Nick Waterhouse’s single “B. Santa Ana, 1986” off his debut album Promenade Blue (out April 9) harkens back to a soulful rockabilly-fusion that defies genre. It’s foot-stomping, head-bobbing, jazz-meets-blues, cruisin’-good-time music, that’ll make you dance in spite of yourself.
It’s that damn good.
Promenade Blue takes us inside Waterhouse’s nostalgic world, his swaggering vocals and hypnotic lyrics make us happy to go along for the ride. As Waterhouse says: “I’ve spent a great deal of my time wandering through the world, and being mistaken for coming from somewhere else. Certain people seem better at branding themselves based on a sort of… spectacular regional mythos. And what I have observed in regards to my own pedigree is what I could only describe as a lifelong superficial conception of the Californian identity. I got to thinking…what’s a regional identity anyways? Especially in this digitally flattened era. How funny, I thought, would it be to turn this little, droll talking blues I had been demoing, into an off-handed delivered ‘anthem’ chorus? How Californian?”
Here is a breezy, stylin’, jazzy day in the life of Nick Waterhouse.
Date February 22, 2021
Time I woke up 6:15 a.m.
Every day starts with I open the kitchen window and the window over my bed (a breezeway) and make a cup of coffee.
Breakfast consists of Since quarantine I have started skipping breakfast.
To get going I always Meditate on a moment in a street I can recall.
I don’t feel dressed without My ring and watch on.
Before I start working I must Create a clean slate.
Currently working on Organizing larger concepts in record making, as well as all my notebooks.
But I’d really love to be In a studio.
Book I’m reading The Bog Clock by Kenneth Fearing.
I don’t know how anyone ever Thought this would be over by now.
If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be Mose Allison Sings.
The perfect midday consists of A short trip that takes you a long way, with someone you really like.
To help get through the day I need Reminders of other places.
Not a day goes by without speaking to The muses, or whatever you like to call them.
My daydreams consist of Places real and imagined, that have and have not yet happened.
In a perfect day, in a perfect world We’d all be in some global biergarten.
I’ll always fight for Poetry instead of products.
Currently in love with Potential (that’s a cheat—it’s a lifelong affair).
Hoping to make time to watch Too much of that lately, thank you.
By my bedside I always have A good book.
To help get through the night I Think of kindnesses.
Bedtime When the eyes get heavy reading.
When I think about tomorrow, it’s always Another day to chase a notion.
