2021. A transition year. It probably felt like a new beginning for many artists, following the hiatus of live music. This was the case for local Seattle musician, Kyle Nicholas, spending all of 2021 writing, mapping and testing out what will soon be his debut full length studio album. There was an initiative put in place to evolve as an artist during live performances and studio production. A full band ensemble was formed.  Kyle Nicholas & The Heady Groove. A rotation of seasoned musicians, now backing the PNW artist at select live shows. The band will also be featured on the debut LP with a release date sometime in late 2022. The single “Roots” releases in June and is setting the tone for the record. “Roots” is co-produced alongside with producer/engineer Levi Watson and recorded and mixed at FlyFoot Studios just outside of Seattle, WA. The track is mastered by producer/engineer Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road Studios in London, UK.  Pesche is well known for working with top artists such as Coldplay, Gorillaz, Page & Plant, Dire Straits, Blur and many more.  This marks Kyle’s first release in two and half years.  Over the past dozen years or so, Nicholas had spent the time improving his craft as a musician through countless performances as a solo artist and with former band, Innocent Uprising:  a short-lived rock show that lasted nearly three years. They shared stages with many acts such as The Wailers, Steel Pulse, Rustic Overtones, Ballyhoo and Spiritual Rez.  After a disbandment, Nicholas continued to perform as a solo act, playing four to six times a week, burning through every ounce of energy he had.  There was a desire to try something new and write songs again. In 2018, Nicholas gave music a break and moved from the northeast to the pacific northwest where he resides today.  This renewal resulted in the 2020 release of the EP, 'A Journey Through Song'. It was a long-awaited moment to transition back into a singer/songwriter again. Engineered by Michael Springer at Peel Studios in Seattle, Kyle described the recording experience as very organic and free. It was planned out to be an acoustic album and it transformed into something much more. The record beautifully tells a story of reflection, pursuance and hope.  Drawing inspiration from strong family roots and a keen sense of adventure, it’s a surprising combination of sentiment and wanderlust, refreshingly blurring the lines between folk, rock, blues, and reggae.

Tyler remembers falling in love with rock ’n’ roll: Elvis, Roy Orbison, the sleek guitars, chrome-detailed cars, tube amps, the Hammond organ! As a child, that was the music he listened to as he spent hours building model ships and airplanes.  Old machines and equipment spoke to him and he was driven to understand how they worked.  Likewise, when Tyler was inspired by musicians, he was always looking deeper to how their sound was created.  Tyler picked up the guitar at age 10 and hasn't put it down, playing in the school jazz band, garage groups, and later with local Seattle Rock original, City Zu, and various Soul, Pop, Funk and modern Mo-Town inspired groups. His visions of writing his own songs and preforming them with the sound of the vintage amplifiers and guitars he loved began to take shape as he taught himself to build his own equipment.  He has refined his craft with his own touches and modern improvements and thinks he will never stop looking for the next tone to chase and capture. It is now not uncommon to see him playing  on stage through gear made entirely by his own hands.    Tyler has become known in the Seattle music scene as a versatile and intuitive musician, lending a comfortable and capable presence on the stage with many local artists. Tyler is currently working on releasing his first full-length album, "Movin' On", which will be available 4/13/2022.  He is continuing to make his presence around town with dreams of taking his music and band on the road.

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