"Nikki's songwriting is a breath of fresh air. She breaks the mold without moving outside the boundaries of popular music. Her songs are infectious and satisfying and her solos are tasty and melodic. I always feel better after hearing her play."
- Ron Manus, Executive Vice President, Alfred Publishing


"Nikki O'Neill is like listening to Chrissie Hynde singing to John Lennon in Otis Redding's kitchen. She takes everything she's learned about life, puts it in a blender and pours out a glass of soul!"
- Will Ray (guitar player extraordinaire, The Hellecasters, Solomon Burke, etc.)

NIKKI O'NEILL BIO

I'm a singer, lead guitar player and songwriter in LA. My band seems to appeal to fans of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Susan Tedeschi, Joan Osborne, and Shelby Lynn. What might make me different from these great musicians is that my music is more soul and classic rock-flavored. I also like using "unusual" chord changes and "jazzy" color chords in my songs... I've just always been emotionally moved by harmony.

"Starting Over", "It's Simple (But It's Not Easy)", and "Some Day", feature myself on vocals and pretty much all the guitars – including lead guitar. Rich Lackowski - the great drummer of my band - is on the recordings as well.

I'm from Santa Monica, by way of Sweden, Poland and New York City. My Mom is Polish and my Dad is a war veteran, who left us with few clues about his past or nationality. I moved to Stockholm, Sweden, when I was seven. During one summer, we also lived in Poland. Everyone in my family has moved around the world a lot. I used to be really drawn to gypsies as a kid...

In February of 2007, my song "Starting Over", was featured on The Today Show in a women-in-rock segment with Bonnie Raitt and Sheila E.

I've been running a side-project called Women's School of Rock, with a mission to get more girls and women into guitar playing, the craft of songwriting, and less mystified by things like lead guitar playing or amps and effects. I've taught 9 year-olds and 60-year olds, goth teens and therapists. It's a lot of fun and often really rewarding.

I've taught what I think is the only university-level class in the U.S. in "Women's Contemporary Rock Guitar" at The New School in NYC, focusing on rock and blues players like Allison Robertson, PJ Harvey and Susan Tedeschi. I've written some articles on guitar gear for Rockrgrl Magazine, and interviewed Warren Haynes and other guitar heroes for Scandinavia's premiere guitar magazine, Fuzz. You've got to create your own work opportunities as a musician - you can't wait around for people to give you your break!

In 2006, I was flown in to Sweden to be a guest teacher at an all-women's rock music college program on the medieval island of Gotland, where the famous film director Ingmar Bergman lived. A very cool experience! At the end of my stay, I taught a 5-hour seminar on the history of women in rock...

Back in 2003, I auditioned as the lead guitarist for Courtney Love by submitting a video to the international casting call. A few weeks later, I got a call from Courtney around 2 AM, thinking this was another confused caller mixing me up with the local pizza joint... She said some really kind things about my playing and writing, but that 'the management guys would like to see more make-up', and also if I could wear my guitar 'really, really low' and 'dress more Goth/Williamsburg', that would be 'perfect'. I'm a really bad actor -I only know how to be myself and if I fake it, my playing suffers too. But that was a fun moment...

Right now, I'm auditioning keyboard/B3-players for our upcoming CA tour and some festival dates in Chicago. My kick-ass band includes drummer/percussionist Rich Lackowski - author of "On the Beaten Path", and bass player Joshua "Cartier" Cutsinger, who's also a Grammy-nominated producer-engineer. The keyboardist on my tracks is Dapo Torimiro, who played keys with Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill.

I'm happy to be endorsed by Daisy Rock Guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, and Kustom Amps - companies with great gear and awesome people. I'm also a recipient of The Martin Guitar Scholarship.

Enough about me! I hope you enjoy the music and come see our shows if we're in your town!
Nikki