Acclaimed country songwriter Nikki Lane plays the Chapel in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- Popular country singer/songwriter Nikki Lane brings her band to the Chapel Monday night to perform songs from her latest album Denim & Diamonds.
Born Nicole Lane Frady and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, by her single mother, Lane cultivated an unusual rebellious streak as a teen, sneaking out of her house to see Christian punk bands perform (the only type of punk music family would allow) and dropping out of high school. Though she sang in her Southern Baptist church while growing up, she didn't initially pursue music, working instead in the world of fashion during stints living in Los Angeles and New York City.
Lane would be inspired to start writing songs after breaking up with her then boyfriend when he left her to record an album in Alabama, picking up the acoustic guitar and penning honky-tonk tunes that echoed the sound of Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and the artists of the early '70s outlaw country movement. She relocated to Nashville where she opened a clothing boutique and began searching for collaborators. Lane released her debut EP Gone, Gone, Gone through indie label Iamsound in 2011 that leaned towards more orchestral "countrypolitan" production common in Nashville during the '60s, but her first proper full-length mixed old-school country and retro-rock vibes to showcase Lane's strong vocals and sassy delivery that earned her comparisons to early rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson, indie songstress Neko Case and modern country icon Lucinda Williams.
Having built a local following and expanded her fanbase with touring including a stint opening for Social Distortion, Lane was signed to New West Records for her sophomore album All or Nothin' in 2014. A collaboration with Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach (who she met at a Nashville flea market), the effort brought more polish and an expanded sonic palette courtesy Auerbach's production to Lane's songs of heartbreak and perseverance as well as contributions from high-profile guests like the McCrary Sisters and Spiritualized's J. Spaceman.
Her follow-up album Highway Queen featured a more spare, stripped-down sound and was made with Lane's then boyfriend Jonathan Tyler. Lane would also become a sought after songwriting partner, teaming with profane outlaw country artist Wheeler Walker, Jr. (the alter ego of comedian and musician Ben Hoffman), acclaimed alt-pop singer Lana Del Ray and Boston punk band the Dropkick Murphys on their Woody Guthrie tribute album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists. Lane also made an appearance at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in 2019, playing a dazzling set at the Towers of Gold Stage.
Five years after her last album, Lane at last released a new batch of tunes this year with Denim & Diamonds. Combining some of her most infectiously melodic songs with a more rock-influenced sound courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age principle Josh Homme -- who produced the album in addition to playing guitar and drums as well as having members of QotSA contribute. The material ranges from the vivid teenage reminiscence "First High" and the feminist independence anthem of the title track to the punchy rock of "Black Widow" and the soul-searching ballads "Live/Love" and "Chimayo," offering up the most diverse collection yet. The songwriter brings her band to the Chapel Monday night to play tunes from Denim & Diamonds and earlier hits Monday night. LA-based Americana outfit Leroy From the North opens the show.
Nikki Lane with Leroy From the North
Monday, April 24, 8 p.m. $26-$29
The Chapel