SONG PREMIERE: Nikki & the Phantom Callers Mix Old Time Country Authenticity & Intrigue On “Howl With Me”

Growing up in rural Dadeville, Alabama, Nikki Speake has a specific Southern grit embedded in her soul. More Flannery O’Connor than Margaret Mitchell, there’s a morbid spirit to much of Speake’s writing, and nowhere is that more apparent than Nikki & the Phantom Callers’ debut LP, Everybody’s Going To Hell (But You and Me) – set for release April 3rd. The eleven-track collection of boot-stomping alt-country and jangly indie-rock weaves a series of stories exploring beautiful darkness in stark contrast to their predominantly sunny tonality; a Southern Gothic study of grief soundtracked by country-tinged ‘60s pop. “I am very Southern, I grew up in a traditional Southern Baptist family going to church three times a week,” says Speake. “Those older Southern generations have so much grief surrounding them—even the church services are morbid. I think my vocabulary was formed by that, so it’s just how I think.”

Speake has been living in Atlanta for years now, playing in the garage-rock power trio Midnight Larks and the all-girl psych-rock outfit Shantih Shantih, and performing alongside acts like Black Lips, Lydia Loveless, L.A. Witch, Joshua Hedley, Shooter Jennings, Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires & more prior to forming the Phantom Callers in early 2017. In the short time since their formation, the band—featuring lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Speake, lead guitarist Aaron Mason, drummer Russell Owens, and Speake’s Shantih Shantih bandmate Anna Kramer on bass and backing vocals—has garnered acclaim from national media outlets.

Nikki & the Phantom Callers’ new LP was recorded in late 2018 at Maze Studios in Atlanta. To record the album, Speake enlisted Ben Etter (Deerhunter, Cate Le Bon, Hazel English) as lead engineer and brought on Bronson Tew at Dial Back Sound (Drive-By Truckers) to master the record. The result is a crisp, expansive record with as much sonic depth as emotional resonance and unmistakable Southern rock swagger.

It’s no wonder Everybody’s Going To Hell (But You and Me) drips with authenticity—this is the record Speake has been unconsciously working towards for decades; a raw, macabre expression of Southern experience that blends garage-pop, country and rock & roll into something all its own. “When I started doing open mics twenty years ago, I’d play country songs I wrote and a handful of Springsteen covers,” says Speake. “That country-rock sound has always been what I’ve wanted to make, it just took me a long time to find a group where I could make that happen. In all my other projects I’ve been a supporting player—and I love them—but this one is mine.”

Glide is proud to premiere “Howl With Me” which features an enigmatic delivery of story-telling and sound where the musical worlds of Neko Case and Dolly Parton collide. Just as the title of the song implies, there is a sense of urgency and drama mixed with a melodic roar of attitude, where Nikki & the Phantom Callers provide a novel spin on a traditional murder-ballad, reflecting on the murderer’s remorse after that fact rather than recounting the specifics of the killing.