Nikki Hassman

Discography

2000 Nikki Hassman

(All releases on Columbia Records)

Biography

The vastness between heaven and earth has been newly bridged. Not by rocket science or telecommunications technology, but by musical talent. That may seem an impossible feat for any artist much less a young woman you never heard of. But Nikki Hassman isn't any artist. "I have an inner need to try to be original," Hassman says. "It's a creative force that won't let me settle for something anyone else would have done."

What Hassman has done on her self-titled debut will entice and fully enchant you. Hers is a voice equal parts purity and passion, soaring yet strong. Lyrically fearless, she explores the deepest concerns of the heart and the soul; musically blithe, her melodies lift both heart and soul to dizzying heights. Though she cannot label her sound, Hassman simply says, "I want to be accessible. I want to touch people but I want to do something new…"

From the silvery bell tolls of the lead-off track and first single "Calling All Angels," you know you've embarked on a sonic sojourn unlike any other, the song is a haunted yet heavenly plea touched by high-tech atmospherics. Persistent percussion and windswept sound swirls depict complete love in "Rapture Me," while air spun guitars and keyboards create an ethereal fairy tale in "Any Lucky Penny." On Hassman's debut, ambrosial ballads give way to cloud-dancing pop, faith balances fantasy, romance strikes counterpoint to loneliness, and tumultuous searches lead to satisfying truths.

A work of such power and beauty may suggest a celestial force is afoot. But among the many remarkable things about Nikki Hassman is her ironic groundedness. Hailing from a small farm town. Waverly, Iowa, to be precise Hassman showed promise early in both classical piano and dance. Even more fervent, however, was her interest in gymnastics she started at age 5 and by the time she was 12 had left home to train for the Olympics.

Oddly enough, the sport sparked Hassman creatively. "In gymnastics they had us keep a journal to stay focused," she says, "but I used it more as emotional outlet than a practical tool." Filling her pages with lyrical longings and dreams was natural and enlightening: "Taken out of my element, away from family and friends, I became more introspective."

When Hassman elected to give up the grueling grind of gymnastics, she made her earliest attempts at songwriting. "I'd always had melodies in my head because I grew up playing classical piano but had never put them down with words before. It seemed too intimidating!" she admits. "Then I just started meshing poetry and music, it started coming together for me."

Having captivated the ears of a local studio owner, Hassman made a demo, which her patron eagerly shopped. It was still mere whimsy, though. "In Waverly, Iowa, you never thought you could seriously get a record deal," she says. But shortly after graduating high school, Hassman left Waverly, Iowa, for a real music city. The Music City: Nashville, Tennessee.

In Nashville, Hassman dove into all phases of the music scene. She began studying the business end of the industry at Belmont University, landed a publishing deal and lent her lovely lilt to demos. One recording caught the attention of Sparrow Records, and Hassman was invited to join the Christian pop group Avalon. "They had a record half-finished when one of the girls bailed; they were up a creek and needed a soprano fast," she says frankly. "By then I'd come to the conclusion my calling was to make my own music. But the door was opened to me, and at that time I felt like I was suppose to walk through that door. I'll always be thankful for that experience".

Hassman negotiated a limited deal to join the group, and wound up winning three Dove Awards for her efforts. She also wound up having to get out of her contract earlier than expected thanks to one fateful demo session. "I was hired to do a whole session of la-la tracks, songs with no lyrics, just melodies I never knew there was such a thing!" she remembers. Those "la-las" happened to land on the desk of Tommy Mottola, and a few weeks later, Hassman got the phone call: "Could I fly up to New York tomorrow?" she says. "I'd only been there before on a high school trip!"

Upon signing with Columbia, Hassman entered the studio with producer/programmer/songwriter Pat Leonard (Madonna, Jewel, Elton John). Within one week, they'd finished four songs that appear on Nikki Hassman. What's more, many initial vocal tracks made it to the finished product as well. "There's something about capturing that moment vocally when the song is intimate and fresh," she explains. Hassman also recorded with relative newcomer Adam Anders. "I met Adam in Nashville, and our writing chemistry was strong," she says. "He also helped strike that balance of instrumental integrity and melodic accessibility that's so important to me."

As to the mood in the studio, "It was a flowing process but very honest and very emotional. I cried a lot and I laughed a lot," says Hassman, who wrote and recorded her debut while dealing with personal crises. "I was living in a hotel by myself in LA, a town I didn't know, and my mom was diagnosed with serious illness," she reveals. "Everything was coming together and about to explode."

Introspection led to out pouring and it shows. "Everything in my life feels far to me. If I don't have it now, it feels far. Especially in a relationship, if you've opened up and given your soul, and the other person isn't there yet," Hassman says of the entrancing "Feels Far." The hypnotic, gentle urgency of "Fade" concerns trying to live each day as it were your first and your last." The most difficult song for Hassman was "The Lonely Ones" because, "I'd been pushing loved ones away as a way to defend myself against feeling, but it wasn't worth it."

Nikki Hassman has the courage to reveal herself and the gift to make the revelation a pleasure to all who hear it. Get to know the new definition of diva. Get to know Nikki Hassman.