Nicholas Ryan Waterhouse (born February 8, 1986)[1] is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Los Angeles. He is a guitarist and singer known for a sound rooted in rhythm & blues, jazz, and soul.
Waterhouse started his career as guitarist and singer-songwriter with Intelligista (2002–2003), a combo compared to the Animals and High Numbers-era Who.[5] This band performed in the Orange County underground music scene that yielded artists such as Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, The Growlers, Cold War Kids. In 2002, the band entered the Distillery in Costa Mesa to record a radio broadcast and a 7-inch single, beginning a friendship between Waterhouse and owner-engineer Mike McHugh. At the end of high school, the band split, finding Waterhouse attending San Francisco State University in San Francisco.[6]
In San Francisco, Waterhouse continued pursuing playing music with little luck, concurrently becoming more involved with the burgeoning DJ community. During this time, he became a fixture at the all-vinyl Rooky Ricardo's Records in the Lower Haight District, eventually taking a job. He has repeatedly cited apprenticeship to owner Richard Vivian and the shop's connections to local soul club scene as a great influence.[7] During this time he also struck up a friendship with Matthew Correia, later of the Allah-Las.[8]
Career
Waterhouse recorded his debut single in late 2010 at the Distillery Studio in Southern California. "Some Place", backed with "That Place" was recorded with a pickup group billed as the Turn-Keys,[9] featuring Ira Raibon of the Fabulous Souls playing saxophone. The initial release of "Some Place" in November 2010 was on Waterhouse's own 'Pres' imprint. The single was recorded, mixed, and mastered completely analog to lacquer, plated and hand-pressed. The labels were handset letterpress printed. Copies of "Some Place" sell for as much as $300.[10]
On the strength of the self-distributed single, Waterhouse assembled a backing group, The Tarots, as well as taking on a trio of female vocalists, The Naturelles. This line up coalesced in time for a debut performance in the last week of December 2010.[11]
His earliest performances were with artists such as Ty Segall, The Strange Boys, White Fence, and most frequently, The Allah-Las. He signed with Innovative Leisure Records in March 2011.[12] He relocated from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2012, and began touring North America and Europe, as well as working as producer on the Allah-Las 2012 self-titled debut.
In May 2012, his debut album, Time's All Gone, was released on Innovative Leisure Records.[13]
Waterhouse toured North America and Europe with the Allah-Las through 2012 in support of Time's All Gone.[14] Another European tour in Spring 2013 found him playing Germany,[15] France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain (with an appearance at the Primavera Sound Festival,[16] and the UK. He continued his production work on the Allah-Las' sophomore release "Worship The Sun", released in 2014.
Nick was Daryl Hall's guest on Live From Daryl's House, Episode 58, September 15, 2012.
Waterhouse appeared in a commercial for the Lexus CT hybrid in 2014, performing "Time's All Gone Pt. 1". His second LP, Holly, was issued in March of that year by Innovative Leisure Records.[17]
Waterhouse's third studio album Never Twice was released on September 30, 2016.[18]
His song Katchi was remixed by the French duo Ofenbach in 2017 and reached #1 in the French charts.[19]
In January 2018, Nick Waterhouse entered the studio to begin recording his fourth studio album. On January 9, 2019, it was confirmed that his new self-titled album would release on March 8, 2019.
Waterhouse released his fifth studio album, Promenade Blue on April 9, 2021.
Discography
Singles and EPs
"Some Place" (with The Turn-Keys) b/w The Turn-Keys (featuring Ira Raibon-tenor sax): "That Place" (instrumental) – Pres 45-801, 2010
"Is That Clear" b/w "I Can Only Give You Everything" – Innovative Leisure 1015, 2011
"Don't You Forget It" ('Record Store Day' split release with the Allah-Las) – IL 1025, 2012
"Say, I Wanna Know" b/w "(If) You Want Trouble" – IL 1033, 2012
"Raina" b/w "Don't You Forget It" – IL 1040, 2013
"This Is A Game" b/w "It #3" – IL 1065, 2014; Pres 45-803, 2014
"Smooth Operator" [no B-side] – IL [no number], 2016
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