Nikki O'Neill: lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
Joshua "Cartier" Cutsinger: bass, vocals
Rich Lackowski: drums, percussion, vocals
Auditioning new keyboard/Hammond players in West LA.
If you're age 25-35 and have the chops, gear, transport, great work ethic and attitude, send us a message here on the page with your Myspace/website and clips of your playing.
Influences
Hi Records, Stax, Motown... Tina Turner, Ann Peebles, Aretha Franklin, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Al Green, Ray Charles, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin...... on guitars/stringed gadgets: Albert King, Prince, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Randolph, Derek Trucks, Jennifer Batten, Me'shell NdegeOcello, Tal Wilkenfeld, Sue Foley and Cindy Cashdollar...... plus Quincy Jones, Sly Stone, Fela Kuti, Black Crowes, Phish, Greatful Dead, John Lee Hooker, The Meters, Galactic, Amy Winehouse, Gov't Mule...
Sounds Like
"Nikki O'Neill is like listening to Chrissie Hynde singing to John Lennon in Otis Redding's kitchen."
- Will Ray (The Hellecasters)
"Nikki's songwriting is a breath of fresh air. She breaks the mold
without moving outside the boundaries of popular music. Her songs are
infectious and satisfying and her solos are tasty and melodic. I always
feel better after hearing her play."
- Ron Manus, Executive Vice President, Alfred Publishing
Your song 'Starting Over' is so good it is unfair to call it indie. It is head and shoulders better than anything mainstream I have heard in five years. Wishing you tremendous success with your career ~ Mike from SonicJive.com
"Nikki O'Neill is like listening to Chrissie Hynde singing to John Lennon in Otis
Redding's kitchen. She takes everything she's learned about life, puts it in a blender and pours out a glass of soul!"
- Will Ray (The Hellecasters, Solomon Burke, Steve Earle)
Get the single that Will Ray reviewed here!
NIKKI O'NEILL BAND BIO
Nikki O'Neill is a singer, lead guitar player and songwriter in LA. Her band appeals to fans of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Chrissie Hynde, Ann Peebles, and fans of soul, blues and classic rock n roll.
The Nikki O'Neill Band's distinct flavor lies in Nikki's soul shouter vocals and lead guitar playing, and in the songs, blending earthy Southern soul with Beatlesque craftiness.
The band also includes drummer Rich Lackowski and bass player Joshua "Cartier" Cutsinger. The band is auditioning new keyboard/Hammond players in West LA (see member section for info.)
"Starting Over", "It's Simple (But It's Not Easy)", and "Some Day" from the band's 2007 debut, feature Nikki on vocals/guitars and Rich Lackowski on drums. The production and arranging was handled by Nikki and Dapo Torimiro, keyboardist with Stevie Wonder.
Through 2008, they've played numerous clubs, festivals and acoustic shows.
They've played at International Pop Overthrow Festival (IPO); the LA Marathon; NAMM, a 4th of July fest in Chicago, and Make Music Pasadena. In 2009, they'll return to LA Marathon and IPO.
Nikki is featured in "Guitar Women" - Sue Foley's upcoming book with top players like Bonnie Raitt, Me'shell Ndegocello, Ani DiFranco, Jennifer Batten, and more.
www.guitarwoman.com
She is endorsed by Daisy Rock Guitars and Seymour Duncan pickups.
NEWS!!!
*Nikki did a demo for Daisy Rock's guitars at the NAMM Show in Anaheim on Thursday, January 15, 2009, along with The Bangles.
*Nikki's song "Starting Over" was featured on NBC's The Today Show in 2007. She also co-wrote three songs with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare in 2007.
*Nikki is a sought-after freelance musician in LA. She sometimes plays guitar with soul-funk-jazz artist Philip Clark. She recently sang in Move Over, a Janis Joplin tribute, and played guitar in the tribute Fem Zeppelin. She's available to play with serious recording and touring projects, learns material very fast, has gear, transport, image, chops and work ethic together.
ADDITIONAL FACTS ABOUT THE BAND:
Nikki moved to LA from NYC, but grew up in Sweden and Poland. She's featured in Sue Foley's upcoming book "Guitar Women"; is the founder of Women's School of Rock; taught the only university-level guitar class in the U.S. on women's contemporary rock guitar at The New School in NYC, and she's been a guest clinician at the all-female rock college ELLA in Sweden. She played on Kokolo Afrobeat Orchestra's 2002 debut album "Fuss And Fight", which was produced by Gabe Roth of The Dap-Kings.
Rich is from Chicago. He's the author of smash hit drum instruction book "On The Beaten Path," which won the 2008 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll Award and the 2008 Drummy Reader's Poll Award for best drum book.
Josh is also from Chicago. He is a Grammy-nominated producer and engineer, and his client list includes Sting, Bob Dylan, Rachael Yamagata, Pink, kd lang, members of The Smashing Pumpkins, and many other major label artists.
Hi Nikki! Wow! You sound GREAT! A TOTAL PRO! So glad to know you! Would love to work with you someday! We are all about the "SISTASHIP"! You GO GURL! BLESSINGS, Francesca and SOME LIKE IT HOT!
Nikki - Hopefully that's not the last time we get to play together. I'm sure I'll hear when the Zep thing gets off the ground. See you then, at least, and I'll keep an eye out for your shows.
It was nice to take a good listen to your lyrics,very cool song writing. Nothing lacking with you guitar playing. So I could hear where a sax and harmonica could fit but your music sounds complete as it is . I'm not so sure that I'm coming this year. If and wen I do I hope I will have a chance to play with you and your band.
Hi Nikki, many thanks for the request, I am happy to your friend in this dimension, becouse your soul music is similar at mine. Compliment for your positive and vigorous musical lenguage. Friendly greeting from Italy and peace and blessings to you, Giampiero.
Cool, Yup, missed ya at the Daisy Rock Demo. All is well, Absinthe is Rockin and I've been sitting in with the Ronny North Band. Stay in touch, and let me know when shows come up.
Thank you Nikki! Dapo is amazing, cannot say enough about him. I might be at NAMM on Saturday. Hope to see you play soon too. Hopefully we'll get to play together in the near future.
