Nick Mulvey, Shepherd's Bush Empire

Ex Portico Quartet percussionist turned singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey tours his debut solo album 'First Mind' this autumn. 

It’s an unconventional transition: from wok-tapping jazz-percussionist to guitar-strumming singer-song writer. But it works, as you’ll see this October, when Nick Mulvey will plays his biggest headline show to date at Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Music Inspiration...

After studying ethnomusicology (African and oriental sounds), then six years playing the hang drum in British experimental jazz outfit Portico Quartet, Mulvey "got bored", decided to follow his creative instinct and take centre stage with a guitar instead.  That's despite two albums and a prestigious Mercury Music Prize nomination in 2008 (sitting next to the likes of Adele and eventual winners Elbow). 

First solo album...

Instinct served him well: First Mind, his debut album, was released in May to great acclaim. A great believer in the creative power of the subconscious mind (his dad is a yoga teacher and a Buddhist), this peacefulness translates into Mulvey's music to create a pensive, heady yet toe-tapping experience. Lyrics dance around daydream, contemplation, love and loss. His ethnomusicology serves him well, as Eastern guitar technique - a blend of picked notes, offbeat and irregular timings - keep the airy melodies interesting.