Nikhil Korula | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Canada | December 27, 1978
Origin | Arcadia, California, United States |
Genres | Rock, acoustic, folk, singer-songwriter, funk, blues, jazz, world, adult contemporary, reggae fusion, calypso |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, vocalist, bandleader, label owner, educator |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar (acoustic and electric) |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | Groove Infinity Records |
Website | nkband |
Nikhil Korula (born December 27, 1978) is an Indian American singer-songwriter, bandleader, and label owner, known as founder and front-man of The Nikhil Korula Band, or NK Band. [1]
Based in Los Angeles, California, Korula has released seven albums and EPs on his independent record label Groove Infinity Records, including The Freedom EP (2003), The Way Things Work (2004), Acoustic B-Sides & Rarities EP (2007), the two-disc album Live Vibes (2010), Music of the New Day (2012), Solo Sessions EP (2013) with Jeff Coffin and Butch Taylor, and A Decade in the Sun (2014).
Korula frequently tours with the Nikhil Korula Band, and has performed at festivals such as Bonnaroo, the Playboy Jazz Festival, SXSW, and Summerfest. He has also headlined venues such as House of Blues and the Viper Room, as well as numerous college campuses. The group has opened for bands and artists such as Jason Mraz, John Mayer, The Roots, Erykah Badu, [2] and Rusted Root. [1] Korula and the band have also had songs featured on the soundtracks of shows such as Greek , Burn Notice , The Real World , and Guiding Light .
In 2014, the music video for Korula's song "Fade Away" directed by Jethro Rothe-Kushel won Best Music Video Film at Indie Fest in Southern California, [3] as well as several other film festivals.
Nikhil Korula was born on December 27, 1978, in Canada. After moving to the United States with his parents, he was raised in Arcadia, California, near Los Angeles. [4]
Classically trained as a boy soprano since the age of five, [5] at age seven [4] Korula became the youngest founding member of the Los Angeles Children's Chorus. [1] He performed at Carnegie Hall with the group at age 10 along with Doreen Rao in May 1990, and that year he sang on the soundtrack for the horror film Nightbreed , one of the first film scores composed by Danny Elfman. [2] Also in 1990, he performed with Mike and the Mechanics for the televised 1990 Grammy Awards, [2] which was titled The Living Years. [4] According to Korula, it was meeting Miles Davis backstage at the Grammys that sparked his long-term interest in jazz. [4] He also shared stages with opera singers such as Placido Domingo, with whom he and the choir performed six operas such as Tosca , Carmen , and Othello . [1] Performing on stage with pop artists such as Barry Manilow [6] and Luther Vandross as well, [4] other gigs as a child included Rod Stewart's wedding in 1993. [1]
After his voice changed at age fourteen, Korula began singing in the jazz choir at Arcadia High School. [4] In 1997, he began attending the University of Southern California, [5] studying operatic performance at the university's Thornton School of Music. [2] He soon shifted his focus from opera to jazz, which led him to explore other genres such as world music. [1] He developed a specific fascination with African music after visiting Kenya and Johannesburg in 1999, [7] while his classes also shaped his changing musical interests. Stated Korula, "I studied [at USC] four years and was heavily influenced by jazz there, so I took a songwriting class that changed my life. It made me want to start a band.... The biggest factor came when I saw the Dave Matthews Band live and knew that's what I wanted to do." [4] He graduated from USC in 2001 [8] with a degree in Operatic Vocal Performance. [2]
Upon graduating Korula began working as a singer-songwriter in Los Angeles, largely performing acoustic music with a guitar. [6] Early on he collaborated with jazz musicians around the city, [6] teaming up with guitarist Anthony King in 2002 and performing as an acoustic duo at open mics, coffeehouses, and music venues. [1] In 2002 he also collaborated with saxophonist Dan Boissy [9] and harmonica player Marcus Milius. Once he began playing with a regular lineup, in 2002 Korula founded The Nikhil Korula Band, or The NK Band. [1] The group blends calypso, rock, reggae, African and Latin sounds. [2] Their first performance as a sextet was a sold-out show at the Knitting Factory on July 25, 2002. [1]
Their debut release, The Freedom EP, was released in 2003, [10] and like all Korula's later albums it was published on his Groove Infinity Records imprint. The EP led to the band recording a full-length album at Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood. [6] Titled The Way Things Work, the LP came out in 2004. [10] In response, Relix magazine wrote that Korula's music mixes "part Dave Matthews guitar licks and sax solos alongside world-music beats...Korula's new album, The Way Things Work, displays the six-piece's own western/tribal dichotomy". [7]
Touring intermittently, the NK Band performed at the House of Blues in December 2006 [10] with a lineup consisting of Korula, Anthony King, Leo Nobre, Dan Boissy, Adam Gust and Jack Lees. [10] They were described as a buzz band by Kevin Bronson of the Los Angeles Times in 2006, who wrote that "think of the Nikhil Korula Band as the rainbow snow cone of the local rock scene: plenty of flavors, all adding up to something cool and sweet. Afro-beats, Latin grooves, calypso, jazz". [10]
Their EP Acoustic B-Sides & Rarities came out in 2007, and that September they opened for the Dave Matthews Band. [11] They have also performed at festivals such as Summerfest from 2007 to 2014, where they opened for O.A.R. in June 2007, Bonnaroo in 2008 and 2009, Sunset Junction Street Fair, JazzReggae Festival @ UCLA, [2] and SXSW. Beyond headlining over twenty shows at the House of Blues, [12] they have also headlined venues such as The Mint, [1] The Roxy on the Sunset Strip, [13] Temple Bar, the Viper Room, [6] numerous college campuses, [6] and the Key Club. On April 4, 2010, Nikhil Korula traveled to New York City to perform solo along with the Apollo House Band at the Apollo Theater. [13]
The NK Band's 2010 double album Live Vibes captures their live performances, and includes twenty original songs performed in front of the band's hometown audience. [14] The band's track "Stay For A While" was included on Greek (ABC Family) episode "I Know What You Did Last Semester," which aired January 2010. The band headlined at the Playboy Jazz Festival's Community Concert in June 2011, with co-headliners including drummer Ndugu Chancler and guitarist Doc Powell, [15] and opened for Ben Harper at Summerfest 2011 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to an audience of over ten thousand.
Released in 2012, the NK Band's studio album Music of the New Day consists of all original tracks, excluding a Bo Diddly cover of "Before You Accuse Me." [16] Music of the New Day also features The Regiment Horns, known for performing and recording with artists such as Justin Timberlake as well as Marty Rifkin, [[pedal steel guitar]]ist for Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. "A Song for L.A." from the album has also been featured at home games for teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Kings. As of late 2012, the band was receiving radio airplay on 45 stations in 25 states, as well as in countries such as Australia, India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. [4]
In early 2013, Korula continued to tour with the NK Band, for example performing an acoustic performance for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at Summerfest in June 2013, which included a performance of his new song "Broken Roads", included later on Solo Sessions. [17] It was at Summerfest [8] that the band also opened for Gavin DeGraw on June 26, 2013, [17] performing to an audience of over 10,000 people. [13] Korula and the band also performed at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival as part of the "Concerts at Sundance" music series. [13] As of 2013, Korula also was making periodic appearances as a solo acoustic artist. [18] He also performed on Wisconsin Tonight two years in a row. [19]
In 2012 Korula recorded Solo Sessions , collaborating with members of the NK Band and two members of the Dave Matthew Band – Jeff Coffin (saxophone) and Butch Taylor (keyboards). [2] All songs on the EP are original. [16] Officially released on July 9, 2013, that day the band also held a release party while headlining the House of Blues Sunset Strip. [13] Also in July 2013, Korula performed a solo acoustic set on SCVTV's House Blend, a television show based in Santa Clarita, California. [13]
The lead single from the EP, "Fade Away", was released prior to the EP, and as of July 7, 2013, was inside the Top 20 on FMQB's Hot A/C airplay chart, [13] after initially debuting at number 106. [16] It peaked at number 10 [2] on the AC Radio Chart (also titled MQB's "Friday Morning Quarterback Inc." Hot Adult Contemporary Radio chart). [16]
Stephen K. Peeples of House Blend commented that the EP's lyrics and concepts are "more introspective than on much of his previous work with his band". [13] He further stated that the "music is soulful and adventurous, drawing from multicultural roots, and translates easily from solo to the full band arrangements fans will [see live]". [13]
Solo Sessions was followed by Korula's solo acoustic album A Decade in the Sun, recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Korula toured with the NK Band in support of the album, and as of 2014 the group had opened for bands and artists such as Jason Mraz, John Mayer, The Roots, Erykah Badu, [2] and Rusted Root. [1] Other artists the NK Band has performed with include Los Lonely Boys, Tim Reynolds, Page McConnell of Phish, The Calling, Colin Hay (Men at Work), Les Claypool, Common Sense, the Dan Band, [6] Gavin Degraw, Ray Lamontagne, Sublime with Rome, and Thievery Corporation. Korula and the band have also had songs featured on the soundtracks of shows such as Greek on ABC Family, Burn Notice , The Real World on MTV and CBS's Guiding Light .
In 2014, the music video for "Fade Away" won Best Music Video Film at Indie Fest in Southern California. [3] The music video, directed by Jethro Rothe-Kushel, was also an official selection for the NYC Independent Film Festival in 2014. [20] As of late 2014, the video had won five film awards for best music video, including film festivals such as the Yosemite Film Festival, Alaska Film Festival, and Studio City Film Festival.
Despite his operatic influences, Korula's songwriting for the NK Band verges closer to jazz, adult contemporary, funk, and blues. About the style of his music, which blends "Afro-beats, Latin grooves, calypso, jazz", Korula has stated that "I think the turning point for me was visiting Africa in 1999. There was so much rhythm, energy and harmony to African music, I really felt at home." [10]
Korula has referenced artist such as Sting, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Prince, as influences, as well as singer-songwriters such as Dave Matthews, John Mayer, and Jason Mraz. [4] About his themes, Korula has stated they tend to carry a message of "love, honor, peace and promise". [4] Devon Wendell of The International Review of Music compared Korula to other artists such as James Blunt, Jason Mraz, and Dave Mathews, but stated that "Korula's imaginative melodic sense and rich harmonies set him apart from his contemporaries". [21]
The NK Band frequently incorporates improvisation into their live shows. [4]
As of 2013 Korula lived in Beverly Hills, California, where he moved in 2003. [16] He previously spent three years teaching songwriting and music production classes at the Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena, California, and has served as a producer for a number of young musicians. [1]
Year | Award | Nominated work | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | The Indie Fest | "Fade Away" by Nikhil Korula | Best Music Video | Won |
LA Cinema Festival of Hollywood | Won | |||
Studio City Film Festival | Won | |||
Yosemite Film Festival | Won | |||
Alaska Film Festival | Won | |||
Jason Thomas Mraz is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy ", that reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His next two studio albums, Mr. A-Z (2005), and We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008), peaked in the top five on the Billboard 200; with the latter album spawning the Grammy Award winning singles "Make It Mine", and "Lucky" with Colbie Caillat.
Graham Colton is an American singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His most recent album, Inside Out, was released on August 14, 2020. Colton's songs have been featured on numerous TV shows including American Idol, Pretty Little Liars, Kyle XY, Oprah's Big Give, Newport Harbor, Castle, Wildfire, October Road Fall promo, HBO Winter promo, Sundance promo, and many others.
Metric is a Canadian rock band founded in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Emily Haines, James Shaw, Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key. The band started in 1998 as a duo formed by Haines and Shaw with the name "Mainstream". After releasing an EP titled Mainstream EP, they changed the band's name to Metric.
Rai Thistlethwayte is an Australian rock, pop and jazz musician and songwriter. Thistlethwayte is an accomplished pianist, guitarist, and vocalist. He is the lead singer and primary songwriter in the Australian pop rock band Thirsty Merc. From 2004, Thirsty Merc released a string of hits in the Australian charts including "In the Summertime", "Someday, Someday", "20 Good Reasons", "Emancipate Myself", "My Completeness", "When the Weather Is Fine" and "Mousetrap Heart". He is currently based in Los Angeles. As a solo artist, Thistlethwayte performs under the name 'Sun Rai'.
David Hall Hodges is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 1999–2002. He has since had success co-writing and co-producing for various pop, pop rock and country artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Daughtry, Backstreet Boys, Avril Lavigne, David Archuleta, Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Jessie James, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Tim McGraw.
Deborah Holland is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She rose to national prominence in 1987 as the lead singer and songwriter of Animal Logic featuring Stanley Clarke and Stewart Copeland.
The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin, by lead vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist Danny O'Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan and drummer Glen Power. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic and released their first album The Script in August 2008, preceded by the debut single "We Cry" as well as other singles such as "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", "Breakeven" and "Before the Worst". The album peaked at number one in both Ireland and the UK. Their next three albums, Science & Faith (2010), #3 (2012) and No Sound Without Silence (2014), all topped the album charts in Ireland and the UK, while Science & Faith reached number two in Australia and number three in the United States. Some of the hit singles from the albums include "For the First Time", "Nothing", "Hall of Fame" and "Superheroes". The band's fifth studio album, Freedom Child, was released on 1 September 2017, and features the UK Top 20 single "Rain". Their sixth studio album, Sunsets & Full Moons, was released on 8 November 2019, and features the single "The Last Time". A Greatest Hits album was released on 1 October 2021.
Michael David Garson is an American pianist, who has worked with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, St. Vincent, Duran Duran, Free Flight and The Smashing Pumpkins.
Family of the Year is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. It consists of members Joseph Keefe (vocals/guitar), Sebastian Keefe (drums/vocals), James Buckey (guitar/vocals), and Christina Schroeter (keyboard/vocals). Their music uses melodic male/female vocal harmonies and folktale-style lyrics. They are best known for their 2012 song "Hero", which was featured in Richard Linklater's 2014 film Boyhood and became a top 10 hit in Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland.
Truth & Salvage Co. is a six-piece roots rock/Americana band from Los Angeles, California, and currently headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The band formed in late 2005 when members from Scrappy Hamilton and Old Pike, two simultaneously performing Los Angeles acts, merged and began performing under their current moniker. The band gained national attention in 2009, when Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson signed the group to his Silver Arrow label and gave them the opening slot on his band's tour that year. The band released their debut album on May 25, 2010, and their second record, Pick Me Up, on Megaforce/Sony RED on July 23, 2013.
Josh Heinrichs is an American reggae singer/songwriter who was the former lead singer of internationally known indie reggae band, Jah Roots and current owner/operator of indie reggae record label, GanJah Records. Since leaving the band in 2008, Heinrichs has launched a successful solo career and has released several albums, including a #1 Billboard charting release with Good Vibes in 2016.
Vintage Trouble is an American rhythm & blues band. The band formed in Hollywood, California, in 2010. They have released four albums: The Bomb Shelter Sessions (2011), The Swing House Acoustic Sessions (2014), 1 Hopeful Rd. (2015) and Juke Joint Gems (2021). Their sound has been described as "retro", reminiscent of a number of late 1950s and 1960s blues and rock artists, such as the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and the Animals. One of their more well known songs called "Today is Pretty Great" was featured in a Honda Civic commercial with the artists seen at the very beginning for a few seconds.
Todd Carey is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for his hit song "Nintendo" from the "Future Throwback" album, released in 2016. The "Nintendo" music video proceeded the album's release and garnered over one million views on YouTube. He then followed with the full-length album "Future Throwback" in 2016, which debuted in the Apple Top 20. Born and raised near Chicago, Illinois, he later relocated to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California for a degree in music. After graduation, Carey launched his music career as a solo artist, eventually moving to back to Chicago. He focused on his solo career in Chicago, then later in New York City where he currently resides. He has since released three solo albums and two EPs. His 2010 EP, After The Morning After debuted in the iTunes Top 40 Pop Charts.
Dynasty Electrik (aka Dynasty Electric) is an electronic rock and new age duo from Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles, California consisting of vocalist Jenny Electrik (Jennifer Deveau) and multi-instrumentalist Seth Misterka.
Roberto Diana is an Italian musician, guitarist, composer, producer and session man.
The Mowgli's were an American alternative rock band from Calabasas, California.
The Nikhil Korula Band is an American jam band based in California, known for blending genres as diverse as jazz, world music, and adult contemporary. Also called The NK Band, the original lineup has changed somewhat since the band was founded in 2002, and currently consists of Nikhil Korula, Ray Bergstrom, Matt Spencer, Adam Gust, Zane Musa, Marcus Milius, Chris Lovejoy, and Will Herrington. With a sound described by Relix Magazine as "part Dave Matthews guitar licks and sax solos alongside world-music beats," the band has performed at festivals such as Bonnaroo, the Playboy Jazz Festival, SXSW, and Summerfest. They have also headlined venues such as House of Blues and the Viper Room, as well as numerous college campuses, and have opened for Jason Mraz, John Mayer, The Roots, Erykah Badu, and Rusted Root, among others.
Zane Musa was an Alto/Soprano/Tenor saxophonist and vocalist, most widely known for his command of the saxophone. Zane Musa was raised in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles but his work is known worldwide. His works were showcased by the likes of Arturo Sandoval, Roy Hargrove, Macy Gray, John Mayer, Lupe Fiasco, and Christina Aguilera, as well as the Nikhil Korula Band and Karina Corradini. He also lent his sound to the house bands of several television shows including The Voice, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Carson Daly Show. He was a regular player in clubs in Hollywood and was invited to contribute to several bands, including Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, fronted by Jeff Goldblum.
Garrett Clark Borns, better known by his stage name Børns, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
Ben Barter is a New Zealand drummer based in Los Angeles, CA. He is the touring drummer for Lorde and has also performed with such acts as Broods, Jarryd James, and Passion Pit. He has worked on recordings as a session drummer most notably with Grammy Award winning producer, Joel Little.