Veteran guitarist Nick Colionne is back with a new album for 2020. It is called Finger Painting, and the sound is as fresh and vivid as the unique album cover art.
This is an 11 track set and Colionne collaborates with some familiar names, including Chris “Big Dog” Davis, James Lloyd (from Pieces of a Dream) and John Blasucci.
Uptempo, funky grooves is the theme here, as evidenced by the first single, Let's Get Serious.
“I’ve always been a very visual songwriter, and the music on Finger Painting is no exception,” Nick says. “To help me set different moods, I often change the colors of the lighting in the studio. My creative process always incorporates the idea of thinking in colors, and to use them for inspiration. Part of the joy of making music is figuring out how to translate those visuals into music that taps into and touches on the same emotions. Sometimes they’re in my imagination, but I’m also moved when I see the different colors of, for instance, clouds. I imagine them as islands in the sky. It’s usually during the summer when they’re at their brightest.
“I like to see my music as part of an ever-changing dynamic,” he adds, “and that ensures that when I start a new record it’s going to have a very different vibe than my last one. I always want to create a flow where if your mood changes at any point, you don’t have to change the CD. If you’re grooving on something up-tempo and suddenly want to hear another song that’s slower, laid back and romantic, just keep listening.”
As an example of this variety, check out the mid-tempo sound of Just Let It Be.
Be sure to take a listen to the album through your favorite streaming service.