Nick O’Connor & Pilgrim Road

Colorado songwriter Nick O’Connor spent the better part of 2009 at Denver’s Macy Sound Studios (Big Head Todd, Flobots, Richie Furay, Hickman-Dalton Gang) turning vision into reality. Perceiving change as the answer to the continuing metamorphosis of his poetic and musical vision, Nick assembled a new and more vibrant backing band, Pilgrim Road, in 2008. He then enlisted Grammy Award winning producer Clark Hagan (Chet Atkins, Ray Stevens, Danny Gatton, Days of the New) to shape the sound and feel he sought for his new material, which he describes as, “an emotional expression of both the beautiful and harsh truths we face today, with underlying tones of hope and motivation.” The result is Lady In Pink, the dramatic debut record from Nick O’Connor & Pilgrim Road to be released in early 2010.

At his core Nick considers himself foremost a poet, having quietly spent the past several years honing his songwriting skills by immersing himself in the ageless art. “My poetry is rooted in blues, jazz, folk, and natural country. I then bring undertones and influences from the beatniks, hippies, rappers, and new millennium rockers. It is a mixture of the past and beyond, ”says Nick. “I don’t just communicate my interpretation of my world…I strive to objectively observe and report what I see, both from an external and internal perspective.” The evidence of which is apparent on Nick’s sadly overlooked 2007 album, Back to the Sensitive Grounds with his first band, the O’Combo. On tracks like “Sensitive Grounds (I’m Bound),” “Can’t Be Tamed,” “Answer Room,” and “You Will Never Know,” the then eighteen year-old gave us a glimpse into the depths of Colorado’s most promising young songwriter.

On Lady In Pink Nick further reveals his recipe for viewing the world as both participant and observer. On tracks like the country-tinged “If I Tried,” the majestic “New Birds Flight,” and the album’s first single, the piano driven rock anthem “Freeze Out,” he offers a delicious array of wise-beyond-his-years poetry, laid upon a hearty bed of folk, blues, rock and country, finished with hints of spicy melancholy and a garnish of tasty pop hooks. This formula proved too much of a temptation for Colorado radio programmers after the three song sampler EP Paper Thin Feelings, released in spring 2009, received substantial airplay from KBCO, KGNU, KRFC, and KCSU among others. KBCO even included the track “Where Does the Road End?” on the 2009 Bolder Boulder Compilation CD.

In preparation for the release of Lady in Pink, Nick & Pilgrim Road will perform throughout Colorado in early 2010, with a tour anticipated for later in the year. Pilgrim Road, which includes guitarist Kevin Donohue, saxophonist Brent “the Big Dog” Bond, bassist Tim Kohler (Rachel Jane & the Hurricane), and recent additions drummer Paul Christophersen (the Informants), and vocalist Leah Druzinsky have performed at many of the region’s best venues including the Oriental Theater, Aggie Theater, Cervante’s Masterpiece Ballroom, Herman’s Hideaway, Mercury Café, and the Rock N Soul Café. Nick also performs as a solo artist on the singer/songwriter circuit.