Voting members may begin casting their votes today through October 31st, 2018 at Grammy.com.

Haven’t heard the new album? Give it a listen on your favorite streaming platform by clicking here: http://smarturl.it/bluesgrifter

For Your Grammy Ballot Consideration

On the first season of “The Voice,” Nakia immediately became a fan favorite before finishing as a semifinalist. More than 14 million viewers tuned in each week to witness Nakia wowing the show’s four celebrity coaches with his electric stage presence and using his grittyvoice to make Top 40 songs his own.

Using the momentum from the whirlwind of reality TV, Nakia focused on writing songs for a new EP and subsequenttour, stillleaving the band on hold. Nakia knew it was time to call up the Blues Grifters again when he was invited to appear on theALL ATX compilation album in 2016. Together, they transformed The Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” from a prog-rocking guitar dirge into a lowdown gritty sax-infused soul jam that culminates in a double time frenzy.  Renewed from that studio experience, Nakia was ready to finish the album he started almost a decadeago with his long-time collaborator and fellow Grifter, Mac McNabb.

“I started the band as a way for me to cut loose and get lost in the blues, so I wanted this album to be a homage to the great blues artists who inspired me,” Nakia recalls, “but ‘The Voice’ happened and I couldn’t reach the finish line on the record. Once Mac and I got back together and listened to the tapes, we committed to finish the album. We cut these songs using old ribbon mics, analog gear and tape machines. Many of the songs recorded live, all in the room together. Real live blues — the way it was meant to be.”

After all this time, “Blues Grifter,” is finished featuring songs by blues and soul greats Otis Rush, William Bell, Johnnie Taylor, Howlin’ Wolf, Luther “Snakeboy” Johnson and more. Nakia will celebrate the release with a free in-store performance at Waterloo Records Friday, August followed by album release parties in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio with more cities to be announced. Nakia will donate a portion of all “Blues Grifter” physical album proceeds to The Clifford Antone Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Austin dedicated to preserving blues music culture and community by caring for our elders and investing in our youth. Nakia is a two-time Black Fret artist grant award recipient.

Pre-order bundles including shirts, posters, limited edition 7” singles & exclusive live EP available now at NAKIA.NET

PRESS INQUIRIES: NAKIA.NET/PRESS

BOOKING INQUIRIES: NAKIA.NET/BOOKING

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“The song came to me really quickly. I knocked out a demo and sat on it for a few days. I shared it with some close friends and fellow songwriters who really loved it. I was planning on taking it into the studio and fleshing it out more but just before SXSW I noticed the Tiny Desk contest was in full swing and the deadline was approaching. I called up my friend Wesley, told him my ideas, then I called Brent to see if the choir would be down to sing with me. After those pieces were in place I was fortunate to get this amazing venue to shoot in and then I called Gary to help film it. We knocked out the shoot in 3.5 hours but the editing took me about 6 to finish.”

Judging is now underway in this year’s Tiny Desk contest. Winners will be announced in late April. Until then, watch, comment on, and share the video below.

Make sure to check out the new album by Nakia, Wine To Water, while you’re there!

Upcoming Nakia and the Blues Grifters Shows:
July 15 – Rockin’ The River – Ft. Worth
July 21 – 8 Track Sessions – Houston
July 27 – Unplugged At The Grove – Austin
July 29 – Blues Night – Austin
September 16 – Boom Days Festival – Ft. Payne, Alabama
September 23 – Luna – San Antonio

Artist Dan Grissom has created a beautiful poster featuring all of the original members of Nakia & His Southern Cousins that will be screen printed, signed, and numbered and available in limited quantity at the show while supplies last.

These very unique records, pressed on clear vinyl, will be numbered and signed by Nakia. This limited edition will only be for sale at the reunion show at Antone’s on June 29th. No orders will be taken in advance so please arrive early to the show in order to make sure you get your copy.

Here’s more info on the new album.

Water To Wine – The Water To Wine Outtakes by Nakia
In the Spring of 2009, Austin artist, Nakia, released his debut full-length album, titled, “Water To Wine.” The album included a few original songs penned by Nakia, but also several written by Austin singer-songwriter, Michael Fracasso, and a song by multi-platinum songwriter, Monte Warden. It was well received by critics and fans alike, and cemented Nakia’s placement among Austin’s best recording artists. The record was recorded using Nakia’s backing band at the time, the beloved, “Southern Cousins,” that had played many residencies at Austin venues such as Ego’s, Momo’s, and Jovita’s. That band included the original “Fresh Up Girls,” Karla Manzur & Jessie England singing backing vocals, guitarist (and album producer), Mac McNabb, Johnny V on bass, Ed Jarusinsky on drums, and Derek Morris on keys. Legendary drummer, Barry “Frosty” Smith also recorded several tracks for the album. All and all there were almost 30 songs recorded for the album but only 10 were used in the finished release.

So, when he was approached by Jon Niess from Austin Signal about taking part in his Texas Music Magazine Lathe-Cut series of limited edition vinyl releases, Nakia called up producer Mac McNabb and dug out the best outtakes for “Wine To Water.” Many of these tracks were fan favorites from the live shows, including “Nuthin’ But” and Nakia’s take on the Ryan Adams/David Rawlings tune, “Touch, Feel & Lose.” But there were many more that have never been heard before this release such as the psychedelic Blues jam, “Nobody Does It Like My Baby,” and the tender AM-Gold ballad, “Grace (Please Let Me Fall).”

That project sparked the idea to have a full-on Southern Cousins reunion and a proper album release show happening Thursday, June 29, 2017 at Antone’s Nightclub in Austin, TX. All of the original members will be on stage and there will be limited amounts of the hand-cut vinyl version of the album available for sale.

About Nakia:
Alabama-raised singer/songwriter Nakia has become a fixture in the Austin music scene since arriving in 2002. He was a Top 8 Semifinalist on CeeLo’s team during the first season of ‘The Voice’ on NBC. Nakia is a 2016 Black Fret nominee artist. Texas Music Magazine says, “His live performances are akin to a religious experience,” and Rolling Stone Magazine said Nakia is “…fun to watch, like a bear who knows how to sing.” Nakia recently produced, performed and was the musical director for the Austin Salute 2 Prince featuring Grupo Fantasma & Friends for two sold out nights at Antone’s benefitting the Clifford Antone Foundation and the SIMS Foundation. He has written, recorded, and performed with everyone from Lamont Dozier and Sharon Jones to Alejandro Escovedo and Gary Clark, Jr. Nakia is an Austin original. He lives in Windsor Park with his husband “RobbyTheRobot” and their retired champion Bouvier des Flandres, Tyson.

About Austin Signal:
Austin Signal is a high quality recording studio which specializes in short run vinyl cutting, vinyl on demand, and ensemble recording – both analog and digital. It is located in the Hill Country of Austin, Texas.

CREDITS:
Recorded, Produced, Mixed by Mac McNabb at Oxford Studios
Written by Nakia Reynoso (KiaChia Songs BMI) Unless Noted
Nakia: Lead & Backing Vocals, Organ, Piano
Mac McNabb: Guitars, Bass, Synths, Etc.
Johnny V: Bass • Derek Morris: Piano, Organ
Barry “Frosty” Smith & Ed Jarusinsky: Drums
“The Fresh Up Girls” (Karla Manzur & Jessie England): Backing Vocals
Thomas Van Der Brook: Horns

To participate, visit Nakia’s official Facebook page at http://facebook.com/Nakia and make sure you choose to receive notifications about live events. Then at 2:30PM CST on Tuesday, June 13, head over to the page and watch it live! You can ask Nakia + The Fresh Up Girls any question your heart desires!

Get Tickets To Nakia & His Southern Cousins 10 Year Reunion Show At Antone’s

“Growing up in Dekalb County had a huge influence on me as a singer and musician. From the sounds of Bluegrass playing at Trade Day, the Southern Gospel quartets visiting our church, or the annual Alabama June Jam filled with Country music superstars, I was always surrounded by music. I am thrilled to be coming home to Fort Payne to perform with my band for the first time ever and bring y’all some real live blues.”

Boom Days is an annual festival held on the third Saturday of September in Fort Payne, Alabama. This year will feature performances by Nakia and the Blues Grifters, The Guess Who, Blair Crimmins & The Hookers, Amelia Eisenhauer & The Peruvian Farm Girls, and more. For more information visit BoomDays.com

(AUSTIN, TEXAS – May 8, 2017; source: Juice Consulting) – Nakia & His Southern Cousins are thrilled to announce their 10 year reunion and album release show on Thursday, June 29 at the historic Antone’s, located at 305 E 5th St., Austin, Texas 78701. Doors will be at 8:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 9:00 p.m. The show is presented by Sun Radio and will be hosted by Mark Murray. The evening will include performances by Jonathan Terrell opening the show and support by Suzanna Choffel. In addition to the reunion, Nakia & His Southern Cousins will be releasing a new record of previously unreleased outtakes with limited edition vinyl and CDs available exclusively at the show. Advance tickets will be $12 for general admission or $15 at the door. There will also be VIP seating available for $25. For more information, please see: nakia.me/tix-062917.

“This is going to be really special night of music and family,” said Nakia. “Having the full band back together, including the original Fresh Up Girls, is something I didn’t think would ever happen after Jessie moved to Denmark. The best part will be seeing the fans who came out each week to support us at Momo’s and Jovita’s getting down with us at Antone’s.”

Nakia & His Southern Cousins was formed in 2007 by Nakia after he left The Small Stars, Miles Zuniga of Fastball’s side project. Featuring Mac McNabb (Soulhat, Patty Griffin) on guitar, Johnny Vogelsang (Suzanna Choffel, Uptown Drive) on bass, Derek Morris (Bob Schneider, Alpha Rev) on keyboard, and The Fresh Up Girls – Karla Manzur (Alejandro Escovdeo, Nightblooms) and Jessie England (Snafu Kitties, Amanda Palmer) – on backing vocals. The first band lineup originally featured recently departed legendary drummer Barry “Frosty” Smith,” who appeared on many of the studio recordings as well. After “Frosty” left the band, Ed Jarusinky (Wrenfro, The Argyles) took the drummer seat. Since its fruition, the band played a multitude of shows around Austin with numerous critically acclaimed musicians. The band released their EP “Playing The Cards” in 2007 and played their first show on February 17, 2007 at Lambert’s followed by a weekly residency at Momo’s every Thursday at 10 p.m. for a whole year. Local Austin musicians Jonathan Terrell and Suzanna Choffel also had residencies at Momo’s and thus were a perfect fit to support the reunion show. Nakia & His Southern Cousins played once a month at Jovita’s for a whole year and were named “Emerging Artist” by ME Television.

In 2008, they played Austin City Limits Music Festival where Nakia joined Sharon Jones of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Sharon later said, “Nakia is the real deal y’all, he’s got some serious soul… And that’s what Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are all about… Soul.” Later that year, they were voted one of Austin’s Best New Bands at the Austin Chronicle Music Awards, performed at the re-opening of  madison@juiceconsulting.com, played the last show at the original Backyard with Willie Nelson and opened for BB King’s final Austin show. Finally, they were featured in Austin Monthly’s “On The Cusp” and released a full-length album “Water To Wine” before disbanding in 2009 when Fresh Up Girl, Jessie England moved to Denmark and Nakia’s father lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Now, with the announcement of their 10 year reunion show and exclusive album release, their fans and Austin music community are highly anticipating this incredible homecoming.

Press reviews raved about the band back in the day. “Every song on ‘Water to Wine’ drips with southern flavor. ‘Choose your Poison’ is hip-shaking blues while ‘Elizabeth Lee’ slinks around the Mississippi Delta. But the real standout is the title track. The song just feels like coming home. To really get a taste of Nakia, though, live is where it’s at. He has his steady Austin gigs, plus the West Coast beckons and he also wants to tour his old stomping grounds in the Southeast. A singer with as much presence as Nakia can’t be held back. Nothing beats watching listeners with their mouths agape as he gives his usual 125 percent.” – Paul Carrubba, “On The Cusp” Austin Monthly

“His live performances are akin to a religious experience. With his first full-length release, ‘Water To Wine,’ Nakia captures his trademark soulful, spiritual sound. It’s a big, theatrical voice, and an execution that’s Southern gospel with more than a hint of Joe Cocker.” – Texas Music Magazine

“It only took one listen for me to rank Nakia in the upper echelons of Austin vocalists! I got an immediate response from listeners. One spin generated requests for days! So I had to play it some more.” – Loris Lowe, Music Director/KLBJ

ABOUT NAKIA:
Austin-based, Alabama-raised singer/songwriter Nakia has a heart that beats to the rhythms of Muscle Shoals soul, pumping blood infused with Stax funk to cells lined with Chicago blues grooves. His vocal talent is the kind that instantly turns listeners into fans – among them CeeLo Green, who invited Nakia to sing on his Muppets Christmas special. Nakia was a Top 8 Semifinalist on CeeLo’s team during the first season of “The Voice” on NBC. Nakia moved from Chicago to Austin in 2002. After a brief stint in the Small Stars, a tongue-in-cheek lounge act fronted by Fastball’s Miles Zuniga, he formed Nakia & His Southern Cousins, got booked to perform at the 2008 Austin City Limits Festival, and wound up singing with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Alejandro Escovedo heard him at a Rolling Stones tribute, which led to him singing backing vocals on Escovedo’s “Street Songs of Love” album, and to a second recommendation – this time by producer Tony Visconti – for Nakia to front his own Blues band. So he formed the Blues Grifters. A YouTube video of the band led to “The Voice” producer Mark Burnett recruiting him for the pilot, which resulted in his relationship with CeeLo. Nakia is an active member of the Austin music community. He is an outspoken advocate for organizations such as Black Fret, HAAM and The SIMS Foundation. He has served as the Chair of the Austin Music Commission and as a member of the Board of Governors for the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy. Nakia is a two-time Black Fret grant recipient.

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MEDIA NOTE:
For general press inquiries and to RSVP to the June 29 show, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:

Heather Wagner Reed
713 208 3891
heather@juiceconsulting.com

Madison Snelling
210 213 8934
madison@juiceconsulting.com