SONG PREMIERE: Dwight & Nicole Lean Into Funky and Soulful R&B Sound on “Time”

Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson met in Boston, Massachusetts when they were just out of school, cutting their teeth on the local club circuit. They each fronted popular bands in the area, and discovered a shared love of soul and blues greats like the Staples Singers, Albert King, Lighting Hopkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, Roberta Flack, and Etta James. They began singing together often, and developed a close friendship that became romantic over time. Eventually, they formed Dwight & Nicole, which was, in the beginning, a duo group. They began touring regionally – gaining a loyal following while developing their sound. After a move to Burlington VT, they met their powerhouse drummer Ezra Oklan (Nicole Atkins, Elle King) and the group quickly became a trio. They’ve since toured up and down the East Coast together; writing songs, and gaining plenty of industry respect. They have been nominated for nine Boston Music Awards; seven Boston Phoenix Awards; eight Daysie Awards; and ten New England Music Awards.

Their 2018 EP, Electric Lights, was recorded live to analog tape with multi-Grammy nominated producer Joel Hamilton (Aaron Neville, The Meters, The Black Keys) at Studio G in Brooklyn, NY. Hamilton undoubtedly captured their sound and live energy. He also brought out their experimental side on Electric Lights. The EP introduced the band to a new wave of fans, as well as opportunities including their first major label distribution deal through Orchard / Sony Music, and a booking deal with the TR Agency. The year wrapped up with another Independent Music Award nomination, and the Electric Lights EP landing on several “Best of the Year” lists.

Fall of 2019 found them back in the studio with Joel Hamilton, recording their follow up as a power trio. The new album was set to be released in April of 2020, but the worldwide shutdowns and cancelled tours hit pause on the release of the new music. D&N took the time off the road to become more active in their local community, hosting fundraisers, streaming concerts, and offering online sound healing sessions. 2021 is thankfully looking up for the whole industry. They are planning to release a string of new singles this summer and an album release in set for the fall. Stay tuned for tour announcements coming soon.

Today Glide is excited to premiere one of those new singles, “Time” (PRE-ORDER) ahead of its official release date on June18th. Beginning with the simple and soulful vocals of Nicole Nelson, the song leans into a slinky groove that carries notes of R&B and hip-hop with a smoothness that feels like cruising through the city on a summer night. The band layers on funky elements on guitar and organ, culminating in a mix of vocal harmonies and rich instrumentals that leave you feeling enchanted. 

Listen to the song and read our quick chat with the band below…

What inspired you to write this song? What is the story behind it? What is it about?

I was inspired to write this song after a discussion Nicole and I had over the fabric of time, and the possibility of its existence on many planes simultaneously. It’s always humbling for me to remember that I only experience a version of life and time through my own eyes. I think it’s a worthy pursuit therefore to search for connections… both to each other and to the natural world (and beyond).

Nicole sings “Time” from that ethereal place — the narrator who sees much more. She put so much heart into it. It was exciting to see how this song idea bloomed. I felt the chords and approach on piano first. That left-hand piano figure is a futuristic wink to my growing up playing blues; you had to have a catchy left-hand bit to give the song some motion. I heard a more modern-sounding James Gadson in my head on drums. He’s one of my all-time favorite drummers, and he played on a lot on Bill Withers’ classic records. I mentioned that to Ezra, our drummer, and he immediately felt the Gadson thing and then bought the drums into A Tribe Called Quest land, which our producer Joel Hamilton ran with. Ezra’s serious pocket and that slinkyness of Stu Brooks’ bass frame the whole picture, and when Joel stretches the sonic canvas, Nicole is free to paint.

Do you consider this song — and your music in general — a place for you to work through things that are weighing on you or that you are trying to process? Do you find songwriting therapeutic? Did writing this song bring you solace or peace in any way or help you sort through something?

Playing music, writing music, and listening to music are all therapeutic things. I think that writing a song gives you a safe place to ask/solve questions, to discover things, to express your feelings, and/or have the courage to do so. The song “Time” is a jumping-off place. A gesture. Everyone involved surrendered to that process. Songwriting is half-believing in yourself and half-believing in surrender.

What do you hope listeners hear in its music and lyrics?

I hope listeners feel an expansiveness in the song that works for them.

Is this single from a forthcoming EP or album release? What else can you tell us about the release? When is it coming out?

“Time” is a single off of our EP, which is coming out at the end of the summer. We are excited about getting these songs out!

What’s next for you over the coming months?

The next couple months find us lifting out of the pandemic shutdowns. We just started to book shows again, and it’s like the floodgates have opened! Our calendar is filling up quicker than we imagined. I think people are just ready for some real, analog connection. This summer will also find us back in the studio to record our next full-length album. The past year changed a lot of things, and we spent a lot of that time writing, documenting, and creating a whole new soundtrack.

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez