What's Your Version" on the Soundboy Rock
album.
Nichols released the 2010 album Only Time Will Tell with British singer/songwriter Ian Gomm
on the Relaxa Records label. They recorded 14 new tracks together at Gwyn Jones’s Bos Studio in Llanferfyl, Mid Wales. Nashville musicians Clive Gregson and Pat McInerney also dropped by to help out in between UK touring commitments. It was mixed at The Butcher Shoppe, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by David Ferguson and mastered at Foxwood Mastering, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by Dave Shipley.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
currently living in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. His music combines elements of soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
.
Biography
Jeb Loy Nichols was born in WyomingWyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. He lived in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
before moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1980s.
In 1990 he formed Fellow Travellers with his wife, vocalist Lorraine Morley. That year, they issued the album No Easy Way on the independent Okra label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
based in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, followed by Just a Visitor in 1992, Things and Time in 1993, Love Shines Brighter in 1993 and A Few Good Dubs in 1995.
In 1994/1995 Lorraine Morley released the album A Face Drawn In Sand (OKra/NORMAL Rec) with mandolin, harmonica and occasional backing-vocals courtesy of Jeb Loy Nichols.
In 1997, Nichols released his first album under his own name, Lovers Knot on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Positive critical reviews could not overcome poor sales and he was dropped from the label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. He then released Just What Time It Is on the Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
label in 2000. Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
released Easy Now in 2002. 2005's Now Then on the Tuition label marked the fourth record label in a row. Tuition then released his 2007 release Days Are Mighty. Parish Bar was released in 2009 on Tuition in the UK, and Compass
Compass Records
Compass Records is a Nashville-based independent record label founded in 1995 by musicians Garry West and Alison Brown. Currently home to nearly 100 folk, bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, and new acoustic artists, the label releases about 20 records a year...
in the US. Strange Faith and Practice was released in 2009 on the Impossible Ark record label.
Collaborations
Nichol's voice is heard on the Groove ArmadaGroove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
song "What's Your Version" on the Soundboy Rock
Soundboy Rock
Soundboy Rock is the fifth studio album by London-based Electronica Dance duo Groove Armada which was released on May 4, 2007. The album was released on CD, vinyl, and also as a limited CD package with 2 bonus tracks . The first single taken off the album was "Get Down", released on 30 April 2007....
album.
Nichols released the 2010 album Only Time Will Tell with British singer/songwriter Ian Gomm
Ian Gomm
Ian Robert Gomm is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.[]...
on the Relaxa Records label. They recorded 14 new tracks together at Gwyn Jones’s Bos Studio in Llanferfyl, Mid Wales. Nashville musicians Clive Gregson and Pat McInerney also dropped by to help out in between UK touring commitments. It was mixed at The Butcher Shoppe, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by David Ferguson and mastered at Foxwood Mastering, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by Dave Shipley.
Discography
- Lovers KnotLovers Knot (album)Lovers Knot is an album released in 1997 by American-born singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols. It was his first album released under his own name...
(1997) - Just What Time It IsJust What Time It IsJust What Time It Is is the second album by American-born singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols, released in 2000 on the Rough Trade record label.-Track listing:#"Heaven Right Here" – 3:38#"Perfect Stranger" – 4:16#"Hold Me Till I Fall" – 3"23...
(2000) - Easy NowEasy NowEasy Now is the third album by American-born singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols, released in 2002 on the Rykodisc record label.-Track listing:#"Letter to an Angel" – 2:28#"Better Than Beautiful" – 2:56#"They Don't Know" – 3:44#"Wild Honeycomb'" – 3:45...
(2002) - Now ThenNow ThenNow Then is the fourth album by American-born singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols, released in 2005 on the Tuition record label in the UK and Bongo Beat in the US.-Track listing:#"Sometimes Shooting Stars" – 2:56#"Really Together" – 3:23...
(2005) - Days Are MightyDays Are MightyDays Are Mighty is the fifth album by American-born singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols, released in 2007 on the Tuition record label in the UK and the Compass record label in the US...
(2007) - Parish BarParish BarParish Bar is the sixth album by American-born singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols, released in 2009 on the Tuition record label in the UK and the Compass record label in the US...
(2009) - Strange Faith and PracticeStrange Faith and PracticeStrange Faith and Practice is the seventh album by American-born singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols, released in 2009 on the Impossible Ark record label.-Track listing:#"Sometime Somewhere Somebody" - 2:59#"Lake Whitfield" - 4:14...
(2009) - Only Time Will Tell (2010)