“The combination is entrancing—itching to be listened to live.”
– Interview Magazine
“Having tapped garage god Ty Segall and jazz and blues dynamo Mose Allison for his latest release, Waterhouse straddles the line between rock grit and smooth, sultry R&B” – Esquire
“Nick Waterhouse is a soul man, through and through.” – Rolling Stone
“The American artist is steeped in vintage soul and R&B, but he’s able to add a distinctly modern, effortlessly stylish twist.” – CLASH
“riffage rooted in rhythm & blues, jazz, and soul” – American Songwriter
“A ‘musical talisman’ for our times” – Tower Records PULSE!
“it’s a shot of pure joy” – Pitchfork
Nick Waterhouse takes the color blue as his hue of choice as he takes a spiritual look to the past on new album Promenade Blue due out April 9 on Innovative Leisure. In his musical and lyrical world, blue is a refraction of his life and memories — evoking the highs and lows of success he’s experienced in his decade-long career; conjuring romances that were doomed, loves that lingered, and hope for future days of parity and partnership; summoning spirits of people who have gone but permeate his mind forever.
The new collection sparkles beatifically, reverberating with energy, heart, creativity, and vibe from start to finish. Punctuated with Girl Group backing vocals, previously released lead single “Place Names” would find itself at home in a vibrant New Orlean’s club or alongside contemporaries Marlon Williams and The Budos Band. Today he releases soulful new singles “Very Blue” and “Medicine,” two agape-style love songs that capture Waterhouse’s relentless spirit and mesmerizing brand of jittering, crystalline doo wop, jazz and blues. Lower-than-low gospel chants and refrains by The Sensational Barnes Brothers on “Medicine” lend both energy and emotional weight, conjuring a whole new mythic world for Nick’s compositions.
Waterhouse shares, “Both of these songs (and my forthcoming LP) are rooted in agape-style love centered around people that make differences in your life. I would say they represent two sides of the coin of Promenade Blue. Lyrically and tonally, it’s the kind of love – and kinship – your experiences with others, and concurrently the memories tied to them create. They are about how other people can affect you and your entire inner life that runs in parallel to romantic love (a la Valentine’s day). I am also an Aquarius so a February release just made sense. When I write songs like these they’re little Valentines to those that have given me these very personal things I treasure so much.”
He continues, “I have a deep and abiding love of the musicians who brought these to life, including guest vocalists The Sensational Barnes Brothers and my own hodgepodge crew that we started referring to as ‘the M-3’. This crew consists of my dear producer Paul, JB Flatt (string arranger on ‘very blue’) and a mysterious bass singer Robbie…. just the kind of late night studio fun a project can get into. Players: Doc Polizzi, Jessica Wilkes, Rob Douglas, Jason Smay, and JB Flatt”
Listen/Share “Very Blue” + “Medicine”
The world of Promenade Blue represents rebirth and reinvigoration as well as a clarity of purpose. It is vivid and magnetic, buoyed by both light and density due to Nick’s newfound collaboration with co-producer Paul Butler (Michael Kiwanuka, Devendra Banhart). This is a statement album, one to get lost in and rediscover over and over again. It’s not Gatsby’s New York in the 1920s, it’s Waterhouse’s California in the 2020s.
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