Today, Nicki Bluhm has shared her new single “Simple Side of Me,” the next offering from her upcoming album Rancho Deluxe, out October 3. Featuring dreamy guitarmonies, the song is a love letter to Bluhm’s close-knit Nashville community as well as a feel-good reminder to practice the art of gratitude. Magnet Magazine featured the track, saying it “embodies all that’s refreshing about the new Nashville.”
Listen to “Simple Side of Me” via YouTube
Stream “Simple Side of Me”
Pre-save / pre-order Rancho Deluxe
About the new song, Bluhm says: “I wrote this song in my living room with my good friend, neighbor and collaborator Cameron Neal. We were drinking coffee and looking out over the yard and the horses, talking about touring and how much we miss home when we’re gone and I thought, 'I just really love being here, why would I ever wanna leave this place?' The song became an ode to the home I share with my partner/producer Jesse Wilson and our revolving door of friends and loved ones we share it with. It’s about being settled in the present moment and having gratitude for exactly where you are and who you’re with."
“Simple Side of Me” follows “Cumberland Banks,” an infectious nod to Bluhm’s time touring with The Infamous Stringdusters. A musical patchwork quilt that captures Nashville’s collaborative spirit, Rancho Deluxe finds her reflecting on well-earned lessons from nearly two decades in the music business. Joined by her co-writer, producer and partner Jesse Noah Wilson as well as other first-rate musicians like Kai Welch (Kacey Musgraves), Jess Nolan (Jenny Lewis) and Cameron Neal (Elle King, Shakey Graves), together they pulled from a swirl of influences, including folk-rock, western psychedelia and ‘60s West Coast soul. The end result features songs that are rooted in resilience, relaxation and the relationships she's built with like-minded collaborators.
Rancho Deluxe arrives after Bluhm’s 2023 Cher tribute album, The Beat Goes On, and her 2022 original LP Avondale Drive which was met with acclaim from Relix, PopMatters, The Bluegrass Situation and Americana UK who raved, “Nicki Bluhm might have invented a whole new genre of music with her latest solo album.”
Over the years, the San Francisco native has toured with the likes of Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, sharing the stage with the same icons who have helped inspire her trademark mix of rock, California country and hippie soul. Full of that independent spirit, Rancho Deluxe ultimately shows that Bluhm couldn't be any less interested in the rat race of the music industry these days. Instead, she's doubling down on what — and who — she really loves. "I'm growing, I'm reflecting, and I'm recalibrating," she says. "I'm forging ahead in a new way, but doing it on my own terms this time."
Bluhm is currently on the road this summer including a stop at AmericanaFest in Nashville this September – see below for a full list of dates or visit her website.
Rancho Deluxe:
1. Bay Laurel Leaves
2. Falling Out Of Dreams
3. Tumbleweed
4. Keep On Growing
5. Cumberland Banks
6. Change The Channel
7. Simple Side Of Me
8. Trying To Survive
9. Taking Chances
10. Long Time To Make Old Friends
Tour Dates:
August 16 – Park City, UT @ Park City Song Summit
August 17 – Truckee, UT @ Terrapin Roadshow at Truckee - Salty Gebhardt Amphitheater
September 10 – Nashville, TN @ AmericanaFest - The 5 Spot
