Rising Artist from South Dakota – Nickolas Benson

Open up any social media application, and you will find your news feed flooded with singers from across the globe. Many of them are fascinated with pop songs, whereas there are only a few passionate about blues or country music. Well, the talented entertainer Nickolas Benson has the skill of giving his followers a little bit of everything!

The singer/songwriter from South Dakota learned how to play the guitar when he was shipped off to a war zone – the Persian Gulf. Today, he has over 100K fans online who watch him perform over 100 #RockPopCountryBlues hits by over 50 popular artists. Nickolas has written hundreds of songs over the years and he is now recording and producing music on his own. He has also recorded the hit song ‘Rodeo and the Radio’, featured on CMT’s hit show, Nashville. Moreover, the official video for the track ‘Song for You’, was featured on CMT’s website in January 2021.

Nickolas Benson’s fascination with music started from a very young age because his father has been a band leader and a traveling musician. His cousin WYATT on the other hand, is a rising Pop artist and platinum-selling songwriter. Though Nickolas discovered his passion for music at the age of eight, he started creating tunes when his stepfather bought him his first guitar. Since then, there has been no looking back for this talented musician.

As far as his educational background is concerned, he graduated from three programs at the Los Angeles Film & Recording School. This includes two Degrees in Audio and Music Production and a B.S. in Entertainment Business. Some of his idols include great musicians and singers such as Gram Parsons, Keith Richards, John Lennon, Steven Tyler, and Mick Jagger. Though these artists have different sounds, Nickolas Benson believes his performances are a mash-up of all these artists.

The music that Nickolas releases for his audience is based on a long production process where he spends days playing a song to ensure the tempo is right. “The song has to be alive at its bare bones,” he explains. “This makes the production process easier and gives you the most inspiration.”

Even though Nickolas is a star in his own right, he struggled for months before he could even be heard. This is because hundreds of hours of content are uploaded online by the minute, and it is not easy to get noticed. “There were days when my girlfriend and I would walk up and down Hollywood Boulevard, handing out flyers to tourists for my shows,” shares Nickolas. “And then there is the challenge of not being a hip hop artist – the most popular genre of today.”

According to Nickolas, if you want to stand out, you must make music for yourself and from the heart, so you’ll enjoy performing it every night. It is also crucial to make your music relatable and simple, to reach as many people as possible. What is commendable about the musician is that even after experiencing war and bloodshed, he came out stronger, desired and decided to melt hearts with his music.

“My mantra of success is to be true to yourself and who you are. The rest will follow,” he stresses. “Adversity will bring resentment or build character. Either way, you get what you deserve.” Apart from creating music, Nickolas Benson has acted in shows such as ‘Two and a Half Men’, ‘Entourage’, and ‘Louie’. He has several other projects pending for the future, such as a true crime book that is currently going through the editing process and a double album he wrote while stationed in the Persian Gulf.

Nickolas Benson is also giving back to the community with a dog-sitting and boarding business he started. Seems like Nickolas is not only talented but also has a soft heart that craves to help everyone around him! Watch #NickolasLive nightly through December 16th by visiting nickolasdavidbenson.com clicking the showtime and entering!