Danni Nicholls - Under the Neem Plum Tree

  by Zena Grieg

published: 1 / 2 / 2025

---

English Americana soulful singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls, now resident in Nashville, has released a new album. Carefully arranged by Sarah Peacock, also contributing on piano and vocals, ‘Under The Neem Plum Tree’ is an exploration of the Bedford-raised singer’s Anglo-Indian roots, Nicholls recalling being given a much-treasured notebook from her grandmother containing handwritten lyrics to her family’s favourite songs. The album contains five covers of well-known country songs from the Fifties and Sixties, supplemented by a new composition and two reimagined previous compositions from Nicholls’s catalogue. The songs cover a gamut of emotions, underpinned by pedal steel, inspired throughout by Nicholls’s grandmother’s love of classic Americana. Highlights of this eight-track collection include: the opener and title track, the retelling of her grandmother’s meeting her husband-to-be under a Neem plum tree and resulting move to England; a sparse version of the Patsy Cline classic ‘Crazy’; another original song ‘Between The River And The Railroad’, capturing the quintessential essence of country; an atmospheric rendition of ‘Blue Bayou’; a melodic cover of ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’, made famous by Elvis Presley; and the closer, a stripped-back acoustic version of ‘Ancient Embers’ from Nicholls’s ‘The Melted Morning’ album. Subdued, with delicate arrangements, ‘Under The Neem Plum Tree’ is a quiet celebration of the singer-songwriter’s cultural roots and an atmospheric homage to a much-loved grandmother.

Track Listing:-

1 Under The Neem Plum Tree
2 My Happiness
3 Crazy
4 Between The River and the Railway
5 Blue Bayou
6 Can't Help Falling In Love
7 Tennessee Waltz
8 Ancient Embers

Band Links:-

https://www.danninicholls.com/
https://www.facebook.com/danninichollsmusic
https://www.instagram.com/danninichollsmusic

Play in YouTube:-

Have a Listen:-

Post A Comment

---

Comment

Name

your name

Location

ie London, UK

Submit

Check box to submit

Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson

Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart

Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Nige Nudds
Philamonjaro
Richard Lewis
Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steev Burgess
Steve Kinrade

Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg