Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Alt-country artist Nikki Lane takes the stage at Nightfall.
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The first time Chattanooga rocker Marty Bohannon saw sultry alt- country artist and fashionista Nikki Lane perform during a show at Rhythm & Brews, it was love at first listen.
“She’s kind of smoky, really soulful — slower but with a huge range,” Bohannon recalls of the show, during which Lane appeared in support of Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit.
“Her material j ust grabs you,” he adds. “Her approach overall was pretty stirring.”
The front man of local rock ensemble The Bohannons, Bohannon says that Lane exuded a confidence onstage that made it seem like she was born to it.
“She commands an audience. It just seems to be kind of natural for her,” he says. “You’re definitely drawn in, visually and sonically. It’s pretty dynamite.”
In the years since her first Chattanooga show, Lane has made several repeat appearances in town, including a 2014 date at Track 29 in support of fringe progressive bluegrass ensemble Trampled By Turtles. On Fri day, July 1, she’ll plug in at Miller Plaza as this week’s Nightfall headliner.
Bohannon says he’s keen to attend the show and suggests Lane’s music should appeal to fans of Neko Case or Shovels & Rope, who are her label mates on New West Records.
“I’ m very excited,” Bohannon says. “I think she’ll fit in with a lot of the things that are going on here, sonically, some of the bigger country acts who are doing well.”
A native of South Carolina now based out of East Nashville — by way of Los Angeles and New York City — Lane has been likened by many critics to Lana Del Rey, who has praised her music in interviews. The comparison to the “Summertime Sadness” singer is all the more appropriate given Lane’s and Del Rey’s use of Dan Auerbach as a producer on their 2014 recordings — Lane’s “All or Nothin’” and Del Rey’s “Ultraviolence.”
Critics have praised Lane for her no- holdsbarred songwriting, which Paste Magazine applauded for “be[ i ng] f rank without resorting to trailer- life cliches.” AllMusic. com writer Andrew Leahey credits Lane with “reinvent[ ing] the nostalgic sounds of the 1960s country music for a modern audience, mixing Southern twang with lush orchestral arrangements and the occasional pop/ rock hook.”
Rolling Stone dubbed Lane’s “All or Nothin’” as one of 2014’s 40 Best Country Albums, saying it “furthered the genre through bold songwriting, catching the attention of non- country fans in the process.” In a quote on her website, Lane describes her approach to writing for “All or Nothin’” as a practice in being true to herself, without undue adornment or romantic fictionalization.
“My s ongs a l ways paint a pretty clear picture of what’s been going on in my life, so this is one moody record,” she says. “There’s lots of talk of misbehaving and moving on.”