"It Ain't That Way Now"- Photo by Mary Ellen Matthews August 2010

August 4th, 2010

Holy smokes.

What a summer.

So let me start out by congratulating you all on having a fabulous July. Rumor has it that the weather was the best on record. The ocean temps were higher than average and ice cream, lobster and local sweet corn, in general, tasted better than ever. I hope you soaked up every damn golden drop from the sun and are wiping the mixed softee sugar cone from your mouth with the sleeve of a well worn Montauk sweatshirt. Take it baby. You deserve it. Last winter sucked and it's as if the Earth opened up and actually listened to all of us New Yorkers and said,"Yes, Damnit, here you go. You survived my evil frosted lock for 6 months and now I will reward you with bliss!". Good stuff. We must also take into account that we now have Steinbrenner in Heaven negotiating for us NYers so who knows. We might get flippin daffodils in January this year to boot.

So. I have not had the same summer as you. Don't get me wrong. I am a happy camper. Just a little toasty. I promised you an album before the end of this summer and well, here she is. When I look at the cover I basically see MY July. "It Ain't That Way Now" is all the sweet corn, waves, lobster and general sunshine that I missed. While you were chillin I was the one in the dark studio walls eating chocolate with headphones and speakers and cables, oh my. Between booking, gigging, making this album and trying to be present for my little nut of a son well, it's all kind of just passed me by. My July was like being a block away from Javier Bardem. It's like I heard about it being there but never really got to see it with my own two eyes. (He is for the record the hottest man on earth aside from my husband). I digress. ANYWAY...I have been taking refuge in our outdoor gigs at the Surf Lodge, Navy Beach and Gosmans. It's my chance to see all your beautiful, rocking faces. It looks like the entire East End has been plugged into a socket and they are just glowing. I am hoping to look like that in about two weeks when all this wild, wacky non stop music slows down a bit. If you see me on the beach just pet my head and say, "Welcome". While your at it could you call GOD and tell him to keep Montauk warm at least another week or so? That would be great. Cause when Montauk flips the switch weather wise well, there is not a thing you can do about it. It's like your second grade teacher after you've done something really bad. You try to win back her good graces but just like Montauk Weather when she decides it over, you're just basically screwed for the rest of the year. Write "I will not be sunny" 200 times with a smile on your face kid cause it's game over. So I am hoping, praying, that after the release of this album there will be one giant heat wave block party at Ditch Plains until the Labor Day Bell Rings.

So here's what I need from you. PLEASE COME TO OUR RELEASE PARTY! It is Thurs August 5th at the Stephen Talkhouse. Doors Open at 9pm and $20 at the door gets you a CD when you walk in and two live sets of music. Special guest sit ins.. the whole nine yards. I will personally appreciate it! If you can't make it Thursday night then Join us at GOSMANS DOCK on Sunday Aug 8th at 6pm. Another stellar night of music and the CD's will be on sale there by the famous Mo.

So that's the scoop. I'll write more in the next week. The shows have been literally OFF THE HOOK this summer and I owe that mostly to you guys (and Johnny Bloods Amplifier). We are only one big circle baby. We give what we get. Love love love.

May you look down at your feet and find them up on your couch with the summer sun slowly setting behind the whistful trees and a song playing on your stereo that came from your own hands and heart. In that moment you are truly alive.

Love and Respect.. and I'll see you tomorrow night.

Nancy

Fringe Benefits- Jamming with Clarence Clemons and Jake May 2010

June 17th, 2010

It's now game on. Summer is here, not officially but by all accounts June has been acting like a seventeen year old with fake ID and an older friend. Summer 2010 has snuck into the bar early and is wreaking havoc by the foosball machine. She may have even puked in the back of the cab already. I don't even know, I tipped the driver an extra 20 and never looked back. It's been that kind of month. In short: The Hamptons are off the hook and the gate is open. By August we'll either all be burnt out or in jail. It's a win-win situation if you ask me. Viva la vida loca.

Memorial Day feels like a year ago but I do remember a few things in particular about it. First off EVERYONE (and I do mean everyone) was in an amazing mood. The East End was bathed in golden sunshine for three days straight. The crowds were epic and joyous and everything that you can ask for as a performer. What ever I gave out they threw back double. It was a circle of love that turned into an oval of love because I just couldn't keep up. The Talkhouse shook and dripped from the rafters, Amagansett Square was sweet, green, cool and shady and Nicks on the Beach reminded us that Rock and Roll on the Ocean is a righteous combination. This was a complete blessing since a few days before Memorial day I didn't even think I was going to be able to play. On the Thursday before the big weekend I woke up with a whopping cold and panicked. Playing sick well, for lack of a better word : SUCKS. It is a testiment to everyones spirit and modern medicine that I all but forgot that I was running a fever or that my throat felt like an asphalt road in mexico. I tip my Jack Daniels Baseball hat to all of you that came out to throw down on the dancefloor and can't wait to do it again. Like tomorrow. But I digress. If any of you got a cold from hugging me well, now you know not to touch sweaty musicians. I'm just happy I made it out alive and that everyone got home safe for Sunday morning breakfast with a smile on their face.

I'm particularly crispy right now as I am rounding the corner on our new CD. Johnny and I are non-stop in the studio these days and I find myself unable to go to sleep most nights due to the never ending checklist in my head. Vocal levels, bass lines, drums, toms toms, guitar, harmonica, accordians, background vocals, lyrics, photos,. Cue magic music ju ju. I often kiss my fingers and pray to the sky whilst mixing. I am doing my best to get this out by the end of July and feel that it will happen. I have a photo shoot lined up with the fabulous Mary Ellen Matthews tomorrow. She is the photographer for Saturday Night Live so admist all the sonic chaos I am also organizing blow dryers, make up artists and sunlight. Anyone know the direct number to Sam Champion so I can guarentee sun between 5-7 tomorrow with light cloud cover but not to much cloud cover? Great. Thanks. And while your at it can you make some macoroni and cheese with peas for my son and feed my dog, Griz. Wonderful. I owe you one.

What else. TALKHOUSE EVERY TUESDAY at 8 for singers in the round, SURF LODGE EVERY WEDNESDAY at 6pm free ummmm... Gosmans, Beach fires, opening for Hall and Oates. What? Yes. Its a wacky world when you go from opening up for Sheryl Crow to Hall and Oates but what do Summer 2010 and Miley Cyrus have in common? THEY CANT BE TAMED I tell you. It's all coming! Hold tight everybody. Here we go.

So seriously... if your reading this update: Thanks for all the continued support! I truly am excited to share this next album with you all. It's been a ramonacoaster and I'm looking forward to rocking out with all of you when it's done. Once I get within the three week mark I will pick a time and a place where we can all party down. Im thinking end of July. Your backyard. I'll bring the ketchup.

As is Custom: May you take time to look down at your feet and find them surfing on top of your new Fender Reverb Deluxe guitar amp admist a sold out crowd at two in the morning. In that moment you are truly alive.

Peace, Love and Broken Guitar Strings

Nancy

Let it be known that i have never, ever, not even once in my life, followed a set list. - Photo of my foot by Kristina Gale

May 15th, 2010

What is going on!? CRAZINESS I tell you. Sheer, simple craziness. At present I am juggling about 8 major balls (get your head out of the gutter) and keeping everything in the air. I'm not sure how long it will last but I am definitely burning serious tires in my mind of late between finishing up my fifth album, printing my new kids book, building websites for said book, booking the band, writing new tunes all whilst trying to enjoy the absolute joy of having a spunky wise cracking four year old AND oh yeah, performing. So yes, you can almost smell the burning rubber coming out of my ears. Add to that smouldering bag of donuts: Holy I can't believe it's the middle of MAY already and another summer is breathing down my neck like a werewolf from Lanchester, England. Stir three times, taste and you have smoking pot of wack-a-doodle doo.

The good news is that the album is truly almost done. We are rounding the bend on it and by all accounts this bad boy should be done by mid July. Anyone who has followed the band through previous albums knows one thing : I lie about release dates. I don't mean to but it just kind of happens. One month rolls into the next and before you know it it's Christmas. Well I am PROMISING that this album will be out this summer. Like tie my body to the tracks and let the train roll if it doesn't. There. I said it. I PROMISE. See? Who says I'm afraid of commitment. That wasn't so hard. Now if I could only come up with a name for the bloody thing we'd really get rolling on printing it.

What else? Oh yeah! Tuesdays at the Talkhouse. Soooooo cool. I am developing a night with Nick Krauss to have a "singer in the round" show where the best songwriters I know will come down and we will all play songs, tell stories and jam at the end. It will be every Tuesday night this summer and is sure to be an absolute pisser. I was inspired by the old songwriter circles that i used to be apart of down on Bleecker Street. It's basically like a really, really good party that you have in your house with all your musician friends. So I hope you check it out and come down and be a part of the scene.

Montauk, as we all know, is officially the cool kid on the block. There are new venues, restaurants, and even a COFFEE SHOP popping up all over for the fashionably hip to drive their unwaxed surfboards to. That's cool. I like fashionably hip people... as long as they don't take my parking spot. Point being we will be looking for all the die hards in the front lines. Don't let the masses freak you out. I need you and you need me baby and together we can lead them into musical rock ecstacy. Without you I am but a matador for drunk hipsters. Enough said.

May you take time to look down at your feet and find them tapping out the rhythm from the fourth track of your upcoming cd and when you suddenly realize that it is unintentionally identical to the beat of your very own heart. In that moment you are truly alive.

Live Large and Play Hard.

Nancy

Touch, Touch, Touch.- Photo by N. Wilson

March 20th, 2010

I am knee deep in Elvis world right now for my annual St. Patricks Day Float in the Montauk Parade. My house is literally covered in sideburns, boas and microphones as we speak. Glittery signs and tin foil, tin foil, tin foil. Thank the Lord for Abby Levin. You all know her as the chick with the sweet beats on the Congos. Well let it also be said that she can create wonders with a glue gun and some black fake hair. Thats all I'm saying. We are on our third round of coffee as I write this thus the sillyness of it all. I hope you all are able to see it tomorrow but if Montauk is to far a drive then hopefully I will get some video of it. We are very proud of our float this year and ALWAYS love how it get's people grooving. I do it for two reasons. Number One: It is a total high to see young, teenage, hipsters and even older folks rock out to our float. It is safe to say that everyone loves Elvis... so what better way to bring love and music to Montauk than with numerous Elvises shaking there tail feathers baby! Number Two: I l dig free cornbeef and basically if you dress as Elvis you get free cornbeef. And beer. And really anything you want. Because people love to give things to Elvis. I've got my own beer so I'm really hoping for Corvette this year. 68. Convertible. Black with rollbar. There you have it. A girl can dream.

So on a more ROCKING note: the sun is shining, the days are longer and next Saturday NAP will hit it hard at the Talkhouse officially ringing the bell for the beginning of Spring on the East End. It's been a long, cold winter and we are READY to kick off another year of hot, sweaty rock and roll mixed with a bit of Southern Comfort. Please come join us and be sure to check out our GIGS page on this site with the new, fancy CALENDAR LINK that enables you to see all the gigs on a Calendar. Very fancy stuff those google people do. I think you can even print it but my blonde hair can only take so much technology so I havent tried to print it myself yet. Good luck!

Things are purring along on Album number 5. We've been busy in the studio and even starting to make some rough mixes so by all accounts we should be looking at a summer release. Fingers crossed! We are very excited about all the songs and the general feel that this album has. Very yummy indeed. If your new to this site and never heard the band please check us out on ITUNES. Keyword Nancy Atlas Project. We have alot of music up there to listen to. click around and have fun. There are even a few things on You Tube as well but you may run into me interviewing a guy about mushrooms too. Lets just call it a past side job and they are the kind you eat so get your head out of the gutter.

Ok. I'm have to get back to my Elvis prep for our float tomorrow. Just wanted to stop by and say:

May you look down at your feet and find yourself rocking out in Blue Suede Shoes. In that moment you are truly alive.

See you crazy cats on the dancefloor. Come one, Come all!

Rock it,

Nancy

On on the 8th day GOD said "LET THERE BE ELVIS!"- The Singing Elvises 2009 - Photo by N. Wilson

February 23rd, 2010

Hey everybody. I was gone, but now I'm back. Out here in Montauk things are perculating harder than a cheap dutch kettle. I had an extended leave in South America that kind of bit me in the ass so I find myself happy to be home and ready to rock. My current March agenda includes work on the upcoming CD, practicing with my handsome and talented bandmates and also organizing a bigger and better "ELVIS LIVES" float for the upcoming St. Patrick Day Parade. It is one of the funniest, coldest, exhilarating days of the year and I am asking you to join us! BECOME AN ELVIS. All you need is a wig and a dream. Just be dressed as an Elvis, any Elvis, (fat, skinny, comeback, gold, vegas, hawaiian, GI Joe, Fisherman Elvis, Irish Elvis... you name it WE WANT YOU). And don't think of coming as Priscilla. That spot belongs to Richard Holub and only Richard Holub. There can only be one Priscella baby and he's got that spot cornered. You want in? Your starting to feel inspired. Well here's the best part: JUST SHOW UP. Sunday, March 21st. 11AM. Park your car down by the fire department and ask for the ELVIS float. They will send you in our direction. Bring what makes you happy and you best be dressed to impress. No slackers allowed. Huhhh!

What else... things are purring along. Dates coming in. We will be back at Nicks for a few this summer as it's been a heavy request from you all for the last three years. I also have a killer show planned for April in NYC at Ulyssees Pub down on Pearl Street. Sit ins from the Bogmen, Booga Sugar and Winston Irie and Little Head thinks. Sure to be a sweater. As in sweat - er. Not the fuzzy thing you throw on yourself each February morning.

Ok. I'll write more when I get a chance. I should be updating the site a bit in the next month. If any of you have stray videos of the band or photos you'd like to share, pass them along to booking@nancyatlas.com and we'll get them up there.

Looking forward to helping March roar in like a lion.

As is custom: May you look down at your feet and find them tucked under your well worn studio chair and happy to be home.

Rock it,

Nancy

Quite possibly the Best thing EVER!!! I love this...Thank you Betty and Michael Paraskevas!!