Photo by Grace Pulver
American songwriter J. Nicolás has released ‘Montana Luv’ from his debut album ‘Wild Oak.’ The album, written largely behind the steering wheel, feels like late-night driving: an effortless Folk-Americana soundtrack for the final hours of the day. It was tracked to one inch tape at Singing Sands in Portland, Oregon, and Capricorn Studios in San Diego, California.
The track below is a wistful Americana ballad, where Nicolás sings of a journey home from the mountains in the American West, and of the little moments of solo traveling that become tender in the presence of memory. The music mirrors this reflective state, weaving memory with topography, and explores how the love for a place can be comparable to the love of a person and how ultimately, leaving either can bring up similar emotions: “Oh, the night / Nothing’s ever easy in the dark / The toughest part of leaving is the start.”
The album is laced with rich harmonies and a band that carries along Nicolás’ intuitive lyrics with ease. The record holds a sense of peace even while navigating the memory of heartbreak, echoing Nicolás’ own healing process. The album features Sydney Nash on piano and keys, Allen Hunter (The Eels) on bass, Joe Mengis (The Eels) on drums, Steely Pete on pedal steel, and Ezza Rose on harmonies. It was engineered and mixed by Tobias Berblinger and mastered by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
Nicolás spent much of the last two decades playing in bands in Portland, Oregon, and touring with various projects before recording his debut full-length Wild Oak in the early part of 2021. Follow his socials for the latest updates.
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