Nikki and Matt didn’t just meet—they recognized something familiar in each other right away. Drawn together by a shared love of rock ’n’ roll grit, blues soul, jazz improvisation, and the textures of world music, the two quickly realized they weren’t just hearing music the same way—they were feeling it the same way. Having each spent years in bands of their own, they came into this partnership with experience, stories, and a few miles on the road—but also with a fresh spark to build something that feels both grounded and new.

What sets Nikki and Matt apart is the way their influences collide and cooperate. One moment you might hear a groove rooted in deep blues tradition, the next a loose, exploratory jazz passage, all wrapped in the raw energy of rock. There’s a sense of conversation in everything they create—two musicians pushing, pulling, and listening, always chasing that moment where everything clicks. It’s not about fitting into a box; it’s about stretching the edges of it.

At the heart of it, this is more than a musical project—it’s a shared language built over time, shaped by friendship, curiosity, and a mutual respect for the craft. Nikki and Matt aren’t trying to recreate the past; they’re drawing from it to create something that feels alive right now.

Nikki Sleez came up through the wild, electric pulse of the ’80s rock scene as a member of Rock City Angels, where grit, attitude, and raw musical instinct ruled the day. Nikki first made his mark in the late ’80s as a member of Rock City Angels, a band that embodied the raw, unfiltered spirit of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip scene. Contributing to their debut album Young Man’s Blues (1988), Nikki was part of a sound that fused swaggering rock with bluesy grit, earning the band a cult following and a place alongside the era’s rising acts.

From high-energy club shows to national tours, his early career was shaped by the electricity of a scene where anything could happen—and usually did. That foundation still echoes in his playing today: honest, road-tested, and unapologetically real. Those years were less about polish and more about feel—long nights, loud rooms, and music that lived somewhere between chaos and chemistry. It was a time that shaped Nikki’s approach for good: play from the gut, stay true to the sound, and never lose the edge.

Matt cut his teeth as the frontman of 5 Days Grace, a hard-working regional band that built its name the old-school way—one show, one mile, and one packed room at a time. Drawing heavily from the punch and polish of ’80s rock and the raw edge of ’90s grunge, Matt developed a vocal style that balanced melody with space. Touring throughout the tri-state stretch of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, he and his bandmates lived the full DIY life: hauling their own gear and setting up every stage themselves. Along the way, they carved out a loyal local following, fueled by original songs that reflected both power and authenticity. It wasn’t glamorous—but that was never the point.

That chapter came to an abrupt end after a break-in at their rented practice studio space, where over $10,000 worth of equipment was stolen, bringing everything to a halt. It was a tough ending to a promising run, but not without impact. The experience left Matt with a deep-rooted respect for the craft, the hustle.