“Nik Rael is a great singer.” Those six words have been echoed countless times just ahead of those same people proclaiming how much they love his songwriting. Nik who is a fun loving but shy and modest guy takes it all in stride and most often will just say how he’d rather talk about music than himself. Nik begins by explaining the process of recording his latest project ‘Winter 61’. “I took over 500 songs and whittled them down to 100. Then I took those 100 and played them and sang them endlessly until I found the 11 songs that wanted to be played and sung the most. At that point we proceeded to gather some of the finest musicians around and a producer and engineer with outstanding ears and sensibilities. John Platania, Ira Coleman, Gary Burke, engineer Milt Costakis and I sequestered ourselves in a very secluded studio for a couple of days. We had no access to phones or electronics of any kind other than what was absolutely needed for recording. We had undertaken the challenge of recording a complete album of Bob Dylan songs, arguably the greatest songwriter of the past half-century, and we wanted to achieve the proper atmosphere.” “It’s certainly not the method by which songs are usually chosen for an album but then again there is nothing usual about Bob Dylan. He strode into New York City in the winter of 1961, guitar in hand and he has been engaging us with his music and making us think ever since.“ This is Nik’s 3rd or 4th record, depending on whom you ask (HeadSoup, Worlds Fade Away, Thank You). The previous three were comprised of original tunes but with ‘Winter 61’ Nik felt it was time to pay homage to the person, among many other influences, that has inspired him most as a songwriter. This being a year of many milestones for Bob Dylan it seemed the perfect time to make this record. Fifty years since he arrived in New York’s Greenwich Village, seventy years since he first graced the planet and fifty years this fall the first time he set foot inside a studio to record his first album. Nik and the band loved every facet of making this record. Winter 61 Tangled Up In Blue Just Like A Woman Subterranean Homesick Blues Mr. Tambourine Man Highway 61 Revisited I Believe In You All Along The Watchtower Someday Baby Knocking On Heaven's Door Positively 4th Street Make You Feel My Love All songs written by Bob Dylan (Special Rider Music) Vintage photos by Robert Otter Nik Rael, began his musical journey in earnest as the leader of one of Philadelphia’s premier bands of the late ‘90s, HeadSoup. The band established a large cult following and received heavy airplay in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. “HeadSoup was a great band, I love those guys and our fans were tremendous. But after a few years it just seemed time to try something else. The Soup was a power trio and my writing was evolving into a number of other areas. If you search real hard I am sure you can find some of our first CDs. Nothing remains lost or hidden for long in the Internet age.” Nik is all about music. As a third generation bass player of Mexican/English decent, Nik doesn’t even remember a time when he wasn’t surrounded by music. He grew up listening to his parents extensive vinyl collection that included every album by The Beatles, Dylan, The Stones, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison and Pink Floyd, just to mention a few. “People often ask me when I started singing and how I developed my style. Well, the fact is I don’t ever recall not singing. My parents say I was singing by age two. As far as style goes I just do what I do, there’s probably a little bit of every singer I ever loved that comes through.” Nik’s music has often been branded ‘Folk n Soul.’ Until fairly recently Nik had never even considered playing an instrument other than the bass. He wrote his first song on the instrument. Of course, he does play guitar and a bit of piano too but there’s something about that 4 string that is almost sacred to him. “Paul McCartney blew me away at an early age, his bass playing, his phrasing and his ability to sing in most any style. I wanted to be Paul McCartney.” As Nik grew so did his taste in music and he became an ardent fan of Soul, Folk, Blues and Reggae. The first time Nik heard Bob Marley it was like an out of body experience. “Marley is just beautiful, let’s just leave it at that.” Nik and his music are often described as Folk n Soul. It’s also been said that he seems like an “old soul” in a younger man’s body. Nik traces this directly to how much he was impressed by countless singers, many of whom created powerful, deeply moving, and beautiful music but often labored in obscurity. “ I like to include songs by some of these lesser known singers in my live show. The music is too good to be lost or locked away somewhere. I love Louis Armstrong, Aretha, Marley, Van or Sting, but for every singer that’s well known there are 100 great singers that have been overlooked.” As the original HeadSoup was winding down Nik made a move to the Hudson Valley. He intended to just spend some serious time writing music and take a bit of a break from gigging. Nik got a call one-day and was told that there was a producer that he should meet. Even though he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to record just yet, the chance to meet a producer who was regarded as quite a musician in his own right convinced him the meeting could be worthwhile. That producer/musician turned out to be John Platania, long-time guitarist for Van Morrison and a myriad of others including Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman and Natalie Merchant. John and hit it off at that first meeting and Nik’s debut solo CD “Worlds Fade Away’ is a result of their collaboration. In 2009 Nik again teamed up with John Platania to compile 12 original songs entitled ‘Thank You’. That CD also received strong Hudson Valley regional airplay and garnered strong reviews from critics. Nik has yet to break through on a national level but it’s just a matter of time. His music has sold in over 20 countries as wide spread as Australia, Turkey, Germany, The UK, France, Israel and India. John Platania and Nik are busy laying down tracks for the next CD. Nik has been fortunate to share the stage with the likes of Janis Ian, Hot Tuna, John Hall, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Guy Davis, Pete Seeger and more. The road has not always been easy. He has also been car jacked and only through some quick thinking curbside negotiation avoided getting seriously hurt and the band’s equipment being stolen. He has lived month to month in apartments and neighborhoods that were far from safe. Often in the early days the best meal of the day was the one provided for the band at that night’s gig. Nik will often just deflect questions about the hard times by saying “it wasn’t so bad.” One listen to his song “Livin’ Like Vermin” might paint a more colorful and accurate picture Nik’s band, HeadSoup, can consist of any number of players and very often features guitarist/producer John Platania. He has recently bringing his brand of Folk n Soul to venues up and down the Hudson Valley including The Towne Crier, The Turning Point, Boscobel, The Howland Cultural Center and the Garrison Depot Theater. Nik and the band have also visited and played at as many radio stations as possible along the way, and even managed to squeeze in a few TV spots. “It’s been amazing,” says Nik. “Every where we play they ask us back, I feel very fortunate.” To listen to some of Nik’s songs go to: www.cdbaby.com CDs and downloads are available through iTunes, CDBaby & Amazon And all quality online retailers. For more Nik Rael & HeadSoup info please contact – Allcre8ive@aol.com or 917.922.1087