"ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING AMERICA'S NEXT BIG INDIE ROCKER,
EVOKING MEMORIES OF BOB DYLAN AND POST SGT. PEPPERS BEATLES,
NICO MANAGES TO CREATE THE FULLEST SOUND OF ANY SOLO ARTIST IN RECENT MEMORY.
EASILY THE MOST MUSICALLY INTRIGUING ARTIST TO COME ALONG SINCE SUFJAN STEVENS,
AND ON TRACK TO BECOME ONE OF THE GREAT TO EMERGE FROM THE ECHO PARK/SILVERLAKE SCENE."
The Deli Los Angeles
Growing on me like sumac, I keep having to itch for
relief even if temporary.
Think Joseph Arthur presence with a Nick Drake mind.
He’s been there AND done that so you should probably listen up”
Paste Magazine
“I think I’m in love .”
My Old Kentucky Blog
FLAUNT MAGAZINE ARTICLE
"Nico Stai may not yet be a rock star, but the L.A.-via-Spain singer-songwriter has
lived the life in more ways than one. For starters, Stai, who has a recently self-released solo album, Park
Los Angeles, has already played the major-label game with his former band, Tinpaco. “We did a thing
with Warner Records in Europe and the whole thing just fell to pieces, and it was a dodgy experience,”
Stai says over lunch at a Silver Lake restaurant. “We did this record, which was a great record, then
Garrett Lee, who did Snow Patrol, fell in love with it and he wanted to do it. But at that time Warner
Brothers Europe decided to back out of the whole thing and I was just like, ‘Fuck this.’ I went home,
threw up a mic and my eight track, and I just started laying down acoustic songs.”
Then there were extra-curricular activities that, he says, are behind him. “I’m clean
and sober now,” he says. “I was a fucking wreck.” In some of the older songs on Park Los Angeles, he
revisits that perspective. “It’s like some of it was written from that side of the fence and now I’m seeing
it from this side of the fence, and that’s actually really cool. That’s definitely the case with something
like ‘Andy’s House,’” he says.
As someone who’s gone through the ringer of drugs, Stai has a strong opinion of the
artistic myth that drugs and creativity mix. “I think that’s the biggest lie ever sold,” he says. “A lot of
the machinery in rock ’n’ roll and the industry and the business works on hype. It dosesn’t impress me,
someone shooting up, walking on stage and playing in front of a thousand people, and be the
shit; anybody can do that. The easiest thing you can do in this life is put something in your arm. It’s the
other stuff that’s not.” Having “wasted so much time,” as he puts it, Stai has a strong appreciation for
the opportunities now being presented to him, as well as the response he’s getting from fans who con-
nect with the music.
“More and more I’m just really grateful to be able to be up there and sing in front
of people,” he says. “People show up and they sing along to the words. Since this record I’ve been get-
ting so many e-mails from people, just really grateful and a lot of thank-you-type stuff. ‘Hey, man, that
song really helped me. Thank you.’”
While Stai understands the connection that stripped-down, singer-songwriter music
can make with fans, he is not giving up on the rock side he displayed with Tinpaco and Bonnie
Stai.
Following our lunch, he is off to audition drummers and bassists for a live band to accompany
himself and fellow guitarist Jeff Evans.
“I’m just going to do whatever I can to serve these people.
That’s all I can think about.”
Great show last night!! I saw you the first time, months ago, at club Spaceland (with Jason Falkner I think). I thought that you completely stold-the-show that night. Last night was even better - great set, filled with passion and energy. Two words come to mind: Super talented!
P.S. Where can one purchase Feeling Like I should?
hey, i just wanna say that i find your music absolutely amazing. i just kinda stumbled upon it, im very happy i did. keep with music, your going places man
Apparently you have a little angel as this flyer is floating abundantly in sci-arc downtown :) Hope your well dear. Hope to make it, that is if you really are not going on at ten more like elevenish, as I work. Please let me know.
