Jul 18, 2008

Atkins digs deep, finds her unique sound

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

New music drifts in and out of our consciousness. A discordant song prompts a lunge for the skip button. A pleasing tune momentarily catches our attention, then quickly fades from memory.

On rare occasions, a record comes along that catches us by surprise, revitalizing our ears and remaining in our minds and hearts. Such an album is Nicole Atkins' "Neptune City." With the brilliance, power and imagination of Kurt Weill, Maria McKee's masterpiece "Life Is Sweet," a Freddy Mercury extravaganza or Phil Spector's Ronettes, this record dazzles from start to finish.

You'll be swept into Atkins' world on first listening, then discover additional textures and nuances with each subsequent play. The singer-songwriter's exceptionally expressive voice soars over the colorful landscape.

Her major label debut, the bittersweet album was built on Atkins recollections of her hometown, Neptune City, N.J. She constantly picks up intriguing tidbits from those around her.

"My family has a lot of tragic stories," says Atkins, now a resident of nearby Asbury Park. "My mom's the kind of person who starts off her morning by reading the obituaries. They all have a really funny, warped sense of humor. They take tragic things and try to make them seem light.

"My Dad'll be telling me, 'My friend Mike's mother died. Remember how much she used to smoke? Her lips smelled like smoke in the casket.' I'll just write that down in my book for later, because that could definitely become a lyric."

Atkins appreciates the contrast of dark and light. "Human emotions are more complex than black and white. Every story has two sides. So the conflict is there," she said. "Even when I'm really angry at the person I'm writing a song about, I try to see it from both sides. It makes me feel better."

She went into the studio with strong ideas for arrangements, but sometimes songs take on lives of their own.

"'Brooklyn's On Fire,' started out just as a little stupid sea chanty that I made. We sat with my band and the producer (Tore Johansson - Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand, New Order) and some guys from his band and just kept playing and playing. We were like, 'Imagine Queen is the circus house band. What would they be playing?' We kept playing until we had this really thick sound built up. Once it was all put together, we're just like, 'Wow! We made this? Cool!'"

The album is the culmination of everything Atkins had been working towards musically. "When I started, I was writing very simple country songs. Then I got into a lot of '60s psychedelic rock. I always wanted to marry the two sounds."

Atkins said her sound is informed by "the music of the past," bands like Love , Moby Grape and Circus Maximus. "I love to learn about bands and listen to records."

Atkins' creative splendor also benefited from studying art. "It taught me that you've got to make a hundred paintings before you can make one good one. Also, where you start usually isn't where you end up. You've got to keep layering to make it what you want it to be."

For a time, she earned a living painting Tuscan murals for Italian restaurants. "The work was so repetitive, it became almost meditative. It was easy for melodies to creep into my head, because I was so bored."

In college, she made money delivering singing telegrams and playing costumed-characters for children's gatherings. "My friend and I would go to parties afterwards and do keg stands in our Teletubbies outfits."

Playing Barbie proved to be a low point. Even though she wore a bridesmaid dress and blonde wig, Atkins' husky voice and irreverent attitude made the kiddies uneasy. "I'm like the most non-Barbie person in the world. The Mom canceled the check on that one and I was like, 'Screw this.'"

Atkins knew what she wanted to do with her life. "I never thought that, even if I didn't get anywhere with my music, I would stop doing it. I would be happy waitressing in a local bar, as long as I could sing, too. Writing and performing songs are the only things I like to do."

While sleeping in an old Dodge Ram Charger, she established herself in New York's anti-folk scene and developed her own dramatic sound.

Onstage, Atkins gives the "Neptune City" songs more of a raw, rock edge. "Actually, I think it sounds a little bit better in a live version."

With her band the Sea, Atkins plays tonight through Sunday at Mountain Winery, opening for Chris Isaak.

"We opened for him last summer and the reception was so awesome, it was crazy. It's where we got most of our fan base," she said. "He's got that kind of Roy Orbison-y voice and we have elements of that, too. So people see a kinship there."

Atkins is an artist who doesn't ignore the importance of marketing her creations. "I'm pretty involved (in the) artwork, photos, (merchandise), what we look like onstage. It's like I get to be my own art director and use that art degree," she laughed.

An appearance in an American Express commercial, featuring 90 seconds of her music, provided tremendous exposure.

"It's not like MTV is knocking down my door to play this kind of music," she said. "It was a real odd thing. My mom was like, 'I guess they didn't check your credit, huh?' It came at a great time for me. I was signed, but I still had no money, was living with my parents and getting creditor calls. So I got to pay off my credit card bills."

Atkins is excited about material for her next album, which she describes as "heavier and more expansive."

She's happy with her progress. "I'm in a good position, where we might not be the most famous band in the world, but making music is all I have to do. So I'm very fortunate."

For Atkins, music is all-consuming. "It's been a constant struggle to balance things, especially with my personal life ... but I'm working on it."