The Nashville-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Nikki Lickstein, considers the guitar her third arm and writing songs her second language. Lickstein’s work includes notable cuts from American Idol’s Christiana Alaire’s “Lucky One”, James Deborde’s “Gave You Warning”, Serena Laurel’s “Heaven Let the Lights Go Down”, Maddie Mae’s “Go Fish” and “Divorced First”, Cody Q’s “Use Me”, and McKenna Bailey’s “What I Need”.
Discovered at age 15 by Nashville Songwriters Association InternationalI’s Executive Director, Bart Herbison, Lickstein has since been mentored by many of Nashville’s greatest songwriters, including Phil Galdston (Vanessa Williams, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Esperanza Spaulding), Lance Carpenter (Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You Mean It”), and GRAMMY Award-winner and publisher, Liz Rose, best known for co-writing Taylor Swift’s “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “You Belong With Me,” Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” and Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl.”
Lickstein has hosted her own writer’s rounds at The Listening Room Cafe, played originals at The Bluebird Cafe and Live Oak in Music City, and has been showcased at WIRK’s Rib Roundup Country Music Festival (alongside Jake Owen, Luke Combs, Kane Brown, and The Cadillac Three) and the BandsAndBrews Craft Beer & Music Festival (sharing a stage with Ashley McBryde and Emily Brooke) in south Florida, where she grew up playing music since kindergarten. Lickstein graduated from Belmont University’s Curb College of Music majoring in songwriting and minoring in music business.
Since then, she has received a plethora of accolades for her writing; having been recognized as NSAI EARS One to Watch four times this year (July 2023, January 2024, March 2024, May 2024), becoming a Finalist in the 25th Great American Song Contest, and reaching Runner Up in the 24th Annual NSAI Song Contest sponsored by CMT and the Bluebird Cafe.