Italian Ice by Nicole Atkins
In each song she creates, Nicole Atkins reveals her incredible power to transport listeners to a much more charmed time and space. On her new album Italian Ice, the New Jersey-bred singer/songwriter conjures the romance and danger and wild magic of a place especially close to her heart: the Jersey Shore in all its scrappy beauty. Inspired by the boardwalk’s many curiosities—the crumbling Victorian mansions, the lurid and legendary funhouse, the Asbury Park rock-and-roll scene she played a key part in reviving—Atkins ultimately transforms her neverending fascination into a wonderland of her own making.
“When you’re on the boardwalk there’s a feeling that anything can happen, and that’s the feeling I tried to create with this record,” Atkins says. “I wanted to give people something they can put on and buy into a fantasy that gets them excited about what might happen in their own lives.”
For help in capturing the shore’s kinetic spirit, Atkins assembled a studio band whose lineup feels almost mythical. Recorded at the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, Italian Ice finds the Nashville-based artist joined by Spooner Oldham and David Hood (both members of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, who played on classic records from the likes of Aretha Franklin and Etta James), Binky Griptite of The Dap Kings, Jim Sclavunos and Dave Sherman of The Bad Seeds, and drummer McKenzie Smith (St. Vincent, Midlake). With special guests including Spoon frontman Britt Daniel, Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers, Erin Rae, and John Paul White, the album is a testament to Atkins’s uncommon talent for uniting musicians of radically different sensibilities. “I just invited all my best musical friends to be there with me, and then we roped in Spooner and David too,” says Atkins, who connected with the two musicians after performing at Oldham’s birthday bash. “Musically, it doesn’t make any sense. But I’m a superfan of all of them, and we ended up with the weirdest, craziest band ever. It just became this awesome misfit party.”
Co-produced by Atkins and Ben Tanner, Italian Ice makes brilliant use of its A-list personnel, unfolding in a kaleidoscopic sound that Atkins likens to “an acid trip through my record collection.” At turns as opulent as symphonic pop and gritty as garage punk, the album wanders into shades of psych-rock and honky-tonk and girl-group melodrama, endlessly spotlighting the tightly honed musicianship and unbridled originality at heart of Atkins’s artistry. “I didn’t really censor myself much,” she points out. “Everything that felt good to say or hear or feel coming back off the speakers, I just went for it.”
Tracklist
| 1. | AM Gold | 4:35 |
| 2. | Mind Eraser | 4:06 |
| 3. | Domino | 4:04 |
| 4. | Forever | 3:57 |
| 5. | Captain | 3:08 |
| 6. | Never Going Home Again | 3:08 |
| 7. | St. Dymphna | 3:23 |
| 8. | Far From Home | 4:11 |
| 9. | A Road to Nowhere | 4:14 |
| 10. | These Old Roses | 2:53 |
| 11. | In The Splinters | 3:52 |
Credits
PRODUCED BY:
Ben Tanner and Nicole Atkins
ARRANGED BY:
Nicole Atkins
RECORDED AT:
Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Muscle Shoals, AL
Sundrop Sound, Florence, AL
The Echo Lab, Denton, TX
Public Hi-Fi, Austin, TX
Battle Tapes Recording, Nashville, TN
New Future, Belmar, NJ
MASTERED BY:
Chris Colbert at Numberstation, Eugene, OR
ADDITIONAL RECORDING:
-Strings for “These Old Roses,” “Never Going Home Again,” “Far From Home,” and “Mind Eraser” recorded at Battle Tapes Recording in Nashville, TN by Jeremy Ferguson
-Vocals for “Domino” and “AM Gold” recorded at Battle Tapes Recording in Nashville, TN by Jeremy Ferguson
-Percussion and guitar for “Domino” recorded at Public Hi-Fi in Austin, TX by Britt Daniel
-Vocals for “AM Gold,” “St. Dymphna,” and “In the Splinters” recorded at New Future in Belmar, NJ by Paul Ritchie
ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING BY:
Jeremy Ferguson, Matt Pence, Paul Ritchie, and Britt Daniel
ASSISTANT ENGINEERS:
Cody Simmons, Austin Motlow, Chase Brandon, and Jamie Sego
STRING ARRANGEMENTS BY:
Nicole Atkins
STRINGS PERFORMED BY:
Laura Epling (Violin), Maggie Chafee (Cello), and Caleb Elliott (Cello)
MUSICIANS:
Nicole Atkins: Vocals, Guitar, and Bass
David “Moose” Sherman: Piano and Musical Director
McKenzie Smith: Drums
Jim Sclavunos: Percussion, Vibes
David Hood: Bass
Binky Griptite: Guitar
Spooner Oldham: Organ, Wurlitzer
Ben Tanner: Keyboards, Vibes, Acoustic Guitar
Dexter Green: Drum Programming, Bass, Keyboards
Britt Daniel: Guiar, Percussion, Vocals
Carl Broemel: Pedal Steel, Vocals, and Additional Guitar
Kelvin Holly: Guitar
Todd Beene: Pedal Steel
Seth Avett: Vocals on “Never Going Home Again”
John Paul White: Vocals on “Never Going Home Again”
Erin Rae: Vocals on “Never Going Home Again”
Stephanie Hunt: Background Vocals
Kelsey Wilson: Background Vocals
Kam Franklin: Background Vocals
Taylor Nicks: Background Vocals
Stephen Warwick: Background Vocals
MANAGEMENT BY:
Zach Hundley at 7S Management
PACKAGE DESIGN AND LAYOUT BY:
Tom Bejgrowicz for Man Alive Creative
COLLAGE ART BY:
Nicole Atkins
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Barbara FG (front and back cover), Rett Rogers (all photos inside collage and insert), and Cait Brady (collage photo)
THANK YOU:
Big love and gratitude to Ben Tanner, Ryan, my family, Will, Reed, John Paul, Haley, and Addy and every intern at Single Lock Records. Zach Hundley and the crew at 7S, Elizabeth Gregory, Jared Tankel, Pete Frostic, Tevin Apedale, Buster Phillips and Grace Stern at William Morris and all the wonderful musicians, writers, promoters, venues, door people, wingmen and wingwomen, and every person and place that’s given me their time, love and inspiration. Also, thank you to the Wildwood Tavern for letting us play dice after our sessions. This record is dedicated to rock n roll and the future.
SONGWRITING AND PUBLISHING:
“AM Gold” written by N. Atkins
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI)
“Mind Eraser” written by N. Atkins / C. Broemel
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / East of Western Music ASCAP)
“Domino” written by N. Atkins / D. Green
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / Foy Doy SEASAC)
“Forever” written by N. Atkins / C. Reynolds
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / Copyright Control, SOCAN)
“Captain” written by N. Atkins / C. Broemel
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / East of Western Music, ASCAP)
“Never Going Home Again” written by N. Atkins / J. Sclavunos
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / Mute Song Limited, BMI / Sell The House Sell The Car Sell The Kids, BMI)
“St. Dymphna” written by N. Atkins / O. Evans / C. Reynolds
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / OBR Music, ASCAP / Copyright Control, SOCAN)
“Far From Home” written by N. Atkins
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI)
“A Road to Nowhere” by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
( © 1966 Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN, 37219, All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
“These Old Roses” written by N. Atkins / B. Daniel
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / Sell The House Sell The Car Sell The Kids, BMI)
“In the Splinters” written by N. Atkins / H. Leithauser
(Little Saint Connie Music, BMI / Bambotronic, ASCAP)
License
All rights reserved.
New live album Memphis Ice out now!
Here are some nice words from Elvis Costello about Memphis Ice:
“Songs don’t stop living when the red light goes out. Pulling the colors and curtains from the studio versions of these songs, you find yourself within melodies and their emotions. Borne up by some beautiful playing from the small ensemble, this is some serious singing.”