Long Bio​

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 Nina Ricci is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has been noted most recently by Irish Music Magazine for her “uplifting, thought-provoking songs, unique voice, and inimitable finger-style picking, infectious smile, and affable persona.” Nina’s artistic nature shows out in every aspect of her performances, from her showy decades-inspired clothing, to the varied repertoire she sings, which includes songs from the folk revival songbook and her own artfully-crafted creations.

 

Over the past 4 years, Nina has gained a variety of performing experiences through touring that have sculpted her into a formidable entertainer with a magnetism that draws audiences to her. Through singing on the streets of Gatlinburg, TN as a roaming performer with Smokey Mountain Tunes & Tales (4 seasons;) playing the role of the wandering minstrel at Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, TN (3 seasons;) running 5 shows a day on the Tom & Huck stage at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO; and performing on a Chuck Wagon in the Badlands of Medora, North Dakota, Nina has learned versatility by adapting to the varying environments in which she performs.

 

Her time singing in the mountains and performing on the streets brought further opportunities her way when she was discovered by John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who made her part of his ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ show on 2 occasions, honoring the music of Mother Maybelle Carter, at the Franklin Theatre (Franklin, TN,) and in the PBS live broadcast, ‘Song of the Mountains,’ filmed at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, VA, in 2023.

 

Nina’s iconic voice and thumb-picked guitar style stand out from all others. She is forceful in her deliverance of songs and careful to engage her audience in the experience with her “infectious smile” and engaging dialog. Her education at Berklee College of Music (graduated 2014) is the backbone of her professionalism. Her degree is in Professional Music (with concentrations in performance, songwriting, and music business,) and she holds a minor in American Roots Music. Her education in folk music plays a role in her performances, as she has learned to engage audiences who might not have the sonic palette for the music she loves, through her entertainment value as a story teller. Her own songs are uniquely written with artfully-crafted lyrics that are at times whimsical, and at others, probing and thought-provoking.

 

Having spent the last 4 years living from hotel-to-campsite in the Southeast and Midwest, Nina Ricci, has taken root in the foothills of Signal Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee to record new music. Her most recent releases have been “Old Emerald Shore,” a song she penned in remembrance of her first journey to Ireland showcasing at the ‘Your Roots Are Showing’ conference in January 2023. As well, she released the single, “My Head is Full of You” (2023,) a song that very well illustrates her artfulness as a lyricist and commitment as a folk music songwriter.

 

Nina’s discography is a kaleidoscope of color, with songs such as “Constant Sunshine” (2018,) a genre bending summertime song, and “Southern Goodbyes” (2018,) an antebellum waltz with lyrics based on the custom of long goodbyes in her own Southern culture. She playfully added “Goodbye Sandals, Hello Boots,” a changing-of-seasons song with it’s country-folk vibe to her discography in 2022. Nina has 2 albums officially released, ‘Designs On Me,’ which represents her debut in 2018 with 7 original songs written and arranged by her; and ‘Fare Thee Well: A Joan Baez Tribute’ released in 2020, a project which celebrates the 60-year long career of Nina’s favorite folksinger. Unofficially, Nina has released EP’s, ‘Anthologies Sung: Roots for the Record’ (2016) and ‘Acoustic Sessions’ (2022.)

 

Nina’s work of recording her original songs has only begun, having a backlog of material and new writings that will grace the liner notes of upcoming albums in 2024. Her decision to relocate from Nashville to Chattanooga has an air of “new things to come” about it. And, it’s just what the “hard travelin’” folksinger needed: a cabin apartment nestled in the foothills where new music can pour like the springs on the winding mountain roads.