Nic Armstrong

Hailing from England yet rooted in Austin, Texas, Nic Armstrong fronts the Thieves, weaving an eclectic retro-pop sound that fuses Beatlesque melodies, bluesy American traditional rock, and guitar-driven riffs inspired by vintage work from the Kinks, the Who, and the Rolling Stones. Born in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, he filled his early years with music and art before relocating to Nottingham for additional studies. A demo he entered in a national talent contest staged by Dazed & Confused magazine earned him a contract with One Little Indian, which released his first album, The Greatest White Liar, in 2004. That same year the band supported Paul Weller across Europe, and in 2005 they made their initial U.S. appearance at SXSW, with further slots on Austin City Limits, The Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and at Coachella. In 2006 Armstrong issued If We Can't Escape My Pretty under the name IV Thieves on New West. He eventually settled in Austin, Texas, where he established a base and recorded both solo and with the Thieves, releasing the EP Pocketless Shirt in 2013 and scheduling a follow-up EP for early 2015.