Nick Nowak, stage name “Nicholas George” grew up around music. His Dad, George Nowak, AKA ‘Barefoot Man’ was, for decades, one of the few musicians in Cayman who wrote, performed and marketed music as a full time job. As Nick got older, he would often travel along with his Dad to off island concerts. During the Covid lock-down, when Nick was confined in his Pennsylvania home, he started writing down song ideas that had been swimming around in his head for some time. He recorded his first song ‘Sum of all Beers’ a short time later – and after some tips from his dad and legendary producer Keith Stegall in Nashville, he was hooked. On Friday the 30^thof July, Nicholas George released his first album worldwide.

Have you got any gigs or more recordings planned in the near future?

Oh yeah! With the first album complete you’d think it would be time to take a break, but things are just starting to heat up.  I’ll be back and forth between Nashville and Philadelphia writing and recording over the next couple of months for a second album project that I hope to put out towards the end of the year.

Has Covid affected your gig jobs – as it has with many other musicians in Cayman and around the world?

As a brand new artist I didn’t have any regular gigs going when COVID hit, so personally I have not been affected in that way, but many of the artist/writers that I have worked with during this album have really suffered and lost income because of the shutdowns.  In some strange way, COVID may have presented me a few opportunities to write with people that I may not have had a chance to if things were “normal”.

If your music is available for purchase via download or hard copy - how would someone find that?

You can find my music on all the major streaming platforms; Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, etc. In addition, you can listen and follow me on my website https://www.nicholasgeorgemusic.com/ and I do have a limited number of physical CDs available for purchase through my website.

Check out one of Nicholas' songs below...

Local music notes -  By G Nowak

Andy Martin (The Cayman Cowboy ) has recorded some five albums since the early 70’s when he won 1^st place at the Galleon Beach annual Country music competition. His super hit song “A Letter from Sea” is considered by many the unofficial Seamen’s Anthem. In the late 70’s and early 80’s there was not a juke-box in any port, in any neon lit honky-tonk that didn’t have Andy’s 45 rpm record spinning. In the Bay Islands, San Andreas, Honduras and Nicaragua , Andy was a superstar.  In 2008 Andy received the Queens certificate of Honor for his musical contributions to the Cayman Islands. Recently he performed his song with Sea n B and Barefoot Man at the Heroes day event which commemorated Caymans maritime history.

Andy, have you any gigs planned in the near future?

Not really. Before Covid I did a few jobs now and then with Barefoot Man and Sea n B, however this has come to a fast halt.

Has Covid effected your gig jobs?

Same answer as above.  

After many years of begging for fair radio airplay of our local music, what’s your take on the exposure we local artists are finally receiving on some stations?

It’s been a long time waiting for regular air play of our music. I recall back in the 70’s when we only had Radio Cayman, at the time I would constantly visit the station and remind them to play my music. With Rooster Radio now playing more of our local country songs it gives us encouragement to record new material.

If your music is available for purchase via download or hard copy, how would someone find that?

I do have some CDs still for sale, yet none of my music is available in form of download. I’m from the old school.

End.

Local music notes -  By G Nowak