Nickolas Benson is a Rock, Pop, Country, and Blues singer/songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He is also a U.S. military veteran, having served during the second Iraq war. When Nickolas Benson’s trucking unit was deployed to the Persian Gulf, they did not know the length of their stay, but that deployment changed his life forever.
After spending eight months in the Middle East, it was around Christmas in 2003 that Nickolas realized he had to pursue his true calling, music. He bought an acoustic guitar from the small shop on base and started learning to play after years of fiddling around. As a freshman in high school, Nickolas was encouraged by his band teacher, who told him he had a good ear for music. His stepfather further motivated him not to let go of his passion and bought him his first guitar.
To further his career in entertainment, he attended the Los Angeles Film & Recording School in Hollywood, California, where he attained three degrees in Audio & Music Production and Entertainment Business, summa cum laude. He had been recording and producing music from an early age, but after graduation, he received the necessary education to produce music the right way.
Hence, it was in 2003 that Nickolas started jamming and printing out sheets of his favorite songs to hone his skills. “Before I record, I spend days playing guitar to the metronome to make sure the tempo is right for the song. Every day, I challenge the melody and beat, and when I feel good about it, I finalize the song and hit record,” shares Nickolas.
In the world of YouTube and online streaming platforms, there is a sea of content out there where hundreds of hours are uploaded on a daily basis. To make your mark in this competitive industry is an art on its own. Hence, a major process must take place before you record a song. This makes the production process easier and maximizes the inspirational effect, so you can add the necessary elements to bring it to life.
Since his genre is quite unique and not one of the popular genres of today’s time and age, he had to face a number of challenges. Yet, he did not lose hope and continued pursuing his love for the kind of music closest to his heart. That’s the same advice he gives to aspiring musicians as well, “Make music for yourself. If it doesn’t move you, you won’t enjoy playing it for others. Make your music relatable and simple to reach as many people as possible. And if you play from your heart, it will reach the hearts of many others out there as well.”
A talented and inspirational performer, both onstage and online, Nickolas’s achievements include recording a song meant for George Strait called “Rodeo and the Radio,” which averaged over 800 plays per week on Country music radio in the summer of 2019. The song was also featured on CMT’s hit show, “Nashville.”
Moreover, the official music video for “Song for You” was featured on CMT in January of 2021. Along with this, he has been growing an online fan base of 100K fans online and has written over a thousand songs.
Talking about writing songs, he claims that it comes naturally to him. “Over time, the lyrics come to you, sometimes all at once, but you write what you can as fast as you can, making a word garden of ideas, and then go back to get what you need to do it right,” expresses Nickolas. “The key is to write without worrying about the lyric form because you will stall out – so just write it all out and come back when you need the right word or line to get total coverage of your song’s message or feeling. Recording this process helps a great deal, especially if you are writing music and lyrics in tandem,” he adds.
Nickolas Benson has grown and evolved as an artist since he started off in 2003. The journey he has gone through, his times during the war and his life after returning home have all contributed to his music and writings, making him the artist he is today. He has moves like Mick Jagger, swagger like George Strait, and vocals like Steven Tyler, which has helped his career grow, especially when it comes to onstage performances. With the world of music presented as an oyster for him, Nickolas is all set for his successful journey ahead, with more music, videos, and concerts paving his way forward!
