 Photo Credit: Valerie Fremin
With the songs on her full-length debut, And the Sky Caught Fire (out now), Austin's Nichole Wagner is calling it like it is. “This is very much a relationship record, and all of the songs on it are very honest.” The emotional intensity of the album's ten tracks - nine originals and a cover of Warren Zevon's "Reconsider Me" - are steely, vulnerable, raw and unflinchingly real. Here, Wagner answers her Essential 8 where she talks about the album, Red Rocks, healthy eating on the road, her love of thrift shops, and more!
Is there a story behind your album’s title? The title, And the Sky Caught Fire, comes from the last line in the opening song, “Winner Take All.” The record has a bunch of real-life stories, but this song in particular felt the most honest and bare and every time I sing it I can recall the exact moment that inspired the song. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? Most of the songs I write are a combination of personal experience and observations -- my truth mixed with a bit of someone else’s truth. For example, the song “Dynamite” (co-written with Terry Klein) is written from the perspective of a young man whose father worked at the DuPont Dynamite factory and the narrator is grappling with living in what had been a company town versus leaving and trying to make his own way. While obviously this isn’t exactly my story, it’s set in my hometown and I knew people like him growing up. What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road? I’m a vegetarian, so eating on the road can be a bit of a struggle. Luckily, the options are growing by the day. I try to pack a bag of healthy snacks to avoid having to eat out every meal: usually nuts, popcorn, easy to eat fruit like bananas. I love beets, brussel sprouts, and kale so anytime I see those on a menu I’ll try it. That said, Taco Bell is a go-to for something quick in a pinch!  Cover photo: Valerie Fremin, Design: Paige Berry
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?
I love thrift shopping! If there’s time before a show, I like to drop into a vintage or used shop and see what treasure I might find. I prefer things that have a history and story to buying something new. This is actually how I found the suitcase I use as my merch case -- at a Goodwill in some small Texas town. I took it home, added some hardware and lights, and relined it with sparkly black fabric! What’s your dream venue and why? Growing up in Colorado, (and watching all of the amazing concert films made there) have made Red Rocks the absolute dream venue for me. But the best venues are the listening rooms, the ones where original music is respected and valued. Those types of venues are my favorite to play. Favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended? The first concert I ever saw was George Thorogood and the Destroyers. I was about 3-years-old and I remember that it was pouring rain. A pretty classic Red Rocks experience. Most of my early concert experiences were at Red Rocks: I saw Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, and The Dead. We went to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival a lot, too. I will say that the first concert I ever got to *choose* to go to was Paul McCartney on the Driving Rain tour. I was so excited I hyperventilated during the first song! Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? I’ve gotten to meet several of my heroes and I’m happy to report that they’ve all been wonderful. Springsteen, of course, stands out as one of the most memorable moments. I still haven’t met Stevie Nicks though... What are your “must have” albums for the road? I’m a shuffle-listener when driving, but my road playlist includes all my favorites but also a healthy dose of more pop-leaning jams, like Hall & Oates, Cyndi Lauper, Carly Simon, and Taylor Swift. I’m also a podcast junkie, I subscribe to shows like The Eephus (weird baseball history!), Cocaine & Rhinestones (weird country music history!), and CarTalk (weird car history!) -- Otis Gibbs’ Thanks for Giving a Damn and Johnny Goudie’s How Did I Get Here are two of my favorite music related shows. Website/Facebook/Insta
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