There are some people who stand in the face of adversity and change their fate with their passion, dedication, and will to turn things around. One such individual is Nickolas Benson, who, despite fighting in a war in the Persian Gulf, followed his heart and turned his dream of becoming a musician into reality.
Apart from being an Army Veteran, Nickolas Benson is a Rock, Pop, Country, and Blues singer/songwriter. He attended Los Angeles Film & Recording School in Hollywood, California, where he attained degrees in Entertainment Business, Music and Audio Production, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2020. However, it was back when he was touring the Middle East during the war that he first took up performing live music and where he became a songwriter.
After eight months in the Gulf, around Christmas time, away from home with fellow Army friends, Nickolas realized he had to do something in his free time to keep himself and others around him motivated and sane. He had a good ear for music since childhood, and hence he thought of playing and writing music with his fellow soldiers.
Nickolas Benson bought an acoustic guitar from a small shop on base and started practicing and jamming with the little skills he had from his early school days. Soon, he began writing his own songs and playing new tunes to create something fresh. By the end of it, he had an entire book of songs and ended up recording over 20 original numbers from it.
During his journey, a few of his battle buddies would often join him during his stage performances. They had a keen eye on happenings in a wartime setting. From loved ones back home to promiscuous soldiers of any rank, to those who chose to stay in the background and not contribute, no one was exempt from criticism, and all were guilty of something. These observations resulted in the creation of various songs, amongst which ‘That’s Right, I Went there’ became a hit and a staple on their camp’s performance stage.
Moreover, Nickolas purchased a digital camera in the days leading up to their departure from the States and shot over 20 hours of video during the war. By doing so, he got a great perspective on life and soul-stirring content to create original music that he produced later on. His songs ‘The Heart of What Really Matters’, ‘Game of Change’, ‘Living Never Breathing’, and ‘See You Soon’ were all written and composed during their time at war, some with his battle buddies.
Recently, Nickolas has released songs from Desert Dogs on SoundCloud and has attracted quite a following ever since its release. Desert Dogs has helped his online presence grow exponentially, crossing over 100k fans online.
SoundCloud is one of the fastest-growing sites and apps for music internationally. There are millions of people subscribed to the platform, allowing a number of young and ambitious artists to showcase their talents across continents. Nickolas Benson’s Desert Dogs has been able to reach thousands of people not just in America but all around the globe, thanks to SoundCloud.
As far as his achievements are concerned, the official music video for ‘Song for You’ was featured on CMT’s website, while his song ‘Rodeo and the Radio’ was featured on CMT’s hit show, Nashville, and averaged over 800 plays per week on Country radio.
Learning to play the guitar and becoming a singer/songwriter, while at war in the Persian Gulf, is no easy feat. Moreover, having a great fan following and being an inspiration for aspiring singer/songwriters today, when digital age media has made it tough to establish one’s place in a sea of musicians, is an achievement in itself. The reason behind his success is that he has kept his music diverse and fresh. With soulful melodies and meaningful lyrics, Nickolas Benson’s songs are for all who love #RockPopCountryBlues.
Nickolas wants to immortalize his music through his emotional songwriting, expressive vocals, and exhilarating stage performance, to reach many people for years to come. With such talent and the ability to further work on his craft, Nickolas is all set to reach new heights with his music and bring his special genre of #RockPopCountryBlues back into the limelight. You will find Nickolas’ music anywhere you listen.