Nichole’s musical style has developed over time from headbanging rock with her first band INSANE to folky acoustics with her first album Under the Skin (2001), while her most recent albums Lost Into Experience (2009) and You Are Not Alone (2010) glimpse an evolution into a darker electronic lounge vibe. Along the way, she’s collaborated with dance and pop producers on a number of projects ranging from house anthem “Live So Free” with Swiss American Federation to ridiculous pop songs like “Teaser” with Mark Okoh. Whatever the genre, Nichole has consistently captivated audiences with her intoxicating voice, presence and lyrics.
The lucky product of a quick union: Nichole's straight-A-student mother dropped out her last semester of private college to run off with the long-haired drummer of a rock band she met in Deland, Florida. Hoping to make a positive impression on his new family, Nichole’s father quit his band, shaved his head, and joined the army. The couple married and was stationed in Augsburg, Germany where Nichole was born just a year later. The marriage ended soon after, and as an infant, Nichole was brought back to Florida where her mother worked to support the family and finish her studies. It was in her early years as a latch key kid that Nichole's passion for songwriting emerged.
Nichole began writing songs in grade school, where she tried out a number of instruments including violin, stand up bass, and keyboard. In middle school, she got her first electric guitar and began performing in Central Florida nightclubs with heavy rock band INSANE at age 14. During the summers, she studied music, songwriting, and performance at National Guitar Workshop in Connecticut, where she learned from guitar heros such as Andy Timmons and Nuno Bettencourt. By high school graduation, Nichole had written, recorded, and produced more than twenty original songs and played dozens of live shows.
Determined to transcend the common trajectory for many kids growing up in non-ideal households, Nichole sought balance between her artistic aspirations and academic endeavors, pursuing formal studies in Economics and Education while steadily building her song catalog. She moved to Los Angeles in 1999 with little more than her guitar and a suitcase; something like the scene out of Poison's Fallen Angel video. Like many musicians trying to break into the industry, she started out working a number of day jobs, from managing the marketing department at West L.A. Music to offering tech support for Disney's Consumer Products division. Along the way, she also brought her passion into the classroom, teaching at elementary schools in the challenging areas of South Central and East Los Angeles and elite Pacific Palisades.
Currently, ALDEN creates custom music for film and television, while working on her fourth studio album in the Silicon Beach community of Santa Monica, California.
For Free
Nichole Alden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been a stranger in my own skin
For some time and I can't count
For you the lives that have come through
This soul there's no danger in accepting
Uncertainty still
I know you fear for me you say if I keep
Giving for free who's gonna buy
I can be the teacher and also learn
The lesson I can toss the details
But I can get lost in them too sometimes
I know black from white but
I'm still discovering gray and
I know you're just like me
You're just like me
Giving for free who's gonna buy
I've been without grace and
I watched you get it back for me
Have I all this time been standing here waiting?
Seems such a simple thing
Not to let it go so easily
But sometimes you're taking
When you're giving
When you're giving for free who's gonna buy
In the song "For Free" by Nichole Alden, the artist sings about feeling lost and like a stranger within oneself. Alden acknowledges that she has been through many chapters in her life, and she has encountered various people that have impacted her soul. However, she finds comfort in accepting uncertainty, and she recognizes that fear still lingers in the air. The fear that when she gives too much of herself away for free, she won't have anything left for herself, and no one will be willing to buy or appreciate her worth.
Alden expresses her desire to be both a teacher and a student while navigating through life. She wants to comprehend the complexities of life, but at times she can also get lost in the tiny details. She acknowledges that although she understands the clear distinctions between black and white, she is still discovering the different shades of gray.
Moreover, she acknowledges that everyone is flawed, and no one has it all figured out. In the end, she questions whether she has been waiting for a savior to come and grace her life with the comfort and stability she craves. She realizes that accepting grace is not always something that is easy to do, but it's possible, and sometimes, when you're giving for free, you're also taking from yourself.
Overall, "For Free" is a song that speaks to the fear and anxiety that comes with putting oneself out there and the difficulty of accepting grace when it's offered. At the same time, the song delivers a positive message that it's okay to be uncertain, not to have all the answers, and to continue to learn from life's experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I've been lost and
I have been confused and uncertain for a while.
I've been a stranger in my own skin
I have been feeling disconnected from myself.
For some time and I can't count
This has been going on for a while, and I have lost track of how long.
For you the lives that have come through
There have been many people who have been a part of my life and have influenced me.
This soul there's no danger in accepting
I am comfortable with who I am and am not afraid of exploring my true self.
Uncertainty still
However, there is still some uncertainty and unknowns in my life.
I know you fear for me you say if I keep
I understand that you are concerned for me and my well-being.
Giving for free who's gonna buy
You worry that if I keep giving things away for free, I won't be able to make a living or sustain myself.
I can be the teacher and also learn
I am capable of both teaching others and learning from them myself.
The lesson I can toss the details
I understand the big picture and can let go of the small details.
But I can get lost in them too sometimes
However, I can also get bogged down by minor details and lose sight of the bigger picture.
I know black from white but
I understand the difference between right and wrong.
I'm still discovering gray and
But there are still some areas that are unclear or ambiguous to me.
I know you're just like me
I understand that you and I share similar experiences and emotions.
Giving for free who's gonna buy
You also worry that if you keep giving things away for free, you won't be able to make a living or sustain yourself.
I've been without grace and
There have been times in my life where I have acted without grace or kindness.
I watched you get it back for me
You have helped me regain my grace and kindness.
Have I all this time been standing here waiting?
Have I been waiting for something to happen or change in my life?
Seems such a simple thing
It seems like it should be easy to fix or change.
Not to let it go so easily
But it's hard to hold onto it and not lose it again.
But sometimes you're taking
Sometimes, even when you think you are giving, you are actually taking from others.
When you're giving for free who's gonna buy
When you keep giving things away for free, there might not be anyone left to support or buy from you in the future.
Contributed by Nathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.