TO MEET · 09/24/2013
Artist in Residence: Nikki Lane
Following Sophie and Teddy, Nikki Lane is the latest musician in our Artists in Residence series.
The Nashville resident came across her career path a bit later in the game—while running the denim bar at Fred Segal in Los Angeles—thanks to a scrap with her boyfriend at the time. “I made a record to get even with my boyfriend who was making one too. I wasn’t looking much farther than that, and it clicked when it was paying my bills.”
So maybe her profession doesn’t have the most romantic beginnings, but Nikki’s been harboring serious musical talent since she was a kid.
“My third grade music teacher, Mrs. Wardlaw, came out of nowhere and said, “You’ve got a pretty good voice. You’re going to join the choir.’ She’s the one that pushed me to where I didn’t have to take voice lessons and taught me how to sing a tune. I’ve got great pitch, and it was only because of this woman.”
We shipped Nikki off to The Standard Spa, Miami Beach for a week of beachfront living and Art Deco architecture. “I had a claw foot tub on the porch, and I just left water in it and kept hopping in and out.”
Looks like all that leisure paid off: “Retreat is the key to creativity; it just got me in the headspace that allowed me to write.”
Thanks, Nikki!
Photos by Alden Wallace