Biography
A performer blending the gritty intensity of blues with the bold energy of rock & roll, Adrian Niles emerged from the Upper Ohio Valley after growing up in a home filled with music. His father performed in a bluegrass ensemble alongside his cousin and uncle, and young Adrian regularly observed the group practicing in the family living room. Those stage appearances left a lasting mark, prompting Niles to receive a guitar at age nine and begin developing his technique.
He soon accompanied himself on classic country-rock recordings and assembled his initial group, Legacy, during his freshman year of high school. The band concentrated on hard-rock covers and maintained a steady schedule at nearby clubs, yet by nineteen Niles sought greater scope. In 1993 he launched Reverend Smitty and the Backsliders, a collective that expanded on songs by Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Around the same period he started composing original material, and in 1996 he moved to Memphis, Tennessee to pursue work as a blues musician.
After capturing several talent contests without securing consistent bookings, Niles returned to Ohio and organized the first version of the Adrian Niles Band. The ensemble performed frequently, cultivating audiences in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Wheeling, West Virginia; in 1998 they issued their debut album, Manumit, partially produced by Pittsburgh rock hero Norman Nardini. Although the record earned local approval, the group disbanded, leading Niles to appear primarily as a solo artist—with occasional reunions—until 2006, when he formed the roots-rock outfit the Trainjumpers alongside Matt Heusel. Their first release, 2007’s Deadtown, drew favorable responses from listeners and reviewers, yet Niles soon departed to focus again on solo work.
He issued his initial solo album proper, Things Gonna Break, in 2008, followed in 2010 by the studio effort Ghost Road and the live recording Bootlegged Down on Main Street. Niles had by then established a reputation as a commanding stage presence, sharing bills with Dave Mason, Los Lonely Boys, and New Riders of the Purple Sage while placing highly in blues contests nationwide. His compositions also appeared on the television programs Justified and The Young and the Restless. He next unveiled Roll and Move in 2013 and Rough Rider three years later. In 2015 he delivered Supermoon, which Niles described as “a record with a strong lyrical narrative, vintage-tone heavy guitars, big drums, and loud bass, Fender Rhodes, and Hammond organ.”
He soon accompanied himself on classic country-rock recordings and assembled his initial group, Legacy, during his freshman year of high school. The band concentrated on hard-rock covers and maintained a steady schedule at nearby clubs, yet by nineteen Niles sought greater scope. In 1993 he launched Reverend Smitty and the Backsliders, a collective that expanded on songs by Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Around the same period he started composing original material, and in 1996 he moved to Memphis, Tennessee to pursue work as a blues musician.
After capturing several talent contests without securing consistent bookings, Niles returned to Ohio and organized the first version of the Adrian Niles Band. The ensemble performed frequently, cultivating audiences in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Wheeling, West Virginia; in 1998 they issued their debut album, Manumit, partially produced by Pittsburgh rock hero Norman Nardini. Although the record earned local approval, the group disbanded, leading Niles to appear primarily as a solo artist—with occasional reunions—until 2006, when he formed the roots-rock outfit the Trainjumpers alongside Matt Heusel. Their first release, 2007’s Deadtown, drew favorable responses from listeners and reviewers, yet Niles soon departed to focus again on solo work.
He issued his initial solo album proper, Things Gonna Break, in 2008, followed in 2010 by the studio effort Ghost Road and the live recording Bootlegged Down on Main Street. Niles had by then established a reputation as a commanding stage presence, sharing bills with Dave Mason, Los Lonely Boys, and New Riders of the Purple Sage while placing highly in blues contests nationwide. His compositions also appeared on the television programs Justified and The Young and the Restless. He next unveiled Roll and Move in 2013 and Rough Rider three years later. In 2015 he delivered Supermoon, which Niles described as “a record with a strong lyrical narrative, vintage-tone heavy guitars, big drums, and loud bass, Fender Rhodes, and Hammond organ.”
Albums
