Autumn Nicholas loves herself some guitar. Photos by Raul Rubiera Jr. www.RaulRubiera.com

Story by James Johnson, photos by Raul Rubiera Jr.

Acoustic rock artist Autumn Nicholas hit a wall last year - the figurative kind of wall that leaves you breathless and filled with self doubt. For many, this kind of wall can crush ambition, block creativity and force one into exile, for Nicholas - it was just another hurdle to climb.

At 20 years old, Nicholas has learned a lot about herself in the past four years of being a working artist in Fayetteville. Nicholas began raising eyebrows when she was first seen performing at local open mics, such as those found at The Coffee Scene. She stood out, and not just because of her fauxhawk or good looks - Nicholas had a visible passion, which could be heard in every note she played. Her sultry vocals and kinetic guitar work earned her a loyal following of supporters.

Nicholas is fairly open about her sexuality, which is in itself, very open, as she is a firm believer that gender and love are not things that necessarily go hand in hand. Her openness allowed her to meet someone whom to this day she deems as her eternal soul mate - Courtney Chatelain. The two decided to make it official last year and had a wedding ceremony performed at The Rock Shop, which was documented for an as yet unaired MTV special.

Nicholas followed this giant step in her personal life by a fittingly large step in her music career, by trying her hand in the musical lottery known as “American Idol.”

Unfortunately, fame by way of Simon Cowell was not in the cards for Nicholas, who was one of the millions of artists turned away after auditions. Things didn’t get any better upon returning home, as Nicholas found herself without a steady job and facing a conflict within her personal life. In the interest of tastefulness, we won’t go into detail, suffice to say, this was the aforementioned wall.

Autumn Nicholas. Photos by Raul Rubiera Jr. www.RaulRubiera.com

“There are times like that in every musician’s life,” said Nicholas. “It was something to learn from …”
Nicholas and Chatelain’s relationship changed, but not necessarily for the worse says Nicholas, as the two remain very close. She took the joblessness as an excuse to work extra hard on her music career, snagging herself regular gigs through the popularity of her dynamic sound.

“Yeah, it forced me to work extra hard. It was a make it or break it kinda thing,” Nicholas said. “Get out there and bust your butt if you can’t make it in retail.”

Perhaps Nicholas’ biggest change, and possibly her most challenging one, was her decision to enroll in college, where she hopes to pursue a degree in music business.

“I definitely want to think of this more as a business,” said Nicholas. “You should know what you’re getting into before someone gets something over your head.”

Nicholas credits her parents for helping give her the strength to continue and the encouragement to pursue her education.

“Honestly I’ve always had a good relationship with them … and I thank God for that,” said Nicholas. “Not everyone has the backbone. My mom and dad are the reason I’m here and have given me any gifts that I have. I love my family very much and they are honestly what drive me.”

It is that unconditional love which has always been a driving force for Nicholas through every challenge and figurative wall she’s come upon.

“That’s my biggest philosophy … love has no gender, no limits. Love who you love and love yourself… You must accept yourself as a person… Acknowledge a person as a person, no matter how they look. If you want to be different, you have to be tough, or go home. Step through the door - and say hey.”

Currently Nicholas is writing her first official album, which she hopes to release later this year. One can catch Nicholas’ performance every Thursday night at Paddy’s Pub, on Raeford Rd. For more information, click here.