You’ve Got A Hold on Me is an aerial pop/alternative ballad composed by myself and producer/songwriter, Kevin McNoldy  (Dave Matthews, Parachute, +More). The song, born out of my affection for the 50 Shades of Grey franchise, and my admiration of the music from the likes of Thirty Seconds To Mars and Ellie Goulding, takes a unique approach by assuming the voice inside the head of the main male character, Christian Grey. I have a habit of falling into writing spells when I’m in the middle of a book series and in this case, I found myself taking the listener on a deep haunted journey into Christian’s mind and his unexpressed romantic feelings for his beloved Ana. After taking the song to Kevin McNoldy, and explaining the context of the lyrics he was able to capture the “voice inside” scenario you hear with the backing vocals, almost as if Christian is talking to Ana, but in reality he is having a conversation in his own mind and Ana can’t hear him. Even though the song is based off the characters in the book, it could easily represent any passionate love affair where one person struggles with inner demons and self worth and can't believe that they are even capable of loving someone else let alone be loved themselves. The way that Kevin approached the arrangement and instrumentation of the track clearly expresses this sentiment.

“Brilliant new track by the Carolina Charmer that is at once haunting, mysterious yet approachable .... catchy music with intelligent lyric and sound that makes you want to know the girl!” - The David Bowers- Host: 'The David Bowers Awards' on BlogTalkRadio

“Nicki Kris returns with another sensual magical gem. ' You've Got a Hold on Me ' has got a hold on me!” - Paul Avgerinos, GRAMMY® Nominated Artist & Producer

Diving head first in a new musical direction for this single it’s clear that visionary prodding of my producer and friend, Kevin McNoldy has hit the mark as I feel at ease with his recommendations, melodious perfections, and imaginative engineering proficiencies.  Collaborating with Kevin was simple, efficient, yet inspiring on whole new level as my songwriting and performance confidence skyrocketed with his assurances and input.  While I’ve enjoyed exploring various musical stylings over the past few years, the magnetic pull from numerous sources towards the realm of pop alternative is too great to deny.  I’m extremely excited to to see how we can continue to hone and facilitate my passion for alternative music (Thirty Seconds To Mars, Linkin Park, Green Day) sincere songwriting (Skylar Grey, Adele), as well as exploit my unique tonal qualities to their fullest potential.

As always many thanks to my friends, family, and fans for your support!

Songwriters: Nicki Kris & Kevin McNoldy
Artist: Nicki Kris
Producer, Mixing, Mastering: Kevin McNoldy, Cphonic Mastering, Raleigh, NC