Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Watson.
Hi Nick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Interview
I grew up in Jacksonville, FL in a very musical household. By age 9 I picked up my first guitar and starting lessons. When I was about 10 or 11 I started learning to play and sing songs, this is where my love for music really took off. In the 5th grade I played a cover of the Cars’ “just what I needed” for the school talent show with a full band. The performance earned me a lot of praise from other students and even the teachers. In my mind, I was pretty much a rockstar. The next year, I performed a cover of an All American Rejects song at the same talent show and bombed, or so I thought. There was no praise from other students, no fanfare, I had my first experience with a performance mishap. I was so embarrassed that I told myself performing live music wasn’t for me, and I would not pick up the guitar and sing for an audience again until my 20s. Secretly, however, I loved playing, writing and performing music, but for over 10 years I wouldn’t play outside my bedroom. Meanwhile, I graduated high school, went to Georgia Tech to study engineering, and somewhere along the way started abusing drugs and alcohol. The Atlanta area was home for me from 2012 until 2026. When I was 23 I got some help and have been clean ever sense. It was around this time, as I was getting clean, that music grew from a secret passion to an unavoidable calling. I started writing daily, going to open mics and songwriter rounds in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Eventually, I fell in with a really gifted group of songwriters I met at a venue called the Third door in Marietta square. These songwriters made a huge impact on me, particularly two guys named Jon Lorentz and James Hall. We would meet at the Third Door every other week for a songwriter’s night, and that’s when I really started to hone my craft. These guys and gals encouraged me to write, record, perform, and fully pursue the craft of songwriting. I’ll always be grateful for that. In 2024 I had the opportunity to record a series of singles with Producer Jason Plumb (Colter Wall, The Dead South, Bare naked Ladies), who had produced one of my favorite albums, Colter Wall’s Imaginary Appalachia. Those singles gave me the traction to start working with some acts in the Nashville area. Recently, at the beginning of 2026 I moved to Nashville, where I have been able to record with Grammy winning producer, Mitch Dane, and have already started releasing some new singles this year. I’m currently gearing up to begin some regional touring and prepping for an EP/album release in 2027.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Addiction, financial struggles with music, finding opportunities to perform, staying inspired, writers block, confidence issues… I feel like music is a career path paved with obstacles, but if it is your calling then it won’t matter what’s in the way. I do it because I have to. Life gets really bleak when I can’t write songs.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an Americana singer songwriter. If you listen to my music, you will know what sets me apart. My stuff has a very old-school vibe but is definitely different from main stream acts.
What were you like growing up?
I was kinda shy, only had a few close friends. I didn’t do team sports, I was a competitive Olympic weightlifter. I was a good kid, but never really fit in much of anywhere. I wanted to fit in, badly, but I just sorta kept to myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nfwmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfranzwatson?igsh=MXFnejRrdTh2MWcyMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@nickfranzwatson?si=FPmouG1I25dGdfXd
