Nicky Egan Knows the Only Guarantees in Life are “Changes”

“As so many of our ancestors have taught us before, the only thing guaranteed in life is change.” Nicky Egan knows the power of movement, of rediscovery—and change. After seven years living and making music in New York, Egan picked up and moved across the country to embark on something new.

On “Changes,” off Egan’s upcoming album, out late summer, early fall, is the middle ground of fear and the risk of it all in Open your eyes to the light / You’ve been hiding while it’s shining / See the world is yours, for the taking.

“This song was written as I was uprooting and embarking on what became a very nomadic six months,” shares Egan.

Produced by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings’ guitarist Joseph Crispiano and recorded entirely to 8-track analog tape, “Changes” is the opening track on the album and part of a larger unraveling for the Los Angeles-based artist. 

Pulling in Daptone Records family musicians Homer Steinweiss, Victor Axelrod, Brian Wolfe and Elizabeth Pupo-Walker, Egan, who has played keyboards for the psych-soul band Chicano Batman, assembles her own musical journey.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Egan graduated Berklee College of Music with a degree in contemporary writing and production then spent seven years in Brooklyn working with the funk band Turkuaz before releasing her own EP, The 45 Homestead Project (Ropeadope Records), a compilation digital 45’s released independently, in 2014.

Following up single “Back To You,” a song she wrote after moving across the country after hitting a crossroads in her career and joining Chicano Batman, “Changes” continues the narrative, and self-discovery.

“It’s really a love song to myself and a reminder that in taking chances and stepping into territory that feels unfamiliar at first, you’re usually on your way to unlocking a new brighter part of your journey,” shares Egan. “A big piece of that journey for me was making this album with my buddy Joe Crispiano.”

“Run Run,” a b-side to the 7″ of “Back To You,” is one of the first songs Egan and Crispiano worked on together and was “a real sweet spot in discovering our writing process,” says Egan.

“Changes,” which features a lyric video created by Egan with additional filming by Sasha Ortiz, continues in the direction Egan is headed, opening up a 10-song escape of soulful instrumentation and a lasting impression of hope.

“It reflects on the importance of being present, and existing wholly in that vulnerable, uncertain space,” says Egan, “not being fearful of trusting in your intuition and taking chances.”