Nicole Atkins Announces New Album 'Italian Ice', Teams With Spoon's Britt Daniel On New Single "Captain": Listen

The New Jersey pop classicist Nicole Atkins has been putting out music since 2007, and she has made some very cool connections along the way. Atkins has just announced a new album called Italian Ice that she’ll release this spring. She recorded it in Alabama’s storied Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, with a backing band that includes Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section members Spooner Oldham and David Hood, as well as Jim Sclavunos and David “Moose” Sherman, two members Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds. And on lead single “Captain,” she’s got an assist from Spoon frontman Britt Daniel.

Daniel sings backup on “Captain,” a warm and likable new country-fried jam. He’s purely there in a supporting role; Atkins’ big voice is the clear star the song. In director Joshua Shoemaker’s “Captain” video, Atkins rocks a sea-captain hat; it’s made to look like a a VHS-fuzzed ’80s infomercial.

Britt Daniel also contributed to the songwriting on Italian Ice, as did Hamilton Leithauser. Guests include people like the Avett Brothers’ Seth Avett, the former Civil Wars member John Paul White, and the folk-pop singer Erin Rae. In a press release, Atkins says, “Musically, it doesn’t make any sense. But I’m a superfan all them, and we ended up with the weirdest, craziest band ever. It just became this awesome misfit party.” Check out the “Captain” video below.

Italian Ice is out 4/17 on Single Lock Records.