Tucker Nichol
R&b singer/songwriter Tucker Nichol recently dropped her debut album too close to home and it is honestly a phenomenal record. Every song is brilliant. I rarely feature albums on my blog because it’s been hard to find good albums lately. But Tucker’s album has zero bad song. The topics on this record are important and you can tell that each song comes from something real and honest.
Tucker Nichol is definitely an amazing artist with a bright future ahead. Congrats Tucker on this debut album !!
too close to home is now available worldwide !
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Tucker Nichol! That’s my actual birth name, not just a stage name. My legitimate first name is Tucker which is constantly causing confusion for anyone who is meeting me for the first time. My middle name is pronounced Nichole/Nicole, but for whatever reason there’s never been an “e” at the end, so everyone thinks it is pronounced like “nickel”..but it’s not. Someone recommended that I add an e to my stage name but it didn't feel right...I’ve spelled it this way for my entire life. Just had to go ahead and get that out of the way haha I spend a lot of time explaining my name to people, strangely enough.
I went to Belmont University where I studied Commercial Music. It was there that I really started writing a ton. My first co-write ever was with my best friend at the time, Jordan Reynolds, who eventually went on to co-write “Tequila” (Dan and Shay) years later. I also used to sing backgrounds for Nicolle Galyon who is still, to this day, one of my favorite writers. While I was in college, I nannied and did a few acting gigs (my favorite job being Taylor Swift’s Teardrops On My Guitar music video where I play the girl who’s dating the guy she has a crush on), and was able to co-write with a lot of my favorite songwriters (Nicolle Galyon, Matt Wertz, Dave Barnes, Don Schlitz to name a few). I feel like I lived many lives while I was at Belmont. I bookended my time at Belmont by winning Miss Tennessee USA and going on to compete at Miss USA. After Miss USA, I started going back and forth between Nashville and LA to write.
Most importantly to my life now: I’ve been married to my husband since 2014 and we have 3 beautiful children.
You're getting ready to release your debut album Too Close To Home - how does it feel like?
It feels like a huge sigh of relief with a little bit of terror sprinkled on top. It’s been such a long time coming, and I’m just so excited for these songs to live outside of my own phone.
When did you start working on this record? What's the inspiration behind it?
You could say that this album was 30 years in the making for me. It’s a collective feeling of being a scared, confused kid and growing into an adult who has gained full awareness of what my expectations are from the company I keep.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this record? Who helped you create it?
I actually had another entirely different album that I had been writing and recording prior to this one....then the pandemic happened, so I put that project on hold in order to tackle this one first. I had a lot of time to start processing a lot of things that had been simmering for years...things that I had tried to ignore or push deep down. One summer, I decided I was ready to start facing my childhood trauma head-on and to start actually verbalizing things that occurred. I felt like, in order for me to heal and sort through all of these things, I needed to communicate in the best way I know: writing and singing. I live full time in Nashville, but I primarily work out of Los Angeles, so I planned some studio sessions out in LA. I started thinking about what I wanted this album to be and I decided to make the entire body of work circulate around one singular topic: the rollercoaster of being in a toxic situation...the initial stages of recognition, finally addressing the aggressor head on and telling them “I finally see you for who you are and I’m done”, the healing stage, the mourning stage, being optimistic about a healthier future...then ending with the reflection. Adam, JL, and Mary (who co- wrote this entire album with me) were so awesome. I would go in for the day and say “I have this title” or “I have this line I keep singing and I think it might be something”, “so this is my concept”, etc and then we’d completely build everything from the ground up there. I felt like we had all been working together for years. They’re all so great at what they do and I’m really honored to have had them help me create this album. We wrote and recorded all 10 of these songs in 10 days.
What different topics are you talking about on this project?
Healing, self awareness, setting healthy boundaries, demanding accountability, narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, finding (and using) your voice .
What did you feel when writing "away from me"?
I think I was in my car driving one day and it just suddenly hit me “wow I like it better when they're far away”. I didn't miss them...at all. And then I thought “should I feel bad for not missing them? Even after all they did to me?”
The lyric “This is hard, I kinda like it better when you’re far away” has a double meaning in this song. “This is hard” meaning #1: It’s hard to admit how easy it is to be away from them and I was almost feeling guilty about how great it feels. It’s a pretty sad realization when people you thought were supposed to be in your life forever are actually better off being far far away. “This is hard” meaning #2: the celebration. Like “yo, this is amazing!!!” I’m healthier, I’m happier, I am getting used to their lack of access to me and I love it.
What were the biggest challenges you had to confront while making this album?
I had stayed silent for so long that I was terrified of what might happen when I finally started talking about my history with certain people. The general public has no clue who I’m speaking about, but those who are closest to me have witnessed me deal with this privately for the bulk of my life, so it feels really soul-baring to even speak on it, let alone release it out into the world. I’ve been really careful about not specifically naming the subjects...because this album isn’t *about* them...I mean, it is but it isn’t. It is about how it impacted me, how I’m healing from it AND how I’m making sure not to ever repeat their patterns.
“To You” was probably the most challenging song for me to write and record. I had to keep taking little breaks because I kept crying. It’s very much a letter directly to the main subjects of the album. I have written letter after letter and letter that I know I’ll never send...and that song is a summary of some of those letters. It’s everything I’ve wanted to say but was too scared to say. It was me finally standing up for myself and taking back the power that I used to just hand over in fear. I did it for younger me who never would’ve been bold enough to say anything at all.
Any favorite memories from the making of the album?
Because I record out of LA, I usually have a pretty limited amount of time to get everything done and am always sure to be incredibly efficient with the time I do have. The night before going back into the last studio date of that trip, I still needed to write a bridge for “Nah”. So I ordered a glass of red wine and a side of fries from room service, grabbed a notebook, turned my headphones up super high, looped the bridge instrumental section, and hammered out that bridge real quick. Took it in the next day and laid it down.
What made you want to name your album Too Close To Home?
This entire topic is still something I feel like I’m not *supposed* to talk about depending on who you ask. This is something I was told from a young age “what happens here stays here”....which was confusing. I didn’t have anyone to confide in when I felt isolated and afraid. Which was way too often. The subject is incredibly “too close to home” for me, but I’ve learned to reestablish my meaning of the word “home” and am incredibly proud of the home I’ve created for myself and my little family.
What's your goal for this project?
It started simply as a step in my healing process. It’s been incredibly therapeutic to say the least. The songs are all little reminders to myself where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. My hope is that this project can be healing to others as well: people who are trying to find the courage to step away from a toxic situation; people who have gone no-contact with narcissists but are still dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of the seemingly never-ending ripple effects. Essentially, I hope to give a voice to the voiceless. I know how it feels to be bullied into silence and bullied into submission....and I’ll never go back to that place. I’m interested to see how the album resonates with other people and I really hope it brings some comfort to those who need it!
What can you tell us about the artwork?
My dear friends Chris Shelley and Jess Severn are responsible for the artwork. To me, the imagery conveys the journey of finding solidarity and everything coming into clear view.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part, for me, has to be a tossup between the constant waiting and the crippling self doubt. The best part is getting to do what I love. I love taking something that was just an idea a second ago and turning it into something tangible. Music is a huge part of who I am and singing is my favorite form of communication. Singing, to me, is how I imagine it must feel to be able to fly.
How's it like to be a woman in the music industry? What message would you like to give to women out there?
It’s interesting being a woman in the music industry, specifically as a mother. It’s like I have some sort of unspoken expiration date on my dreams, my career, my goals, all because I’m a mom. Especially as I am someone who isn’t *established* completely. A couple years back, I was in a meeting with a music executive and he told me that he loved my music but “a happy wife and mother is boring” and to “come back when” I “have an album about something interesting...like divorce”....even though I’m happily married...........
If a man has kids, no one expects him to just quit his job. No one grabs a new lens to speculate his every move since he’s a parent now. I get so many patronizing comments from people as though I was going to just never sing or write again because I had kids. I am capable of doing both. I’ve wanted this my entire life. I went to school for this. I am also 1000% capable of prioritizing what I love most. I’m purposeful and efficient with my time because I have to be. My message to other women would be: Your dreams do not have an expiration date....your path doesn’t have to look the same as others...it is YOUR path and its tailor made for you alone.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
The industry has changed rapidly with the laser focus on social media platforms. I definitely understand that those can be really great tools for engaging fans and building a community, but there is so much emphasis on the “viral” moment...only to become a distant memory just a few short weeks (or days) later when the next viral moment comes along to take its place. I’ve seen videos of people talking about becoming addicted to creating the next viral moment. It’s never enough. I don't find it to be healthy or sustainable...so I’d love to see more of a happy medium where you're not having to completely oversaturate yourself in order to get any sort of attention. Artists and musicians are almost all expected to be influencers now which I don't feel is a great fit for everyone. Not everyone wants to be an influencer, and not everyone should have to be in order to get the recognition they deserve. I’d love to see more emphasis put back on creating authentic packages rather than defaulting to gimmicks, overly curated moments, and contrived marketing.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Common courtesy.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Not everything is about me. I’ve learned not to take things as personal and now have a better understanding that a lot of people project their insecurities and unresolved trauma onto others (not that that’s ever a valid excuse to treat people horribly). I do my best to let things roll off my shoulders now, because it’s not worth carrying heavy, toxic baggage that doesn’t belong to me. I set healthy boundaries with others and with myself. I’m no longer willing to step out of character or disturb my peace for a bunch of nonsense. I can’t control how people behave, how they choose to feel about me, etc. The only thing I really have control over is my own attitude: how I choose to treat people, and the way I respond to situations. I also have a pretty great BS detector at this point, so I always try to trust my intuition...because every time I’ve ignored it, I’ve wished I hadn’t. I’ve learned that I HAVE to take breaks...because burning at both ends of the candle just leads to burnout and I’m trying to actually allow myself to have fun and relax without guilt.
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