Nicole Atkins' music is a blend of the decades and an expression of the images that many of us share in our memories. Both playful and tragic and never cynical. Nicole draws upon the documents left us by heroes such as Roy Orbison, Phil Spector, Nina Simone, The Kinks, David Lynch, as much as her own experiences learning from the new heroes like Stephen Malkmus, Wilco, Lucinda Williams.
She grew up in Shark River Hills, a middle class enclave within Neptune overlooking the Shark River. Atkins has cited the river (technically a bay) as a major inspiration for her music, particularly the imagery of “the river in the rain” found in the title track on her album Neptune City. She started playing piano when she was 9 and taught herself to play guitar at 13. She eschewed more popular acts of the day for musical groups her parents listened to, such as The Ronettes and Johnny Cash. She has cited The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler as a major early influence.
She started playing in pick-up bands and doing gigs at local coffeehouses while attending St. Rose High School in the nearby town of Belmar.
After high school, Atkins moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to study illustration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.She ingrained herself within the city’s independent music scene, discovering bands like Superchunk and Uncle Tupelo. She also started writing original songs and befriending other local musicians. Among other bands, she joined a supergroup in the city called Nitehawk that, at one point, had almost 30 members. She also joined the band Los Parasols, releasing an EP with them entitled The Summer of Love in 2002. That same year, Atkins moved to the neighborhood of Bensonhurst in Brooklyn, New York. She began performing at open mic night at the Sidewalk Café in Manhattan’s East Village.
Influenced by the artists on Rainbow Quartz, the independent record label specializing in guitar heavy pop music and traditional songwriting for which she worked, she would move away from the louder rock music she’d played in North Carolina and toward the songcraft style of Wilco and Roy Orbison.
She returned briefly to Charlotte, living in a wood shop and playing with several bands, including a group called Virginia Reel. At this time, she started writing what she termed “a mix of Americana, 60s, and indie rock.” She also recorded Bleeding Diamonds EP during her time there.
She moved back to her parents’ house in New Jersey in 2004, working odd jobs and playing local gigs. During this time, she commuted into New York by train to play gigs and maintain a connection to the city’s underground music scene. In mid-2004, Atkins and David Muller, who had played drums with Fischerspooner and The Fiery Furnaces, started working on a demo CD entitled Party’s Over. They recorded most of the album in Atkins’ parents’ house using a Casio keyboard, a ProTools rig, and a mini recorder. Drum parts were recorded at Muller’s apartment in Manhattan, with further tracks recorded at the Dietch Projects gallery in Brooklyn.
In early 2005, keyboardist Dan Chen, whom Atkins knew from her days at The Sidewalk Café, approached Atkins about forming a new group. Chen told Atkins he knew of a drummer, Dan Mintzer, who might also be interested in playing with her. When the three sat down together for the first time, Chen and Mintzer already knew how to play the songs they’d heard on Atkins' MySpace page. Eventually David Hollinghurst, another friend from The Sidewalk Café, joined the band on guitar and Derek Layes was brought on as bassist. The band, now known as Nicole Atkins & The Sea, was given a residency at the small showcase bar, Piano's, and won the attention of music industry attorney Gillian Bar. Atkins' Party’s Over demo had stirred interest from heavy metal label Roadrunner Records, among others.
She soon found herself in the midst of a bidding war between record labels and signed with Columbia Records in January 2006. In late 2006, Atkins and the Sea traveled to Sweden to record her debut album, Neptune City, at Varispeed Studios in Kalgerup and Gula Studion in Malmö with producer Tore Johansson. The album was originally scheduled for a July 2007 release, but at the behest of Columbia co-chairman Rick Rubin, it was pushed back until October 30, 2007 to accommodate re-mastering the album. It debuted at number 20 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart.
In May 2009, The Sea disbanded and Atkins started collaborating on several new tracks with drummer Christopher Donofrio, bassist Anthony Chick, and guitarist Bradley York (of "Sikamor Rooney"). Atkins tentatively titled this lineup "The Black Sea". By July 2009, Atkins had ended her professional relationship with Columbia Records.
In January 2010, Atkins and The Black Sea started recording new material at Brooklyn's Seaside Lounge studio with producer Phil Palazzolo, with whom Atkins had previously worked during sessions for A.C. Newman's second solo album, "Get Guilty". Several other musicians joined Atkins in the studio to record the tracks for what would become her second album, Mondo Amore, including guitarist Irina Yalkowsky and bassist Jeremy Kay. Along with drummer Ezra Oklan, Yalkowsky and Kay would form the core lineup of the The Black Sea with whom Atkins would tour in support of Mondo Amore. In June 2010, Atkins signed with New York-based independent label Razor & Tie. The label released Mondo Amore on February 8, 2011.
What Do You Know?
Nicole Atkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
... a bitch?
I know men that won't stand piddle
What do you know?
I offer you kingdoms
And hundreds of children
I'm the queen, (prison all mean piddle bomb)
It's not my place to care
What you think about me
That's between you,
The birds and the Bowery
Please remember when
You ate right from my hand
I won't feed you anymore!
Remember how we
Seek the money?
And rose up to the sky
What do you know?
I offer you kingdoms
And hundreds of children
I am alive, (I am alive, put 'em up!)
What do you know?
Look to the past
So you can see right
Stand by,
Please stand by
The lyrics of Nicole Atkins's song "What Do You Know?" convey a sense of power, control, and defiance. The first verse refers to someone who is rich and powerful, and asserts that they know men who won't tolerate petty behavior (referring to the use of the word "piddle"). The chorus goes on to offer kingdoms and children as a sign of the singer's own power and dominance, and recounts how she once fed the listener from her own hand but now refuses to do so any longer.
The second verse calls back to a past in which the pursuit of money and success led to great achievements (rising up to the sky), and again offers kingdoms and children as a symbol of power. The bridge encourages the listener to look to the past in order to see things more clearly, and then repeats the previous verse with even more conviction.
Overall, the song seems to speak to the idea of someone who has achieved a great deal of power and success and is now confident in their ability to control and manipulate those around them. The references to kingdoms and children suggest a desire for ultimate control, while the repeated use of the question "What do you know?" is a challenge to anyone who might question the singer's authority.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember how rich
Remember how we used to desire and aspire to be rich and have a lavish lifestyle.
... a bitch?
Did we really need all that luxury or were we just being arrogant and selfish?
I know men that won't stand piddle
I know people who don't tolerate nonsense and trivial matters.
What do you know?
What knowledge or information do you possess regarding this topic or situation?
I offer you kingdoms
I am willing to give you everything you desire and more.
And hundreds of children
I am capable of providing numerous offspring.
I'm the queen, (prison all mean piddle bomb)
I hold a position of power and authority, and I can imprison those who pose a threat.
It's not my place to care
It is not my responsibility to worry about what you think of me.
What you think about me
Your opinion of me and my actions.
That's between you,
That is a matter for you to deal with.
The birds and the Bowery
It is a secret that will only be shared between me, the birds, and the Bowery street.
Please remember when
Please recall when we used to have a certain relationship or experience.
You ate right from my hand
You used to be completely dependent on me for your needs and wants.
I won't feed you anymore!
I will no longer provide for you or enable you to act without taking responsibility for your own actions.
Remember how we
Do you recall how we used to celebrate materialistic and superficial things?
Seek the money?
Were we always only concerned with accumulating wealth and possessions?
And rose up to the sky
Did we climb the social ladder and aspire to reach greater heights?
I am alive, (I am alive, put 'em up!)
I am very much alive and present, as shown by the enthusiasm and energy expressed in these lyrics.
Look to the past
Reflect on previous events or experiences in order to gain insight or understanding.
So you can see right
This reflection will allow you to evaluate and comprehend the situation more accurately and justly.
Stand by,
Be prepared and stay committed to your principles, goals, or ambitions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARTIN GJERSTAD, NICOLE ATKINS, TORE DAN JOHANSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind