Nicole De Fino
Washington, New Jersey, United States
Music
Press
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Nicole De Fino is a bare to the bones style musician sharing this quality with artists like Katell Keineg, Silvia Marie Malmsten, Lucinda Williams, Joni Mitchell, Shelly Lynn, and Rosanne Cash. Nicole’s harmonies are produced from the currents made by the acoustic guitar forms combined by her vocal lines and the honesty of her lyrics. Her modulation is in equilibrium to her vocal expressions, moving with the ebbs and flows and the emotion beneath her words. Interpreting complicated feelings into basic musical chord structures.
Nicole released an EP in 2005 entitled Value Radio, which is a composite of her songwriting abilities. Her song “I Could Say� is all vocals and acoustic guitar lines while her lyrical themes examine relationship issues:
“People who pretend are never real
Are never really what they intend
What were you when you would conceal
You might say friend
But how can you contend
‘Cause I was there for you
Were you there for me
I don’t think so�
Nicole’s music is a means for her to bring forth something that she is holding inside and needs to work out. She developed this method at age 16 when she received an acoustic guitar as a gift and began pouring her thoughts and feelings into the chords and lyrics that she composed. Her song “Open Letter� works out those emotions churning inside of her:
“I took a picture
A scene so nice
But my flash wasn’t on, Oh well
When I write you that letter
And enclosed is this song
I’ll make sure to describe the non-existent photo�
Nicole makes the mundane have significant meaning, and sometimes she offers proverbs to live by, like in the lyrics for “Turning Back.�
“One day you’ll find out that what you’re living for
Is what you’re dying of…
If you mess it up this time
There’s no turning back�
Her lukewarm vocals over tepid acoustic guitar strumming reflect personal expressions of herself. Every song is like a portrait taken from a scene in her life and somehow brings her closer to herself and brings people closer to her. Her music is her form of communication publicly and a self-portrait of her values.
- Northeast In-Tune Magazine
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Nicole De Fino is a bare to the bones style musician sharing this quality with artists like Katell Keineg, Silvia Marie Malmsten, Lucinda Williams, Joni Mitchell, Shelly Lynn, and Rosanne Cash. Nicole’s harmonies are produced from the currents made by the acoustic guitar forms combined by her vocal lines and the honesty of her lyrics. Her modulation is in equilibrium to her vocal expressions, moving with the ebbs and flows and the emotion beneath her words. Interpreting complicated feelings into basic musical chord structures.
Nicole released an EP in 2005 entitled Value Radio, which is a composite of her songwriting abilities. Her song “I Could Say� is all vocals and acoustic guitar lines while her lyrical themes examine relationship issues:
“People who pretend are never real
Are never really what they intend
What were you when you would conceal
You might say friend
But how can you contend
‘Cause I was there for you
Were you there for me
I don’t think so�
Nicole’s music is a means for her to bring forth something that she is holding inside and needs to work out. She developed this method at age 16 when she received an acoustic guitar as a gift and began pouring her thoughts and feelings into the chords and lyrics that she composed. Her song “Open Letter� works out those emotions churning inside of her:
“I took a picture
A scene so nice
But my flash wasn’t on, Oh well
When I write you that letter
And enclosed is this song
I’ll make sure to describe the non-existent photo�
Nicole makes the mundane have significant meaning, and sometimes she offers proverbs to live by, like in the lyrics for “Turning Back.�
“One day you’ll find out that what you’re living for
Is what you’re dying of…
If you mess it up this time
There’s no turning back�
Her lukewarm vocals over tepid acoustic guitar strumming reflect personal expressions of herself. Every song is like a portrait taken from a scene in her life and somehow brings her closer to herself and brings people closer to her. Her music is her form of communication publicly and a self-portrait of her values.
- Northeast In-Tune Magazine
August First Friday 7/20/2008
The Big Three, made up of three Washington area musicians, will greet visitors to downtown Washington on Friday night Aug. 1 with some down home blues music. The Big Three will rock the corner of Broad and E. Washington Avenue (Route 57), in front of Home Palace furniture and fine decorating store, from 7-9 p.m. as part of the Washington Business Improvement District’s monthly First Friday music series. Elsewhere around town, folks can check out Frank Porcelli at Mediterranean Bistro, 301 W. Washington Avenue (8-10), Nicole DeFino will be at Scotty’s Stadium Club on Belvidere Avenue (7-9), Jim Cannon at the Warren County Democratic Headquarters, 115 E. Washington Avenue (7-9), Andrew Sheldon at the Washington BBQ, 9 Broad Street (7-9), and Steve Yank at the Washington Theatre starting at about 6:30. DeFino and Cannon are Washington residents. The Big Three puts together a unique blues sound that is right on board with the blues movements of John Mayer, Derek Trucks, and Jonny Lang. Among there influences are the greats of blues: Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, BB King, Howlin' Wolf, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Rock legends like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers Band, and Jimi Hendrix also play greatly on the style and techniques used by The Big Three. Matt DeMicco, Rutger Missenheim, and TJ Sekulski, all Washington area residents, make up the band. Their own roots together go back to their youth when they found a common sense of music at an early age while growing up in Warren County. It seemed almost destined from early on that they would have a long standing musical relationship. While many of their friends formed bands perhaps more attuned to teenagers, The Big Three found their own niche. After trying several styles, The Big Three went their own course, taking on the blues and quickly found a fan base that is quickly growing. In addition, the Pottery Zone features Ladies Night Out on First Fridays. Reservations for Ladies Night Out should be made directly with Pottery Zone, 908-835-8003. Washington Kid Care and Learning Center, on E. Washington Avenue, offers childcare services and special entertainment for the kids. The childcare service allows parents to conveniently drop off their children for a nominal fee and have a couple of hours to enjoy dinner, light fare and/or dessert, and listen to music. Reservations for children are required in advance. Call 689-1777 in advance for further details on this service. For further information about First Fridays or the Washington BID in general, please phone 908-689-4800 or visit www.washingtonBID.org. Acoustic acts wishing to play on First Fridays should also contact the BID for details. - Washington Bid
August First Friday 7/20/2008
The Big Three, made up of three Washington area musicians, will greet visitors to downtown Washington on Friday night Aug. 1 with some down home blues music. The Big Three will rock the corner of Broad and E. Washington Avenue (Route 57), in front of Home Palace furniture and fine decorating store, from 7-9 p.m. as part of the Washington Business Improvement District’s monthly First Friday music series. Elsewhere around town, folks can check out Frank Porcelli at Mediterranean Bistro, 301 W. Washington Avenue (8-10), Nicole DeFino will be at Scotty’s Stadium Club on Belvidere Avenue (7-9), Jim Cannon at the Warren County Democratic Headquarters, 115 E. Washington Avenue (7-9), Andrew Sheldon at the Washington BBQ, 9 Broad Street (7-9), and Steve Yank at the Washington Theatre starting at about 6:30. DeFino and Cannon are Washington residents. The Big Three puts together a unique blues sound that is right on board with the blues movements of John Mayer, Derek Trucks, and Jonny Lang. Among there influences are the greats of blues: Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, BB King, Howlin' Wolf, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Rock legends like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers Band, and Jimi Hendrix also play greatly on the style and techniques used by The Big Three. Matt DeMicco, Rutger Missenheim, and TJ Sekulski, all Washington area residents, make up the band. Their own roots together go back to their youth when they found a common sense of music at an early age while growing up in Warren County. It seemed almost destined from early on that they would have a long standing musical relationship. While many of their friends formed bands perhaps more attuned to teenagers, The Big Three found their own niche. After trying several styles, The Big Three went their own course, taking on the blues and quickly found a fan base that is quickly growing. In addition, the Pottery Zone features Ladies Night Out on First Fridays. Reservations for Ladies Night Out should be made directly with Pottery Zone, 908-835-8003. Washington Kid Care and Learning Center, on E. Washington Avenue, offers childcare services and special entertainment for the kids. The childcare service allows parents to conveniently drop off their children for a nominal fee and have a couple of hours to enjoy dinner, light fare and/or dessert, and listen to music. Reservations for children are required in advance. Call 689-1777 in advance for further details on this service. For further information about First Fridays or the Washington BID in general, please phone 908-689-4800 or visit www.washingtonBID.org. Acoustic acts wishing to play on First Fridays should also contact the BID for details. - Washington Bid
Discography
Valve Radio -- EP released October '05
Nothing Is Forever -- TBA '08 full length
Photos
Bio
She began her life as we all do. After a complicated and delayed birth, the world was introduced to Nicole Marie De Fino. Music and songwriting came naturally to Nicole. She began her career as a songwriter making up songs about things both silly and scary. At the age of 16 Nicole received the gift of music in the form of a guitar. That's when it all became a serious venture for the young songwriter. Though at first her songs lacked professionalism and structure, Nicole kept at it. She kept writing and eventually she perfected her style. The music you hear today was only possible through the persistence of one girls dream to sing and play for anyone who would/will listen. Listen to any one of Nicole's songs, and you will immediately crave to hear them all.
Nicole's influences span many different genres and each brought a different aspect of singing and songwriting to the table. She lists Michael Nesmith, Neil Young, Barenaked Ladies, Guster, The Who, and Kevin Hearn all as influences. Her music does not truly sound like any complete combination of these artists, but each of them has inspired Nicole in one way or another.
To sum it all up -- Nicole doesn't sing to impress people with cute, trite, fabricated songs; she sings from the heart. Every song is sincere and loaded with emotion, and she really tries to make you feel where she's coming from. That's what music should be about. Inspiring yet with touches of subtle humor; Nicole's songs tell the stories of lost loves, people you'd do anything for, and perhaps just about anything else you could possibly think of. From Aliens to the end of the world, to impotent boyfriends and secret lovers. Complicated yet completely simple; these are the songs that you wish you wrote.
Equally at home playing for small intimate crowds and large rowdy ones; Nicole has performed with: Jim Creeggan (Barenaked Ladies), The Dan Emery Mystery Band, and members of Oakhurst.
She has opened up for: Jaded Son, Settle and a lot of local artists (too many to name)
Links
