Jared James Nichols

Few guitarists from East Troy, Wisconsin have made a name by leaving the pick in the drawer, yet that is precisely what Jared James Nichols does. The American blues-rock guitarist and singer built his reputation on a high-energy, pick-less electric style that turns a single-pickup Epiphone Les Paul Custom P90, nicknamed Old Glory, into something raw and urgent. He leads a power trio under his own name, and its sound draws on the early 1970s hard-rock tradition of Cream and Mountain. Nichols now lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Moving to Los Angeles in 2010 brought the Gibson Les Paul Tribute Contest and the Musicians Institute Most Outstanding Player Award, and the three-song EP Live at the Viper Room followed his trio's formation. Club and festival dates across America, including SXSW and Summerfest, led to support slots with Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top. The 2015 full-length Old Glory & The Wild Revival followed a two-month European tour, and Black Magic arrived in October 2017. Gibson named him a global ambassador in June 2021, the same year he released the single 'Skin 'n Bone' and announced the EP Shadow Dancer.