A regular of South East Queensland's music scene as a session player and member of other bands for close to 20 years, Nikolaine Martin is stepping into the spotlight to front his own band.
With jazz-infused blues and roots brimming with fat, rhythmic riffs that's as authentic as any Memphis or Nashville dive-bar, plus honky keys, sassy bass and spirited drumming, Nikolaine is ready to showcase 'One Of Them', the first single from his forthcoming debut album.Recorded live at Lovestreet Studios (mixed by Scott French and Nell Forster, mastered by Paul Blakey), 'One Of Them' is a song about betrayal, manipulation, and exclusion, but where the truth prevails in the end.
A trans musician, Nikolaine is a passionate advocate for trans and gender-diverse communities aligning the release of 'One Of Them' with International Transgender Day of Visibility (31 March). scenestr is pumped to premiere the song's music video today.
Delightful, vivid, bluesy guitar fingerpicking opens proceedings that's countered by striking, intense drumming that quickly escalates into a moody, gnarly, swaying, almost rollicking jam-out as the saucy, searing bass enters the fray.
Then Nikolaine's earthy yet raw, unrestrained vocals add serious grunt to the song, before an emotive-rich breakdown two-thirds through the song, where Martin allows his voice to amplify the bruised tones seeping through the melody. It's potent stuff.
The song powers home strong with duelling drums and slide guitar creating a wall of noise that demands a cheeky head-bang or three. It's a Nashville-styled romp perfect to let loose any negative energy surrounding you.
"It's about self discovery and reflection and embracing, becoming your authentic self, overcoming inner struggles from society's perceptions," Nikolaine says.
"The lyrics reference a specific period in time in my life, feeling very isolated form a peer group, the truth prevails in the end.
"In the video, myself and good mates are exhibiting some lighthearted ally and LGBTI+ authenticity. We had videographer Laury Karu filming like a pro ninja, running around capturing the magic, calmly organised and seemingly knowledgable in his capabilities.
"In the studio, I gathered up the troops; as most of my bandies and I are live stage performers, we were gig fit, though as we were recording it live it was a tad risqué.
"I trust my bandies, they're guns at what they do and I couldn't be prouder, bring the heart, which is exactly what we did – Scotty Burke on drums and Ellen Hartwig on bass.
"I later overdubbed lead and poly-rhythms in my home studio. Recording live was a learning curve, being a live performer, it's what I envisioned.
"As we've played live for the past 12-plus years, with countless variations, I found it hard to hone down just how I wanted to convey it to the world. And I'm stoked with the outcome."
Nikolaine Martin plays The Triffid Beer Garden (Brisbane) 31 March, with the single launch to take place at DooBop Jazz Bar (Brisbane) 6 May.
