Singing the blues: Buffalo Nichols to share songs from upcoming album in Bloomington

Buffalo (Carl is his given name) Nichols will give a peak into his upcoming album at Bloomington's The Bishop on Sept. 6. That's just nine days before "The Fatalist" emerges via Fat Possum records.

He'll present a completely new set of songs for this show, since he's highlighting the new album.

Nichols knows how to fingerpick a guitar, and audiences will hear blues foundations from a century ago alongside avant-garde sounds. He sings with a brawny, low, slightly raspy voice. His lyrics, sometimes dark and boiling, match it.

Blues once was 'people telling stories'

Part of blues' allure is its range. "What I love about blues from the '50s and before," Nichols said in an email, "is that it was people telling stories from their own experience. There were so many regional differences."

Nichols sings about what we read in the paper as well as what we see in our lives.

From his debut album,"Buffalo Nichols," come these lyrics, in "How to Love":

Well there's one thing you did was good for me

You showed me things that I just couldn't see

Made me realize I do need love

Even though in the end I wasn't good enough

Oh the way you hurt me showed me how to love

Yeah the way you hurt me showed me how to love

Some songs are political, such as "Living Hell," where he sings

Only two kind of people come here after 3 o'clock

That's police and crooks and they're the same to me

That's why they say you'll either end up dead or in jail

'Cause they both wanna try you when you start living well

Then there are the ones perhaps from his private life.

Some songs are about Buffalo Nichols

Not all of his personal-sounding songs are autobiographical, he said, "but all are filtered through my own emotional lens."

In "Sorry It Was You" the character "emptied (his) wallet and bought some cigarettes" then observed his discomfiting image in a mirror.

Nichols' 2021 album, his first, impressed critics and regular listeners with its country-type blues. And young listeners have learned from Nichols, who creates sometimes-forgotten long-established blues for those who may never have heard it.

Local changes: Bloomington's longtime Buskirk-Chumley Theater gets a new executive director

New album changes things

But in "The Fatalist," things change, and Nichols expands his style. Yes, he still finger-picks the guitar as in bluegrass, but now he asks listeners to think about what defines the blues. His song “The Difference,” is an example.

“The Difference” (on "The Fatalist") is a sad, goose-bumping tale that is bound to strike those who have experienced disappointment, exactly on point, coming from a blues man.

Gently, duskily, Nichols sings, "I just don't know the difference between love and sympathy. ... I'll go back to my solitude. You'll go find better things."

It's chilling and will makes listeners cringe with their own memories. One has to wonder what Nichols was remembering as he penned this deliciously doleful song.

"The Difference" does indeed differ from his previous style; he likes to experiment.

Be curious and try everything; there's time

"Life is too short to not be curious and long enough to try everything you want."

A Buffalo Nichols press release said "The Difference" is “about someone who often mistakes shallow signs of affection for true love and in the end decides a one-sided relationship is better than loneliness.”

Nichols added, "Sometimes I create characters who are not like me but make me feel something."

“The Difference” reflects experiences including the meaning of fate and why, in blues, writing a song is as impactful as playing guitar, according to the online GardenandGun.com.

Pictures from Pridefest: Welcoming to all: Bloomington celebrates Pridefest

It's not always about mass appeal

"I always write what I want but I have leaned that's it better that way, for both myself and the listener. Even if (a piece) isn't suited for mass consumption."

He makes work he can believe in, he said, having noticed that then, everything else falls into place.

Nichols produced "The Fatalist" in his home, which is once again Milwaukee after some time in Austin. Returning to Milwaukee removed him from the "industry-town mentality,” he said in a press release. And he likes the work ethic of a place such as Milwaukee, where he said people can fashion their individual journeys while picking up many different skills.

Certainly, the music business has changed Nichols, he said, noting the importance of community, which can do much to protect artists.

Fat Possum's website says the "The Fatalist" album is $26 and can be pre-ordered at https://fatpossum.com/products/the-fatalist. But for a glimpse into what the new album offers, The Bishop performance in Bloomington gives fans a chance to experience Nichols' music live.

If you go

WHAT: Buffalo Nichols with Ben Fowler & Paul Aarstad. Buffalo Nichols will perform from his upcoming new album, "The Fatalist."WHEN: 8 p.m. Sept. 6WHERE: The Bishop, 123 S. Walnut St.

TICKETS: For audience members 18-plus. $15 in advance; $18 day of show. Available at thebishopbar.com

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Buffalo Nichols performs songs from upcoming album in Bloomington