In her hit single, After the New Wears Off, Nikki Briar asks
her partner: “After the new wears off, do you still care?”
I have been listening to this song for three months now,
several times a day, and there is nothing about the song that is wearing on me.
I don’t think Nikki has any concerns
about her shine fading anytime soon. In fact, I think she is a rising country
star to be reckoned with for years to come – somewhat of a rarity for a Jersey
girl.
Once I heard After the New Wears Off, I had to dig a little
deeper into her song history, and I found Country
Thang. A track that more deeply explores Nikki’s combined rock and
country roots. Both songs are flawlessly
produced in traditional Nashville style, and both songs are permanently
installed in my iTunes
favorites library.
It is not a coincidence that Briar is extremely talented. Both of her
parents were extremely gifted musicians in their own right. Her father, Joseph,
was a touring drummer in the Motown band, The Victorians. Her mother, Oksana,
was a classically trained pianist and artist. Nikki is a great example of an
apple that didn’t fall far from the tree. However, instead of decaying in the
shadows of that tree, she planted new seeds and grew taller and brighter than
the original.
Nikki epitomizes the
spirit of rising musicians. She doesn’t stop touring in support of her music – 220 shows per year! She has
performed openers for the likes of Tim McGraw, Granger Smith, Chase Bryant,
Parmalee, LoCash, Cassadee Pope, and more. In addition, she has headlined at
the legendary Stone Poney in Asbury Park, NJ, and the Stanhope House in
Stanhope, NJ.
Finally, Nikki is a
proud Army wife, and performs the national anthem whenever possible at numerous
military events. Her patriotism is evident in the recordings on her first EP, A
Soldier’s Princess.
Get a little taste of country and a lick of rock. Find Nikki
on social media:
Twitter and Facebook: @NikkiBriar
