ERIC NICOLAS America has always told her story through music. Singer-songwriter-guitarist ERIC NICOLAS gives voice to the stories of today, as we join the new chorus of world music. A rootsy, honest story-teller, Eric spans the musical globe with influences from Africa, Brazil, gospel and good old-fashioned rock-n-roll. Born and raised in Topeka, Kansas, Eric has been playing guitar and writing songs since the age of 8, and singing in bar bands before he was old enough to drink. He honed his craft in the western states, graduated from Brown University and came to New York to take advantage of the city's concentration of like-minded musicians. Earning his living exclusively as a musician and singer, he has stayed busy as a session musician, sideman and bandleader, singing steadily in NYC clubs and travelling extensively in the USA and Europe in top-flight bands playing r&b, rock, and Afro-beat. His debut CD Amnesty confirms his reputation as a literate and accomplished lyricist, a moving songwriter, a skilled and versatile guitarist and a powerful singer. Micah Solomon, president and CEO of Oasis CD Manufacturing Inc., calls Amnesty "the best intelligent-pop record I've heard in many years." Bill Ribas, of NYRocks, writes: "Who knows, maybe he is just one crazy-girl song away from the big time... A smart disc for the acoustically incined." Eric Francis, of Planet Waves, writes "Emotional authenticity... a perfect hybrid of passion and sheer musicianship. ...From the first note, the room is aurora borealis." Influences: Dylan, Paul Simon, Beatles, Joni, Costello, Police, Tin Pan Alley, classic soul and the great Richard Thompson. Contemporaries: David Gray, Martin Sexton, Duncan Sheik, etc. Eric's reputation as an electrifying live performer has been established at venues in and around New York including the Bottom Line, FEZ, the Mercury Lounge and the Cutting Room. Eric has attracted an extraordinary team of talents whose playing credits include Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin and Paul Simon, and they consistently play to a large and growing following. In 2001, the Williamsburg Art neXus (WAX), a hot new performance venue in Brooklyn, produced a concert of Eric's music as a dramatic multi-media song cycle, staged with original video and lighting design. The Water Wheel was the title of this show and is also the title of Eric's second CD, due to be released in August, 2002. Each song onThe Water Wheel unfolds on a unique musical landscape, telling a story with contemporary appeal over a thrilling world beat. And Eric's voice is one that touches the heart; the stories he tells are masterful and compelling, reaching across cultures and generations and speaking volumes to each of us. "Eric is one of the best singer-songwriters performing today. We were proud to bring him to FEZ, and sure enough, he blew the room away." -Jeanne Stahlman, Mercury Rising Entertainment