| Nikki Hill will perform in a quartet with husband, Matt Hill, Saturday in BG (Photo courtesy of Intrepid Artists) |
When rhythm ‘n’ blues singer Nikki
Hill and her guitarist husband, Matt Hill, hitting the road last summer with their new act they were
hopeful."Most of the time when you’re starting out you expect people to be into it. You hope so at
least," the singer said in a recent telephone interview. "What’s most surprising has been how
quickly everything has moved."The St. Louis-based musicians have ventured as far as California, and
wherever they’ve gone they’ve gotten an enthusiastic greeting, Hill said. Venues they’ve never played before
have been sold out or drawn near-capacity crowds. "That’s the most surprising thing, how quickly word
of mouth has spread." Hill was speaking from her home with a regional tour pending.The quartet’s tour
will wind up Saturday at Grounds for Thought for a free 8 p.m. show. "We’ll be good and warmed
up," Hill promised.Hill grew up in North Carolina and has a degree in exercise physiology. She was
working at a hospital as a physical trainer, and jamming at home with her husband, a professional
musician.Matt Hill heard something special in his wife’s voice. "He thought it was something I could
take on the road so we decided to give it a shot."Hill’s no vocal neophyte though. She started singing
in a small Baptist church at about 7. "That’s about the best vocal training you can get," she
said. "It’s a great place to develop your voice."That was especially true because in those early
years, the church was too small to have any instrumental accompaniment, so the service was carried along on
the voice alone."They were constantly training us on harmonizing and vocal intensity. You had to sing
really loud to make sure you it across."A few years later she graduated to the adult choir. Hill was
immersed in a culture where she learned not just from the guidance of her fellow singers, but also from
listening to those in singing around her and those from other churches. "You go to any church in the
country and you’ll hear these incredible singers," she said.Making the move to rhythm ‘n’ blues was
natural just as it was for Etta James, Little Richard and any number of soul luminaries.What the music has
in common is "the intensity and energy of the music,"Those soulful sounds were something Hill had
been listening to since she was a child. Her parents were fans of all those blues-rooted styles, and she
like rock ‘n’ roll.Hill even worked with a "honky tonk rock ‘n’ roll band" as a backup singer in
North Carolina.Last summer Hill decided to start writing original tunes. "I didn’t want to do a show of
all covers."Usually for me it starts with a melody and one line, and I can usually take it from
there," she said.Hill said with the music business in such a state of flux, it’s hard to see very far
in the future. "It can go in so many different directions."For this year, she said, "it’s
definitely about touring." Otherwise, "I’m taking it day by day. I’m so new to it."
