Nikki O’Neill

Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist

Nikki O’Neill, an R&B/Americana singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Chicago, is releasing her third solo album, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, on Blackbird Record Label on March 14. Featuring eleven songs written by O’Neill, it was recorded mostly live with her 5-piece band in Chicago. The album’s making was largely supported by the Illinois Arts Council, who chose O’Neill as one of their grant recipients for 2025.

Deeply in love with classic soul, rhythm & blues and gospel from an early age, O’Neill counts Pops Staples, Prince, and Teenie Hodges as her guitar heroes, but it’s songwriting that she sees as her main love. Music journalists have called her “an expressive, nuanced singer and excellent guitarist” who makes albums with songs that demonstrate “a remarkable sense of melody.”

Official website:
https://www.nikkioneill.com
Bandcamp: https://nikkioneill.bandcamp.com/