In Mother Night, Kurt Vonnegut coined the term "a nation of two" to describe that stage of love in which a couple seems to be creating their own self-contained world, with its own language and culture. In Franz Nicolay's haunted and redemptive new album Luck & Courage, he expands the idea and writes the history of the rise and fall of one such country, one inhabited by the titular characters Felix & Adelita - in Latin and Spanish, luck & courage. Sonically, the album was inspired by Lyle Lovett's "I Love Everybody" and 16 Horsepower's "Low Estate."

Franz Nicolay was a member of Brooklyn rockers The Hold Steady and punk orchestra World/Inferno Friendship Society. He founded the new-music collective Anti-Social Music (which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2010); and is co-leader of the Balkan-jazz quartet Guignol, whose Fight Dirty came out in 2009. Also in 2009, he released his solo debut Major General and vinyl-only EP St. Sebastian of the Short Stage; and in early 2010 the short-story collection Complicated Gardening Techniques. He made Luck & Courage in Brooklyn in spring 2010, with producer Jim Keller (Willie Nelson, Franz Ferdinand). After completing the new album, he spent the past summer as a touring member of agit-punk band Against Me!. Nicolay will kick off the release of his new solo record with a CMJ performance/panel discussion, before heading to Gainesville for the Fest 9, followed by an east coast tour with Stornoway. This marks the first time he will be touring with a full backing band.

Franz Nicolay - "This Is Not A Pipe"


Franz Nicolay On Tour!!!
10/21 - Brooklyn, NY - Coco 66 (InDigest CMJ Showcase)
10/22 - New York, NY - NYU Kimmel Center (CMJ Panel)
10/25 - Atlanta, GA - The 529 (w/ O Pioneers & Junior Battles)
10/26 - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone
10/27 - Tampa, FL - Transitions Art Gallery
10/28 - Gainesville, FL - 807 W University Ave
10/29 - Athens, GA - New Earth Music Hall (Next To Last Fest).
10/31 - Gainesville, FL - The Fest
11/3 - Normal, IL - Firehouse +
11/4 - Madison, WI - the Frequency +
11/5 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock +
11/26 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center $
11/27 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall $
11/28 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's $
11/29 - Gambier, OH - Horn Gallery @ Kenyon College $
11/30 - Toronto, ON - El Mocambo $
12/2 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom $
12/3 - Boston, MA - TT the Bear's $
12/4 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brendas $
12/5 - Washington, DC - Black Cat Backstage $
$ w/ Stornoway
+ w/ Two Cow Garage