The singer-songwriter and county native will be honored by Monmouth Arts in October
By Alex Biese
Nicole Atkins is coming home – and she’s bringing “Drama” with her.
Atkins’ return is more than just a tour stop or two; it is the homecoming of an artist who has finally, in her own words, “found her sound.”
In a recent conversation with The Two River Times, Atkins, now based in Nashville, couldn’t hide her excitement for the new project. “I can’t believe how good it is,” she says of the upcoming record, “Drama,” releasing Sept. 18 via Sun Records/Wicked Game Records. “I know you’re not supposed to say that about your own stuff, but I never listen to my own records and I can’t stop listening to it.”
As Atkins prepares to bring new songs to her native Monmouth County, it is clear that this record represents a musical full-circle moment. From the opening notes of “Trippin’ on Teardrops,” “Drama” feels like a modern reiteration of “Neptune City,” Atkins’ 2007 debut LP – a breakout record heralded by an appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and tours with the likes of The Black Keys and Nick Cave.
After nearly 20 years of fruitful musical exploration and revealing lyrical introspection, Atkins is returning with a renewed embrace of her classic Roy Orbison-style swagger that feels at once nostalgic and insistently present. Atkins traced the feeling back to a specific writing session for a standout “Drama” track. “When me and my friend Emery (Dobyns) sat down and came up with (the single) ‘When the Night Falls,’ it was like that is the feeling I’ve been chasing since ‘Neptune City,’ ” she explained. “ ‘Neptune City’ was my first album and where I found my sound and I think you’re always chasing that first feeling.”
She described that quintessentially Atkins sound as a “unique blend of sounds that was like you’re at the Jersey Shore, but you’re also in 1968 London.”
Nashville Mentor
The road back to this sound was paved by her relationship with one of her oldest friends in the business, the ever-retro-chic icon Chris Isaak. “In 2007, his band was the first band to take us on a long tour,” Atkins recalled. “They were just good dudes. They shared their food with us. Chris, just before I was on ‘Letterman,’ he was like, ‘Here’s a tip: Even if you’re singing a sad song on TV, smile, because it looks great on TV.’ ”
Years later, their bond deepened when Isaak moved to Nashville. “We became really good friends and he’s a visual artist as well, so we just get together and we make sculptures and paintings and comics and we’ll play guitar together and it’s just really crazy that my childhood hero is my art buddy.”
This friendship led directly to her new home at Sun Records. On the day filmmaker and Isaak collaborator David Lynch passed away in early 2025, Atkins invited Isaak to her Nashville residency show. “He ended up coming over, seeing the show, and it just made him feel better,” she said. “Then when we were in the dressing room, he’s like, ‘You know, I should sign you to Sun Records.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, you should.’ ”
Homecoming Dates
Now, Atkins is ready to bring the culmination of her work home. “I can’t wait. I can’t wait,” she said of her upcoming Jersey Shore dates.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, she will perform with Asbury Park’s Cory Blair as part of the Songwriters on the Beach summer series of weekly, free, family-friendly concerts produced by Brookdale Public Radio, 90.5 The Night, at the Newark Avenue Beach in Bradley Beach.
The festivities continue throughout the year, as she’ll be recognized by Monmouth Arts with the organization’s Outstanding Musical Achievement Award at the Bring On The Funk: Where the Arts Get Down annual fundraising gala Oct. 29 at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park. On Nov. 27, Atkins makes her long-awaited return to the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park for a show with John Gallagher.
“The Wonder Bar show is just madness, you know?” she said. “It’s kind of crazy because it’s like I know everybody and it’s really intense when you personally know everybody but in a way you’re doing your character up on stage.”
While the hometown pressure exists – “It’s stressful, but it’s good stress” – Atkins feels a deep relief being back among the people who understand her musical DNA. “I feel very fortunate to come from a place that really all of our parents, all our grandparents, are all just die-hards of live music because of the area we grew up in. So, to be part of that is a relief.”
Looking ahead to the release and the tour, Atkins sees the record as the moment everything finally clicked. “I like so many things that it’s hard to make them all gel,” she admitted, citing influences from Dennis Wilson chords and James Bond vibes to Jerry Garcia Band solos. “It’s like all the things I love are in it, but it’s like they all work, finally.”
In Atkins’ world, all is good, “Drama” and all.
The article originally appeared in the August 20 – 26, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
