Channeling the Nile

Caught amidst the muscle of the record industry machine, there is a well-seasoned musician named Willie Nile.

Nile, who is set to perform Friday night at the Albright-Knox, is an inspiration to rock's modern-day idols. He has earned praise from the likes of U2's Bono, Lou Reed, Time Magazine, The New York Times and Billboard Magazine. He's even toured with The Who.

Interestingly enough, he is also a psychology graduate from UB.

Comfortably tucked away now in a pocket of New York City, Nile finds no reason to sell out to a major label. His latest effort, "The Streets of New York," will be released Feb. 21 off the independent label 00:02:59, with Sony BMG Distribution pushing it.

Nile recently spoke with The Spectrum about how giving in to the bigger labels can really bury an artist.

"Being on a major label can be great or it can be a waste of time," he said. "If they're focused and excited about your project it can be great. If they aren't, you'll just get lost in the shuffle. Right now I'm happy to be on a small label with major distribution. (00:02:59) cares more about the album and is working hard for it."

On his journey as a musician, Nile has taken direction from seminal songwriters like his close friend Bob Dylan.

"I love Bob Dylan. He's a great songwriter and has been a strong influence on me," he said. "The Beatles and the Stones were also very influential. All the great songwriters from Groucho Marx to Ivan the Terrible have had an impact. Truth be told, it was Harpo Marx who had the most influence. He had such a way with words."

Nile has recorded seven previous albums, two of which, "Willie Nile" and "Golden Down," were critically acclaimed. Despite keeping a low profile, his album "Beautiful Wreck of the World" was one of Billboard Magazine's top 10 records of 1999.

"I took all my clothes off and ran around the block backwards seven times shouting the good news," said Nile about his reaction to hearing the news. "All kidding aside though, it was an honor to have 'Beautiful Wreck of the World' get a top 10 album from the international Billboard Magazine. It was up there with U2, Radiohead, David Grey, etc."

Shifting from a major label to a smaller one for "Streets" may create compromises. However, Nile's inspiration for songwriting has gone unscathed.

"It changes from day to day," he said. "You wake up, you look at the moon, walk around a bit, you go back to sleep and dream about the sun. Or vice-versa."

Unlike many other musicians, Willie also favors online distribution and online music sharing. He said that he is more concerned about getting his music out for people to enjoy. The rest is up to them.

"I like the Internet. It's another tool to get the music out there," he said. "Whatever helps get the word out is okay with me."

Nile also said that the simplicity of selling music on his Web site www.willienile.com, saves some time that would normally be devoted to promoting albums.

"I'm actually very busy doing interviews, concerts, planning gigs, rehearsals, etc. It's pretty nuts. I may take up basket weaving," he said. "We've got a good crew working on the album so it's not much different from a major label in that way."

While on tour, Nile has incurred some fond memories and some extraordinary experiences.

"It would take too long to answer that and I'm afraid the authorities wouldn't be too pleased," he said. "That said, opening up for The Who across the country was really great, and singing on mike with Bruce Springsteen at Shea Stadium in front of 60,000 raving Bruce fans didn't suck either."

Willie Nile will perform at the Albright-Knox Friday at 8 p.m. Gallery admission after 3 p.m. is free and the concert is open to the general public.