New England Online > Culture & Society > Music > Lauren Nicks
Lauren Nicks
| Lauren Nicks | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Origin: | Kempsey |
| Active: | 2045 - present |
| Genre: | Pop/Jazz/Blues/Gospel |
| Label: | Image |
Lauren Nicks (born Lauren Alice Howard, 24th December 2025) is a solo artist from Kempsey. Beginning her career in 2045, Nicks has recorded four albums to date, all of which have featured several #1 hits in New England. Internationally, Nicks has been acclaimed as top class singer and songwriter, and has enjoyed success in Australia, Europe, Japan and New Zealand.
Nicks is famous for her individual style and unique singing ability, with many local critics declaring her to be the best female voice in a generation, with her possessing a soulful voice and an extraordinary range. Her albums run the full gambit of musical genres with a diverse repertoire of jazz, blues, folk, gospel and pop.
Background
Nicks was born in Kempsey in 2025, the third of four children born to Leon and Jenny Howard. Both her parents had a background in music as school music teachers, and often sang with the children as they were growing up. Of all her siblings, Lauren showed the most promise as a musician with an exceptional artistic and musical talent. Following the family tradition, at the age of eight, her parents bought her a music instrument, which in Lauren's case was a guitar. Her first public performance came at the Frederickton State School's Christmas Play in 2034 where she played guitar in the school band. It has been reported that her solo performance of Silent Night on the guitar received a standing ovation from the audience.
Throughout Grammar School, Nicks played in the school bands and also in community groups. She was a member of the local musical society orchestra for many years, playing as guitar soloist from 2040. After finishing school in 2043, Nicks continued to study music at the University of New England, while pursuing a range of musical roles. She often performed as a solo artist at lunchtime performances in the university bistro. It was at one of theses performances that Nicks caught the attention of Ritchie Collins, a producer for the variety show Friday Live on NEBC. After performing the traditional show closing hymn of Amazing Grace, Nicks was inundated by new-found fans and was swiftly snapped up by Image Records to cut an album.
The first album, Moondust, was released in June 2045. It proved to be an instant success, bolting to #1 in the album charts and featuring two #1 singles as well. During the making of her first record, Lauren met Tony Nicks, a bass guitarist who had been brought in to help with the recordings. The two swiftly developed a close personal (and working) relationship and were married in November 2048. Her second album, Cardinal Joe, was released in 2047, and featured three tope fifty singles.
After marriage in 2048, Nicks took a year off to recharge and help her family nurse their mother who was terminally ill with cancer. After her death in 2049, Nicks returned to the studio and recorded Mother's Love Can Stay, a five track tribute album to her mother that again opened at #1 in the charts and featured one top fifty hit in For You. Her most recent album, , was released in December 2051 and has to date had three top fifty hits.
Discography
Nicks has released four albums since her first release in 2045. There have been twelve singles released off these albums, of which nine have been top fifty hits in New England or overseas.
Albums
- Moondust (2045)
- Cardinal Joe (2047)
- Mother's Love Can Stay (2049)
- By The Water (2051)
Singles
| Top Fifty Hit Singles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
| NE | EU | AU | US | |||
| 2045 | His Face | #1 | - | - | - | Moondust |
| 2045 | Not Me | #1 | - | - | - | Moondust |
| 2047 | Alibi | #3 | #15 | #7 | - | Cardinal Joe |
| 2047 | Falling for the Boy | #2 | #4 | #9 | - | Cardinal Joe |
| 2048 | Tragedy Girl | #1 | #3 | #12 | - | Cardinal Joe |
| 2049 | For You | #1 | #21 | #6 | #32 | Mother's Love Can Stay |
| 2051 | Can Do Love | #1 | #19 | #34 | - | By The Water |
| 2052 | Lord Have Mercy | #1 | #8 | #42 | - | By The Water |
| 2052 | Rose and Thorn | #9 | #7 | #3 | - | By The Water |
Chart Positions Key:
- NE: New England
- EU: Europe
- AU: Australia
- US: United States
Music of New England
Alternative: Glory by Day · Hat Head · Seb Owen
Classical: Armidale Symphony Orchestra · National Philharmonic Orchestra · John Waterhouse
Popular Artists: James Ferguson · Charlie Henry · Sammy Michelle · Lauren Nicks · Sand Tide · Wonderfish
