Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
We’re super-excited to be speaking today with acclaimed L.A. rock band Nic Andrea & the Verdict; greetings and salutations, gang! Before we dive into the proverbial Q&A mosh-pit, could you each say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquisitive readers?
Nic here, vocalist, songwriter and trumpet player.
Hello, Ricky Z, pleased to meet you. Guitar.
Gary Swan at your service. Musical director and keyboards. I also keep Nic in line.
Eric Garcia, bass player and I double as the band’s mixing and mastering ace.
Hi, Lynn Coulter on drums, the backbone of our sound if I may be bold.
Major congratulations on all of the amazing music which you’ve been releasing in 2023! Starting from the top Nic, what can you tell us about the very anticipated music video My Felony which is set to premiere this September 29? How involved were all of you in the visual conceptualization of the video?
Thank you, it has been a great year! To your question, after I wrote the initial chart for My Felony, each of the members helped develop it in rehearsal adding their own unique elements. We were struggling at first to get the right feel when on a break, Eric Garcia (bass) asked me what the song really means beyond the literal story. I explained that it is about one of the times we’ve all had at least once in our lives being in the wrong place, at the wrong time and one event led to another like a bad game of dominoes. Each of the guys chimed in and shared their experiences which fit this theme, including scrapes with the law and dating mishaps. One bull session on a break led not only to the finished song but fleshed out the storyboard which we ended up using for the video.
Is there a VH1-Behind the Music style origin story on how Nic Andrea & the Verdict all came together?
Indeed. In 2021, I was trying to expand a Blues duo act I was then involved with into a full band. I needed a keyboardist and someone gave me Gary Swan’s number. They said “He’s sort of a local legend but maybe he will call you back and point you in the right direction.” Gary did more than that, he showed up to the practice with keyboard in tow. The other guys were terrible, the guitarist wasn’t into it and quit right after the practice. The drummer was so bad that he actually tried to return the money I paid him after the session. After practice, Gary was waiting for me in the parking lot. I’ll never forget, he said, “You’ve got the right stuff, just the wrong people.” He offered to put together a band made up of a few talented veteran rockers he knew. The next rehearsal, as soon as the very first notes we played, I knew the difference. I felt like I had just been handed the pilot controls to a fighter jet!
What differentiates Nic Andrea & the Verdict from others in the LA music scene?
In one sentence- a retro rock feel, played by master musicians applied to original material. I am a relative newcomer, so by “masters” I am referring to the collective experience and skill of the other players- aka, The Verdict. Without hesitation, I would put them up against any band in LA. They have a combined 150 years of playing and recording with legends such as Dylan, Chicago, Deep Purple and Steven Tyler. Although I wrote the songs, it was the band members who organically shaped them- and given their backgrounds, I was happy to give them license to do it. The songs were originally written as blues tunes so their transformation to rock gave them a very distinctive sound. For my part, two things- I contribute a voice that is different in character than a typical rock singer because I came from a blues and jazz background. Second, the use of a trumpet in rock as a lead solo instrument rather than as part of a background section is unique and adds a distinct finish to our sound.
What’s the scoop on Nic Andrea & the Verdict’s upcoming October 13 rock concept album Jimi Come Home? What inspired this mesmerizing masterpiece of an LP?
I was playing in a local band several years ago and in the middle of rehearsal, Jimi packed up his guitar and left without saying anything. We never heard from him again and he wouldn’t return calls. The moment was so striking and affected me to such a degree that I started writing the lead track the same night with my then-bandmate Rick Jones. Flash forward to 2022. I was looking to do a concept album with The Verdict. Jimi Come Home the song was a good start but I didn’t know anything else about Jimi other than the incident itself. So I made it up and speculated on the demons he may have faced in his life and how he impacted others. Those aspects served as the storylines for the other songs.
What did the creative process look like in putting this epic yet very intimate LP together? Was it a long process, or did the album itself come together quickly?
It was relatively quick for the most part but the finishing touches took a bit longer. The band spent most of last year in the studio recording not only the songs for Jimi Come Home and enough material for two other albums. However, the dialogue tracks on the album didn’t come about until we started filming the movie earlier this year. Most are lifted from the movie dialogue of Bonnie Root (CSI, Cold Case) who plays Jimi’s ex-girlfriend. They were vital components for purposes of a concept album, the dots which connect the songs, but just as important in many ways.
Who was the producer on Jimi Come Home and what did the collaboration between artists and producer look like in the studio?
Gary Swan, who is our musical director and keyboard player, co-produced the album with me. This worked like a charm in the studio because Gary had a prior personal and professional relationship with each of the other members. Both Gary and I agreed early on to give the guys free reign to deviate from the charts if their instincts drove them in a certain direction. Not surprisingly, this caused some initial chaos but we would all calmly assemble in the control room after each tale and discuss what was happening and how to make it better. The next take would be a step forward and we would repeat the process until we had it down.
How is Jimi Come Home similar to some of the past music from the band? How is it different?
Our first album earlier this year, A Night at the Wrecking Yard, Pt 1 was straightforward Americana with helpings of traditional rock vibes, a little rockabilly and a 1980s pop rock track for good measure. Jimi Come Home also has some of the retro feel, including a guest solo from former Foreigner tour saxophonist Scott Gillman. But two tracks explore new territory. We Don’t Need You Anymore has a Latin flavor with an acoustic Spanish guitar solo and a Santanesque electric guitar solo. Epilogue for Jimi has rock jazz fusion elements complete with a smoky Harmon mute trumpet solo. It was necessary to get out of our comfort zone to create a varied tapestry for the different chapters in the Jimi saga.
Nic with the September 29 release of the music video for My Felony and the October 13 release of Jimi Come Home, can fans look forward to catching Nic Andrea & the Verdict on the touring/performing circuit in the coming weeks and months?
The band is concentrating on the digital release and the film release at the moment. We plan to be back in action later this year to build up steam for our next album due out in early 2024- the part 2 to A Night at The Wrecking Yard. We will keep you updated!
The band is based out of the thriving music scene of Los Angeles. How do those roots inform the sound and vibe of the band?
As a rock band with a retro feel from another era, perhaps more historically than presently. From the Doors to Van Halen to Guns N’ Roses, LA has a rich rock heritage from which we proudly trace our lineage. Of more recent vintage, many of us have close ties to nearby Santa Clarita, which has a burgeoning blues rock community, we play in each other’s gigs and all listen to each other on the local music station of record, KHUG.
Who inspires you musically?
My rock influences are The Rolling Stones, The Eagles and The Doors. Steely Dan from the rock jazz fusion world. For blues, Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and John Lee Hooker. I also am a vinyl record collector and it’s almost all jazz- Lee Morgan, Miles, Chet Baker and Art Blakey. Honorable mention to Chuck Mangione who I watched growing up in Western New York
Nic, at the end of the day what do you hope folks walk away with after giving many-a spin to the October 13 release of Jimi Come Home?
I earnestly hope that they see the value in listening to an album, in order, from start to finish. It was Aristotle who came up with “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” This maxim applies in full force to music. The artist has something to say by the album in its totality which does not emerge from listening to isolated tracks. I also hope that the story of Jimi, both the real and imaginary parts, is as intriguing to them as it was to me. We all want to escape sometimes but unlike Jimi, most of us stick it out.
Stay connected with Nick Andrea & The Verdict below:
Instagram: Nick Andrea & The Verdict
Facebook: Nic Andrea Music
Website: Nick Andrea Official
