Jared James Nichols has spent a decade making a name for himself as a singer-guitarist with his dynamic brand of blues-rock and his flamboyant pickless playing style. But with his tellingly self-titled third album, the Wisconsin-bred, Nashville-based rocker has truly come into his own. And not coincidentally, this new beginning arrives after two traumatic events that very nearly ended things for him.
The first came in the fall of 2021, when he suffered a sudden freak injury that could easily have cost him his career. The second was a year later, when a routine traffic accident turned into an armed encounter that could have cost him much more. Both incidents factor heavily into the take-no-prisoners attitude and full-speed-ahead approach Nichols displays on his self-titled set — a barnburner that finds him doing what he wants the way he wants. In the lull between Christmas and New Year, the hard-working Nichols Zoomed in to talk about his playing style, being a Gibson ambassador, running for his life and tons more. Enjoy.
