Nick Shoulders, "G for Jesus," // GemsOnVHS™
Музыка
We decided to accept the extended invitation of Okay Crawdad, aka Nick Shoulders, to visit his home state of Arkansas, somewhere deep in the Ozarks. A land of unique geographical features and peoples, there was no better host this side of the Mississippi to teach us what makes this big little state special. He showed us the old stomping grounds where he cut his teeth with the other teenage delinquents. One stop along the trail was somewhere in Winslow (not that one), at an old train tunnel, carved clear through a mountain. An impressive engineering feat by any standards, but especially when you consider the time in which it was built. It also turned out to be a quite nice studio for the afternoon, Nick's naturally booming voice reverberating powerfully off the coal-coated stone walls.
This is the first of a series of Arkansas adventures. We first met Nick back in 2018, playing drums for Duff Thompson in New Orleans ( • Duff Thompson, "Crab W... ). He was quite the character, mulletted and mustached like an 80s caricature. Folks kept telling me he had an equally astounding voice, so we had to pursue. Stay tuned for the rest, featuring a whole slew of interesting characters and locales.
We just released Rough Cuts vol 2 as well, a series of recordings we made with Nick right here in this very train tunnel. It features songs both old and new, all live, natural reverb, uncut in the style you've come to expect from GemsOnVHS. If you want to pick one up, we and the artist would appreciate the support! www.gemsonvhs.com/shop/roughc...
Find more of Nick here,
nickshoulders.bandcamp.com/
THANK YOU to VJ Arizpe, Derek Brown and Richard for making these wheels turn. Your support is not unnoticed!
Consider becoming a Patreon contributor to help sustain this project. For the price of a cup of coffee every month, you let us continue finding and filming amazing artists.
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GemsOnVHS is a long running series of intimate, off-stage performances by songwriters we love.
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Пікірлер: 220
If y'all dig it, check out the Rough Cuts vol 2 album we made in this here tunnel with Nick.
@tomasotreasaigh111
4 жыл бұрын
Is there any way you can find out what make of Guitar he is playing? That thing has a lovely sound. I really enjoyed that. Thanks for the music, peace from Ireland mo chara x.
@willbarkley9414
4 жыл бұрын
Woo pig!
@heathkish6901
4 жыл бұрын
GemsOnVHS Immediately bought, and downloaded after I saw this!
@user-yh4kf7jy9h
4 жыл бұрын
just a heads up that the link is dead for the album! Thank you for all you do!
@shotani790
4 жыл бұрын
@@tomasotreasaigh111 Fender Paramount mahogany
Nick is a clever songwriter. At the end of song he sings "none of us will leave this world alive" then plays the intro of Chopin's "Funeral March".
@iwlaequitas7897
2 жыл бұрын
@manx77 At first, I think his lyrics about the capitalist predators are what lured me to him the most. He has such a great way of giving a middle finger with polite words and a pleasant sound.
@DingDongDaddyFromDumas933
2 жыл бұрын
@@iwlaequitas7897 Snakes and Waterfalls was the first song I heard from ol Nickybob then bound and determined came up and I knew then this fella well mayhap me and him got lots in common.
@rkhale02
Жыл бұрын
I really love that line "i'm so lonesome mama tried" it's a mix of haggard's "Mama tried" and Hank Sr's "I'm so lonesome i could cry" which is a really clever reference/thingy.
Nick just seems like such a cool dude.
@landonstewart3
4 жыл бұрын
That's because he is both party in the front, as well as party in the back.
@SkunkdMonk
4 жыл бұрын
10/10 would hang out with him.
@MatthiasGeraci
3 жыл бұрын
He just exudes genuineness. That’s awesome
@thestreets.aka.joshua
3 жыл бұрын
@@landonstewart3 lmfaoo
@thestreets.aka.joshua
3 жыл бұрын
I hope we wouldn't get along and end up getting my ass whooped
Dang what a cool location to film this in. This guy is a legend
You know what I love abouth this video, among other things such as the song itself, the performance, the general sound? I love that tiny mistake at 2:03. No dozens of recordings until the perfect, flawless one is on tape. No cutting. No adjusting. Musicians are never perfect, perfection is pretty boring. But nowadays it often seems as they are, recordings are pitch-shifted, the timings are adjusted so everything is as tight on the beat as possible, a lot of musicians never seem to make mistakes. But they do, over and over. And to be honest, I totally get all this editing for studio versions. But a live version, just like this one, gets the quality I love because of this imperfection. tldr: Thanks again Anthony for keeping things simple and natural while having this great audio and video quality.
@GemsOnVHS
4 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you get it haha. I was nervous Nick might want me to remove that so I mentioned it to him when I sent him this recording. Luckily he got it too. I love a good honest mistake!
@jimperfectjim
4 жыл бұрын
I feel the same way. Love when musicians mess up. Love the raw and real.
@benmcavoy8804
3 жыл бұрын
Totally agree. Some music is about perfection and that is nice too. But other times we like to see a musician make a few mistakes. This guy has an amazing voice and I probably wouldn't even have noticed the mistake if you didn't point it out. I think the reason is that folk music is a lot more about songwriting, honesty, charm, and storytelling. Mistakes also make sense in terms of logistics, this is one guy who wrote a song by himself which he has memorized so we accept mistakes. On the other hand, if the conductor of a professional orchestra performing a well known piece of music makes a mistake, it is naturally much more offensive and off-putting. The goal of an orchestra (or pop artists) is to mesmerize the audience with mechanical perfection and distribute a product which is universally accepted. The goal of a folk singer/songwriter is to relate to the audience with an aggressive sense of humility and candor. I think the sucess of Daniel Johnson is proof of that fact.
@veryaveragenerd
3 жыл бұрын
I never noticed any mistake
@cheepymcpeepy
3 жыл бұрын
@@veryaveragenerd I thought it was intentional - then realized it was an "ah fuck" kind of smirk he made 😂
“There’s some Led Zepplin graffiti in here I may or may not have been a part of.” This dude just gets cooler every time I see him.
So glad you guys got Nick on. Yodel on brother!!!!
"I'm so lonesome, mama tried" is my next tattoo.
@veronicar5504
3 жыл бұрын
My cousin has mama tried tatted on the side of his neck
@Kosmo999
3 жыл бұрын
You guys are cool
Croonin' to ghosts down Typhoid Alley. If that doesn't sum up 2020.... Great song. Thanks for the music Nick. Your music always puts a smile on my face and a stomp in my boots.
Thank you GEMS!!! Without you I would have never discovered this amazing most beautiful instrument of God's words!!! Nick shoulders amazing brother!!!
Obsessed with Nick and ‘Okay, Crawdad’ currently. It’s been the highlight of my lockdown. Videos like this just give it another layer of brilliance.
@ManScoutsofAmerica
4 жыл бұрын
Me too and my daughters are not happy about it.
@kathleeeenlynn
4 жыл бұрын
Highlight of my lockdown too.
@YanouFishel
4 жыл бұрын
same here, gf hates me now for it
@Leos_life98
4 жыл бұрын
im jumping on the bandwagon me too haha i found nick recently and i cannot get enough i listen to both of the albums he has of spotify daily
I love how Nick opens up his mouth and lets it fly all the way from the bottom of his belly. His sense of pitch is confident too. Wonderful, winning personality too.
As a native Arkansawyer and Ozarker, this really hits home.
Hard to believe this has only been out for a year how many times I’ve listened to this song on repeat in the kennel. This to me is a workin around the kennel with pointing dog pups on the woah bench kinda song
Nick, love you man. So glad to see the recognition you deserve.
Yeeessss! Been waiting to see this beautiful mans face again singing his lovely little tunes. Thank you Nick for sharing your unique voice with us, you will surely go down with the legends.
Really been digging his stuff lately.
This is the best channel on KZread hands down. Absolutely stunning every time
@mikec.7283
3 жыл бұрын
Isn't it great?! I love Western AF, too. They and the incredible talents they get have helped me stay sane as of late. Nick Shoulders is definitely among my favorites.
Thought this was going to be a song about GG Allin, because his name was actually Jesus Allen. Great song though. You gave that pitch vibrato. Pitches love vibrato
@jamescm38
4 жыл бұрын
That’s exactly what I thought and was hoping for. I’m not disappointed though.
What an amazing voice! Best yodel I've heard in a long long time.
This song is incredibly clever, Nick never heard of you until today, god bless my dude!
Finally, i have been waiting too long for Nick to pop up on GemsonVHS!
Nick Shoulders not only knocks me on my ass each and every listen, he also gives me the desire to be a better human and give unto others no matter who they are.
You are amazing. Bravo!!
Fantastic! Been looking forward to hearing more from Nick Shoulders and this really delivers
Love it! Nick is an awesome artist!
His voice is so perfect for his style. 👌
@travisschaffer9752
18 күн бұрын
Ever think that's why it's his style?
The yodel he does in this song sounds like the yodeling from Raising Arizona
@ianparker1
4 жыл бұрын
Love that movie
Some “ booming -voice “ for sure !!.. great stuff Gems & Nick .. keep safe ☘️
I love that ending😂❤
Depression and alcoholism brought me here :D
Well done. Great performance and recording. Love this channel.
My new hobbie...playing people nick shoulders and showing them his bad ass jams!
@invictagothica
Жыл бұрын
A fellow Cody coyote (John is a nickname)
@cdymcclanahan
Жыл бұрын
@@invictagothica sho nuff
I've been pumped for this since you guys started posting about about it on IG and man, blew my expectations. Well done.
I'm so glad I discovered Nick's music man.
I knew you’d get Nick on here eventually. Great video!
I love love love Nick Shoulders. I've played this video more than a healthy number of times.
Thank you for keeping Hank Sr. alive!
YESSSSSSS. Been anxiously waiting for this to pop up.
@looking4afix
4 жыл бұрын
Same!
what a great voice mate, Respect from the UK
Applaud. your voice deserves to be heard please keep up the work love the transitions like the old days
This is amazing!!
My whole day is made!
Thank you kind sir! Great song!
Need more songs like this
This is so awesome!
You truly are just quite a delight! I hadn't heard several songs release recently. Yodeling is on point, holy G-uacamole! Enjoy your continuous wonderment, it's quite becoming.
Just one night with him would be wild. I just want to have like a 20 hour conversation with him. New obsession for a while. So unique and confident... ahhhhh. Love it!
Man! This is sooo good!
Nick is one of my favorite artists
Well you don't hear a voice like that very often, bravo Mr. Nick!!!
Good way to start the day
I absolutely love him!
Fantastic!
Bringing the mullet back. Right on Diggin every bit of this. Muchos Aloha
liked before i even heard, knew it was gunna be a banger
"Im so lonesome that mama tried" lmao
@svtirefire
4 жыл бұрын
I think he said mama tried
@gravesx000
4 жыл бұрын
Those are both part of classic country songs... Hank and Merle
@yeastie713
3 жыл бұрын
@@svtirefire Thanks, edited. I believe thats what my drunkass meant to write.
Like 70% of the artists on this channel make me wish I could have them out for a bonfire and bullshit session. The other 30% intimidate the hell out of me.
Hell of a song bud great work
That was insanely good!
so good!
HELL YEAH love me some nick shoulders
Amazing.
I love it
Hell yea Nick Shoulders.. Get it buddy!
There's something kind of hot about a yodel idk lol 🖤 I love the little things he tells about himself and where he's from before and after the songs too.
So good.
Excellent
Heck yea Nicky Bob!!!
Haha this song is great! So fun.
Amazing
Love, love, love
I love it even more now I know hes from Arkansas!
This song was featured on KXCI 91.3 in Tucson
AWESOME
This man is an angel
I grew up traipsing around that tunnel and trestle. 2006 was peak shenanagins out there 🤣. Great stuff!
@GemsOnVHS
4 жыл бұрын
maybe you ran into the nicky bob shoulders one dark cold evening... chooo chooo
Good song, sicker hair cut.
He’s Great
heck of a song
Looks like the ending scene from Memories of Murder. Great tune!
I love this hope you guys do more stuff with Nick soon
@GemsOnVHS
4 жыл бұрын
got tons more with Nick and some other Arkansas heros.
@canigohomeplz
4 жыл бұрын
happy to hear it thank you and keep up the good work
Been waiting for this video.
He is GENIUS!
@Calico-Zac
4 жыл бұрын
G for Genius
God almighty, nick can do it like nobody else!
Good stuff
I'm only commenting so that the algorithm puts Nick out there
hell yes!!!
At the end of the song, my 10 year old said "well, you might leave this world alive if you're an astronaut..."
This a New American Classic
Nick is the man
Got some land in Eureka Springs. I love NW Arkansas
Hell ya a new one! Love your fuckin music, Nick. me and my family will be jamming this song while we're picking the garden
@Holio88
Жыл бұрын
Till this day 🎵
Well that was cool.
Dig this one 🤘
Great Pickin' and Singin' at Black Butte Man, Which Is Why I'm On Here Checkin' Your Stuff : >)
I wanna play in this guys band. Nick, if you see this, I'm almost willing to quit my job to go on tour. I play any instrument with strings. This is my application.
I live in the Ozarks 😁 wouldn't trade it for anything. Arkansas is the place for me!
@GemsOnVHS
4 жыл бұрын
i love it out there, great place. i used to live in the missouri section of the ozarks.
@matthewharvey8755
4 жыл бұрын
@@GemsOnVHS I tried moving to KCMO and instantly knew it wasn't for me. I waited for my first vacation then transfered back to Arkansas lol.
@tunesgarage
4 жыл бұрын
Ewwww. Grody Arkansas boys. Missouri ozarks tho 👌. Even tho were all relatively 20 to 40 minutes from each other lol
“None of us will leave this world alive” *laughs in Alan Shepard All jokes aside, this guy is super talented with a one-off style
Definitely haunted as hell.