Nick Blaemire And The Hustle

In 2011, New York City-based actor and songwriter Nick Blaemire was missing Motown. Sure, he's a white Jewish kid from the suburbs, but he fell in love with music through sounds of Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson that eminated from his suburban family speakers. But now, every time he turned to the radio there seemed to be a void where those inventive, improvisational songs used to live. So Nick approached his longtime friend and collaborator Jesse Vargas, and they set about filling that void.

That's how The Hustle was born - a 9-piece r&b/soul band complete with a 4-piece horn section, Blaemire writing the songs and singing, and Vargas creating song arrangements and playing keys. They played their first show in June 2011, and six months later Blaemire and Vargas headed into the studio to track their self-titled 6-song EP. Their forthcoming single, "Complete" was mixed and mastered by Grammy award winner Mike Mangini, and a music video soon followed, shot by legendary music video DP Jon Fordham. They also teamed with manager Ken Levy, former Senior VP of Arista Records, and have been playing sold out shows in NYC and Los Angeles ever since, at venues like Webster Hall, Mercury Lounge, Hotel Cafe, and Rockwood Music Hall.

Their brand of music is "nerd soul" - a celebration of the old in the new, and a groove for the underdog, mixing various musical styles into a world of "4 on the floor" pop tunes. Why can't a dance song still have killer horn parts and a time signature that keeps you on your toes? No reason at all, say the boys at the Hustle. Surprise is what music's all about.