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            We got a chance to catch up with Nico Rivers, a folk solo singer and songwriter who brings his roots from the Northeast to Los Angeles, where he’s currently brewing up his upcoming debut solo EP, Thicker Than Water.  Expect to hear personal and raw music recorded at home with a few guitars and a kick drum that’ll take you to the northeast sandpits, throwing molotovs at wrecked car whilst enjoying a bottle of whiskey. We had a chance to pull at Nico River’s heartstrings as we talked about where his sound comes from.

Tunage: You’ve traveled a lot as a songwriter and solo artist, how has that affected your work?

Nico Rivers: Well, I’ve seen a lot throughout America, I haven’t been out of the country yet. But, I’ve pulled influence from all over the place, from New Orleans streets to places like Native American ruins in New Mexico mountains, all the way up to Montana, and all that stuff is influential when it comes to writing my music. A lot of the scenery that I depict in my songs, the bayous, the mountains have all played a huge role.

T: Tell us a crazy story you’ve experienced in your travels.

NR: One time, my brother and I when we were in Longview, Texas, we were staying in this hotel room and we had all our gear in the car and we took our guitars inside. We got a phone call at 4 in the morning, so I hopped up and said hello, and no one said anything so I hung up. I thought it was strange, but I went back to sleep thinking someone probably just had the wrong number. About two minutes someone just pounded on our door. We had my brother’s dog with us, she’s a Boxer Pitbull, and she just hopped up and started barking. I jumped out of bed to see through the peephole to see who was there, but by the time I even got to the door there was a car in the parking lot just pulling out and speeding away. So we probably dodged a bullet there, who knows.

T: What part of the U.S. is your favorite place to perform and why?

NR: Anywhere that has a real stage. You know, it’s hard to pick a favorite place. One thing I’ve always loved about the Northeast (I grew up there) is that there’s this real authentic folk scene going on in the Northeast. While working at a radio station in Boston, I was lucky enough to experience a lot of it first hand, recording a lot of great acts coming through. Growing up with that, that’s always been so influential for me, and it’s always a blast to play in your hometown. Playing in Boston in particular, I love the whole Northeast in general.