Fresh Find - Nikki Briar
- Freshly Brewed Country
- Mar 21, 2016
- 7 min read
We are happy to announce the talented Nikki Briar as our latest Fresh Find here at Freshly Brewed Country!
A TASTE OF COUNTRY, A LICK OF ROCK! Hot, sassy, country rocker Nikki Briar will get your boots stompin and hands clappin, guaranteed!!! She has been named the East Coast’s hardest working female country artist as of 2011, sliding herself into the hearts of fans all over the nation and world! While performing over 220 shows a year, this Jersey Girl clearly has the heart of a country music superstar.
Nikki records and performs in Nashville and has showed people that a Jersey Girl can rock the country music scene as good as any southern bell. She performs all over New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Massachusetts. Upon popular fan demands, she is currently planning a West Coast tour for 2016. Briar headlined at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ and performed with southern rockers BlackBerry Smoke at the Starland Ballroom in Sayerville, NJ.
She has opened up for national and international acts such as Tim McGraw, Billy Currington, Parmalee, LoCash, Blackjack Billy, Outshyne, Steven Lee Olson, Meghan Linsey, Cassadee Pope, Blackhawk, Old Southern Moonshine Revival and Big Country. She was a 2015 featured artist at the TASTE OF COUNTRY music festival in Hunter, NY.
In 2013, Briar’s popular radio single COUNTRY THANG reached country music indie charts and has since been nominated for various awards, including SONG OF THE YEAR, ALBUM OF THE YEAR, and ARTIST OF THE YEAR.
Aside from the impressive amount of performers Briar has worked with and the growth of her popularity in a short period of time, she is a proud army wife who sings the national anthem professionally for various military and charity events, including the annual NYC marathon and triatholon. She is also a cohost on a popular veteran based radio show called PROJECT LIPS, created by HEART SONGS FOR VETERANS founder, Jill Pavel.
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We know you want to know more about Nikki Briar so be sure to check out our interview with her below.
FBC: What made you want to get involved in the country music world?
NB: I was always surrounded by music growing up being both parents are musicians, everything from jazz to classical. I picked up the guitar in middle school after learning the drums and one of my first songs on guitar was IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES by Garth Brooks. I heard Garth and fell in love with country music, the story, lyrics, instrumentation and emotion all captured in a 3 minute song. Music was always music to me, not subjected to one genre or category, so when I did school talent shows I always noticed I would pick songs by country artists, Shania Twain and Leann Rimes especially. During college, I met my now husband who is in the army and would attend his military events. I would sing the national anthem for his events and was approached by a soldier who gave me some lovely compliments on my rendition of the anthem, He insisted I meet his friend in Nashville and song write.
I loved the idea although it was wild for a small town NJ girl, but was up for the adventure. My husband then deployed to Iraq and while I was teaching and finishing grad school, I would songwrite and explore my feelings and write down my story, After taking the ride to Nashville and recording my first album A SOLDIER'S PRINCESS with my friend Mike Kuhl, i knew I found my path. Now with 3 albums out, I dedicate each album to our veterans and include songs on each album that are written about our vets. I have been blessed to work with many talented songwriters and producers and have really enjoyed the ride, When I look back and reflect on the last few years, it feels surreal. Hearing my songs on the radio and watching fans sing along is incredible.
FBC: What song of yours is your favorite and why?
NB: Off my new album entitled FREE FROM THE DEMON, i would say the title track is my favorite because it is a song about a woman's strength to "free" herself from the "demon" of an abusive relationship. When this song was pitched to my by my talnted friends Jeff Lampert and Janice Higgens, I fell in love with it within the first 20 seconds. I can relate to the song as many women can and although it has a fun country tempo and rockin twist to it, it is very empowering. During the recording session, I kept emphaisizng on the words I'M FREE and we added that in at the end because that's the part many can relate to, being free from a bad situation and just feeling the ability to scream it out for all to hear. Our fans enjoy the new single and has been very popular off the new album.
Overall, A SOLDIER'S PRINCESS will always be dear to me as it was the first song that got me exposed and got radio play. It is personal and beautifually written and I enjoy performing it to this day as if it were for the first time, As an army wife, it makes me even more proud to share that with others who can relate and thank me for illustrating how they also feel. After we made the music video for A SOLDIER'S PRINCESS, the comments were so touching and would bring tears to my eyes as people openly share their own stories of loved ones in the military.
FBC: What do you use for inspiration to write your songs?
NB: My inspiration comes from things I see, people I meet, moments that happen in my daily life. I wrote the song BIG RED TRUCK off my new album in 15mintues while I was sitting in my truck on a nice night, windows down listening to music. Buying myself a pick up truck was a milestone to my music career as it has taken us on tour the last year and a half and because I think trucks are sexy, so I wrote a song about that! Another example is my song UNKNOWN SOLDIER, I wrote as a poem after visiting the arlington cemetery and witnessing the changing of the guards at the TOMB OF THE UKNOWN SOLDIER, it was very emotional and deserved recognition.
FBC: Being from New Jersey did you find it difficult to break into the country world?
NB: I honestly never had that in mind, I was just following a path that was calling to me and I was blessed that it had unfolded the way it did. There is no success without struggle and that's the best feeling to me, accomplishing an obstacle. Country music has become so diverse that it's been a blessing to not only work with musicians and writers in NAshville, but also in NY and NJ. I count my blessings everyday for my incredible band, my SweetBriar Band aka my SweetBriar Boys, they have been beyond supportive of my music for the last 5 years. If I say we are leaving for Texas tomorrow to perform, they would be just as excited and ready as me. To meet and work with people who share the same drive and desires is very important. As our fan base has continued to grow nationally and performing over 200 shows a year, it just goes to show how popular country music is.
We've have the provilage to perform with numerous national acts that have been touring through the NY and NJ area and I myself have had the honor of headlining concerts as well, each performance is special in its own way. Some NJ fans started calling me the GARDEN STATE COWGIRL early on in my music career and another great fan even made me a jacket that says that in rhinestones, and I decided to embrace being a jersey country rocker!
FBC: What was your favorite part of performing at Taste of Country this past summer?
NB: The atmosphere was unreal! That was the largest music festival we had done at the time and it has opened the doors to numerous others. They treated us so well and it was exciting to have a dressing room right next to Easton Corbin! We opened for Tim McGraw and Billy Currington and got to meet incredible people, especially the fans! Country music fans are so much fun and we love to get rowdy with them!
FBC: Your album release is coming up quickly what can fans expect to hear on this new album?
NB: The album release party in NYC was such a huge success that we are having 2 more! IT was the most amazing night celebrating with friends, fans and family at Brother Jimmys in Union Square. We had a party bus of fans arrive and line dancing all night while everyone got to learn my official line dance to my song COUNTRY THANG choreographed and taught by my talented friend, Matt Thomson of Monteray Ent.
That night the album FREE FROM THE DEMON became available by hard copy and the preorders are now available on itunes for the March 22 release for digital download. The new album is rockin, blusey and sassy! I am very proud of it and everyone involved.
FBC: Who is your country music idol and why?
NB: I admire Kenny Chesney and enjoy his music, he is hard working, down to earth and being a jersey girl who loves the jersey shore, I love his tropical country feel. I admire the female artists of country music like Gretchen, Reba, Miranda, etc for all their hardwork in a male driven genre of music. I hope to be a role model like them one day.
FBC: What are three fun facts about you that you want your fans to know?
NB: 3 fun facts...I love animals and have 6 rescue furbabies (1 dog, 5 cats). I play tennis and love to rollerblade and I don't listen to music when I work out at the gym, I listen to comedy bits from Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon and stand up comedy from comedians like Jim Giffigan and Kevin Hart.
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Stay up to date on the latest Nikki Briar news by following her on social media.
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