“Lund's voice is smooth as honey” - The Boot
“...a winner” - WNCW
“Hot electric guitar and a blues rock drive” - Americana Highways
“...a solid collection of songs that highlights the versatility of all the band members...an unpredictable and enjoyable ride through soul, Americana, rock, and the blues. -Glide Magazine
"...this record takes listeners on a journey that, while at times is poignantly heart-wrenching, is a helluva fun listen." - Mother Church Pew
"...hypnotic" - Adobe & Teardrops
LISTEN: RIGHT THIS TIME
Today, Asheville, NC-based outfit lund has released their debut LP, Right This Time. Frontwoman, singer/songwriter, and music industry veteran Nicole Lund assembled a stellar lineup of players at Echo Mountain Studios and Sedgwick Studios in Asheville with producer Tyler “The Falcon” Greenwell (Tedeschi Trucks Band) behind the boards. The album features original songs honed over her decades-long stint in New York City as a working musician, promoter, and manager. Written in collaboration with local artist Brandon Townsend — and additional contributions from guitarist Paul Olsen (Scrapomatic, Susan Tedeschi, Kristina Train) — lund’s soulful brand of Americana runs the gamut from punchy blues to plaintive weepers. The band is a reflection of Nicole’s eclectic tastes: Dave Yoke on guitar (Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi), Brandon Boone on bass (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Col. Bruce Hampton) and New Orleanian Isaac Eady (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Rhiannon Giddens) on drums.
WATCH: “DON’T YOU LEAVE ME”
WATCH: “RIGHT THIS TIME”
As a 17-year-old growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nicole began digging into the music her parents listened to - 60s/70s rock. “My dad had read an article on this guitar prodigy that had just joined the Allman Brothers Band and who was in town. So he snuck me in, since I was underage, and I think that show changed my life!” she says of her experience seeing The Derek Trucks Band in concert for the first time. “I had never heard ‘real’ music like that before and I was hooked. I became a member of their Street Team that night (which I later helped run) and did my internship out of college with their manager and moved to Atlanta straight out of college. After my internship ended, I became his assistant.”
After a decade in the music business on the management and booking sides, the classically-trained singer decided it was time for a change. “I don’t know if you believe in this crap,” laughs Nicole, who had recently had her tarot read. “But I drew the Hermit card, representing exploration and personal growth. He’s shining a light: Come on out of the shadows! It was time,” she reveals.
Her musical journey actually started with a Music Industries Studies degree — with a concentration in vocal performance — from Appalachian State University. “My voice professor was an opera singer,” says Nicole with a grin. “I sang every spiritual I could to avoid opera.” Her passion and training are evident on the Nina Simone-derived psych-soul of “Don’t You Leave Me,” the grungy swirl of “Paper Tiger,” and her subtle self-harmonizing on the title track. On this eclectic stroll through American musical styles, her clarion voice is the tie that binds.
In the summer of 2020, with the pandemic on the rise and an album’s worth of rock solid material in the tank, she realized how she could optimize her quarantine. The tricky dance of socially-distanced recording was well worth it. “I always felt like a late bloomer in life,” she reflects. “But now I know it’s all about timing.” Right This Time is available at iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. Be sure to follow lund at the links before all the latest news and updates.
