Nikki’s Wives (from left to right Nate Baylor, Nikki Whitehead, and Dylan Lauzon) [Photo courtesy of Effective Immediately PR]
It is a privilege to welcome Nikki’s Wives’ Nikki Whitehead to Jake’s Take.
Since 2015, Whitehead and her fellow band members, guitarist and keyboardist Dylan Lauzon and drummer Nate Baylor have built up a following that started outside of Toronto. Nikki’s Wives’ music caught the attention of several significant musicians such as CeeLo Green, Macy Gray, Aaron Carter, She Wants Revenge, and DJ and record producer Tiësto.
The “Red Lights” hitmaker was impressed with Nikki’s Wives’ music that he released “Show Me,” their collaboration with EDM duo Loud Luxury, on his label AFTR: Hours. The song was streamed over 14 million times, and the music video was viewed over 3 million times on YouTube. Nikki’s Wives also caught the attention of several tastemakers such as Celebmix, The Huffington Post, and Paste Magazine.
In this edition of The Five Question Challenge, Whitehead shared the alternative pop group’s origin story and their latest single, “Get Paid.”
Jacob Elyachar: Could you please share Nikki’s Wives’ origin story with my readers?
Nikki Whitehead: The three of us were all living in the same town outside of Toronto, playing in random bands and looking for people to collaborate with. I first started working with Dylan (Guitar) and we soon became friends and writing buddies. Dylan helped me form the band for my solo project at the time. But after going through some players, Dylan finally asked his university buddy, Nate, to step in and play drums in the band. After playing together my solo material for a while, we decided that the chemistry we had as a group was too rare not to turn it into a band. And we’ve been under the name “Nikki’s Wives” ever since.
JE: Who are your biggest musical influences? How have they affected your sound?
NW: Growing up I was very influenced by the girl rock movement and by artists such as Joan Jett, Cherri Currie, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, et cetera. They made me realize that I could sing about whatever I wanted and that I could be a badass rock star if I wanted to be. When I got a little older, I started listening to Joni Mitchell and Amy Winehouse. They’re the ones who helped me find my love for writing lyrics. Even now I still draw inspiration from the beautiful and heartbreaking stories they tell in their songs.
JE: What are some of the biggest challenges that you faced breaking into the music industry? How have you overcome those obstacles?
NW: When I first started in this industry my biggest challenge was my age. I felt like since I was an inexperienced young girl, no one took me seriously or treated me with any respect. Even to this day, I still deal with the insecurities that developed from being treated like that. The only thing that helps me deal with those insecurities is knowing that I have come so far from being that shy little girl and that I don’t have to let people walk all over me anymore.
JE: Let’s talk about your new song, “Get Paid.” What is the message behind the song?
NW: “Get Paid” is a song about being young and broke with your friends. It is about the society we live in right now where everyone pretends to be this huge baller, but in reality, they are driving a shitty car and wearing fake Gucci. It is a song that I think is super relatable to anyone who’s ever felt like they are “faking it till they make it.”
JE: If Nikki’s Wives had the opportunity to meet with aspiring bands who want to have a career in the music industry, what advice would you share with them?
NW: The only advice I can think to give is that everyone starts somewhere. Anyone who’s anyone started off by playing small shows to 6 people, or by having their record rejected over and over again. But it’s the people that never stop working and never stop believing in their abilities that can push through all the BS.
To learn more about Nikki’s Wives, visit their website.
You can also follow their adventures on social media by visiting their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube channels.
