Critics love Willie Nile. Rolling Stone, the BBC and USA Today are just some of the outlets, who have raved about the relatively anonymous singer-songwriter over recent years.
The praise is justified. Nile, 66, consistently pens melodic songs with big hooks but he also includes a welcome rock and roll swagger, that has unfortunately faded. Gushing reviews have been constant but commercial success has been elusive. That doesn’t bother the laidback Nile, however, who recorded his debut album 35 years ago.
“I’m not the only one in this boat,” Nile said while calling from Germany. “It’s all right being the kind of guy I am.”
Nile is one of those working class hero singer-songwriters, like Joe Grushecky, who is a terrific writer but is content even though the average music fan is unfamiliar with his solid canon.
“I’m not in this for the fame,” Nile said. “I don’t know what else I would be doing if it weren’t for this. This is my passion. All that really matters to me is having the chance to play. I can’t worry about things I can’t control like who buys my albums or comes out to see me play. But I can control the music and that’s enough for me. I make the calls when it comes to my music. If I want to do something, I just do it.”
Nile has always been a straightforward, heart on his sleeves, guitar kind of guy. The inveterate rock and roller, who once put out an album called “House of A Thousand Guitars” has released “If I Were a River,” a piano-driven album. Who could have guessed?
“Why not change it up a little,” Nile said. “I thought that would be fun and I was right. I had so much fun going another way with this project.”
The new Nile tunes, which dropped in January, are warm, deep and sentimental. It has that old unplugged feel. “I was just moved to do something like this, something different,” Nile said. “It felt good not doing what people expect me to do. I also don’t want to do the same old thing. Fortunately, I was moved to do something left of center and I loved the experience.”
Nile, who will perform Friday, May 15 at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, has recorded nine albums, which are primarily filled with earnest, poignant and gritty rock and roll. “I write what moves me,” Nile said. “I”m not out there writing jingles. The great thing is that I’m constantly getting inspired so I keep on writing. I write what I want because that’s what makes me happy. I have fun. I never followed trends.”
The Buffalo native is the opposite of most rockers. Nile is actually getting better with age. His recent albums are packed with hooks and Nile comes off as a wiser lyricist. “I absolutely believe that my last few records are my best,” Nile said. “As a writer, I’m only improving. I have more experience to draw from and I’m honest. I feel like I did when I first came to the Village. I have so many ideas and so much energy.”
Much like the aforementioned Grushecky, Nile has performed with Bruce Springsteen. “He has been so great to me,” Nile said. “I love playing with Bruce in front of thousands and thousands of people but I also love just getting up there in a club. I’m going to be playing no matter who comes out.”
Nile is a throwback, who believes in the power of music. “That’s because I remember what it was like during the ’60s and ’70s when music really meant something to us,” Nile said. “I remember how it was then. Recording artists weren’t chasing trends. They were unique. They were doing their own thing. And that’s what I’m about. I want to follow my passion. I’m compelled to follow my instinct and live my life to the fullest. That’s what music has taught me. I can’t do it any other way.”
WILLIE NILE appears Friday at the Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St., Northampton. Jefferson Grizzard will open. Tickets are $17.50 in advance and $20 day of show. Show time is 7 p.m. For more information, iheg.com call 413-586-8686.
