7 Minutes in Heaven with: NIGEL WRIGHT

A couple weeks ago I was browsing through The Blue Indian’s inbox, scanning over the dozens and dozens of press releases, album review requests, and show announcements when a message caught my eye.

”Inspired by the Blue Ridge Mountains near his home in Georgia, singer-songwriter Nigel Wright writes beautiful modern folk songs with subtle, gentle lyrics and lilting melodies.”

TBI always pays extra attention to Georgia-based musicians, but the odd thing was that the email was from Butterfly Collectors, a fledgeling German record label. I followed the link to their Soundcloud page and was immediately captivated by Wright’s deep melodic voice.

The story behind how Butterfly Collectors discovered and subsequently signed Wright is a unique one. The label was looking up another Nigel Wright (not that one, this one) and kept coming across this 17-year-old home schooled kid from North Georgia’s music. They listened to his songs, were blown away, and contacted him via Facebook.

Six months later, Nigel was signed to the European label and in Berlin recording an EP, music videos, and touring Germany, BeNeLux, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy and the UK. His videos have been shown on MTV Europe and even Rolling Stone Europe has featured him.

So why is this incredible Georgia born and bred songwriter so popular across the pond and unheard of here in his home state? I’m not sure and it’s a cosmic injustice, but The Blue Indian aims to change that.

Read our brief interview with Nigel below to get to know him and then scroll down to see a sampling of videos and audio courtesy of Butterfly Collectors. You’ll soon be like me, dying for this Georgia boy to come home and give us a proper US tour.

NIGEL WRIGHT

Website: www.nigel-wright-music.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NigelWrightOfficial

1. Where are you from and how long have you been making music? 

I live on Burnt Mountain in Jasper, Georgia. And I’ve been making music since I was 15.

2. Describe your sound in 5 words: 

Layered, crisp, open, intuitive, and incubated

3. Who would you list as your top 3 musical influences? 

Nick Drake, Justin Vernon, and recently, Mark Kozelek

4. If you were to choose one song from your most recent release to share with our readers, what would it be and why? 

Barriers (Session)

The content of its lyrics reflects a meaning that’s pleasantly cryptic, yet the structure of the words creates a flow which would suit the narrative of a traditional folk song. Also, the vocal melody is one of the more “catchy” ones on the record.

5. What were your 5 favorite albums of 2011?

James Blake – James Blake

Springer Parker – There Are Places In Our Heads One Can Travel To

Wye Oak – Civilian

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

POLIÇA – Give You The Ghost

 6. Name a band that we might not have heard of yet but we should definitely check out? 

Eleanor Murray. Her For Cedar record was one of the two biggest things that sparked my interest in songwriting.

7. What’s been the most exciting thing about 2012 for you so far and what do you have to look forward to?

Simply the pleasure of performing my songs with my bandmates Clay and James. We all worked really hard on turning over a dozen singer songwriter pieces, which as recently as December 2011 only worked live as “one-guy-one-guitar” songs, into something bigger. After countless rehearsals and song arranging sessions in each other’s basements, we now have a live set we love. Seeing how people respond to our work is going to be satisfying.

Nigel Wright – “Advance” (Church Sessions)

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Nigel Wright – “Barriers” (Barefoot Sessions)

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Nigel Wright – “Anna/Clear Eyed Plans” EP

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