Dwight + Nicole have carved out a sound that doesn’t sit neatly in any one lane, instead threading together blues, soul, and R&B with a modern sense of atmosphere that nods toward dream pop and alternative rock. Anchored in Burlington, Vermont, the band thrives on contrasts—none more striking than the interplay between Dwight Ritscher’s warm, expressive tenor and Nicole Nelson’s commanding four-octave range, a voice that first caught national attention during her run on The Voice.
Ritscher, the band’s primary songwriter and guitarist, came up the old-fashioned way, cutting his teeth onstage as a kid alongside his grandfather before finding his way into blues clubs around Monmouth Park, New Jersey. Nelson’s path was more eclectic, rooted in musical theater and shaped by early work on violin before she emerged as a standout jazz vocalist in Boston. Their eventual meeting in that city feels almost inevitable in hindsight—a shared reverence for artists like the Staple Singers, Albert King, and Etta James quickly turning into a creative partnership.
What began as a stripped-down duo—electric guitar, tambourine, foot-stomp percussion, and intertwined vocals—soon evolved after a move to Vermont. There, the pair expanded their sound with drummer Ezra Oklan and keyboardist Leon Campos, forming the full-band incarnation that would go on to build a reputation as a formidable live act. Touring alongside the likes of Mavis Staples, Melissa Etheridge, and Norah Jones, Dwight + Nicole have developed a road-tested chemistry that translates into performances as cathartic as they are tightly wound.
That live energy has become central to the band’s identity, with shows often described as both deeply intimate and electrifying. Over the past decade, they’ve racked up a steady stream of accolades, including multiple Boston Music Awards honors and recognition from the Independent Music Awards and Vermont’s Seven Days, affirming their standing as one of the region’s most compelling acts.
Their recorded output continues to mirror that evolution. 2024’s The Jaguar, The Raven, and The Snake, produced by Joel Hamilton and tracked between Brooklyn’s Studio G and Ocean Sound in Norway, found the band pushing into more expansive territory, bolstered by contributions from the Daptone Horns and Arkai Strings. Rather than settling, they doubled down—returning to Studio G in early 2025 with Hamilton to cut Day or Night, a new album slated for release on March 20th via WestWalk Records (PRE-ORDER), that promises to further stretch the boundaries of their genre-blurring approach.
Today, Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of Day or Night. This collection of songs is easily the band’s most impressive to date, an eclectic mix of modern soul sounds that finds them moving effortlessly from more tender and poignant fare to uptempo, energetic tunes. In between, there are dreamy, loving numbers that showcase Nicole Nelson’s rich vocals and powerful range, contrasting with Dwight Ritscher’s easygoing, pop-ready delivery. Musically, the band references everything from modern R&B and classic soul to 1960s vocal groups, rock and roll, and even synth-pop. The end result is a work of infectious tunes that feels fully realized and artfully crafted.
Listen to the album and read our conversation with the band below…
What inspired you to write the songs on this album overall?
Nicole Nelson: Firstly, thank you so much for having us!
As far as writing goes, the inspiration came through Dwight and me living and experiencing our lives since our last album in 2023. We are always writing a new album. It is a true calling.
For me, it is important work. Our world needs sovereign voices the MOST during tumultuous times like these. The music industry, of course, moves in the direction of the flow of money. It is not interested in the flow of truth or being a vehicle of empowerment to the people. So, as independent artists, the time is always now to share our alternate viewpoints. It is crucial. This is how we can help to spark personal and even societal growth in a positive direction. Music gives people strength. This is why it has always been at the center of larger movements. A single song has the power to solidify an ideal into the cultural lexicon. This isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s an honor to be a recording artist.
Was there a defining moment that was the impetus for you to begin recording it, or did it happen more organically?
Nicole: As a creative, I feel like it is impossible not to feel called to share in some way. If you were born with talent to write, record, and perform music – that is a huge gift. It’s like being born with a pile of gold coins. Part of the gift is engaging in the act of sharing it.
Dwight Ritscher: We feel the pull of the songs. In this case, there were over 80 songs in different stages of completion, but it’s more than a number. You feel the pull when you start to see how songs connect, then you want to record them as they relate, and get them out to everybody!
How long did it take to pen the songs on the album?
Nicole: Some of our songs are the type that pour out quickly – like complete, little, fully-formed gems. Others start as a pile of random riffs that sit in your phone for years before ever forming a complete tune. Each one is totally different and unique.
Dwight: Some of the songs took as much as three years. “Isn’t It Beautiful” was finished on studio day four, after an inspired morning of writing at a coffeehouse.
What do you think are the key themes or common threads among the songs on the record?
Nicole: I think that Dwight and I are unusual in that our biggest moments in life are really shared. So just the fact that we live together, navigating life as a couple, while also being in a touring band together AND working as a songwriting team – this threads the storylines together organically.
Dwight: These songs all have to do with our relation to each other as humans and to the world and beyond! We have to be there for each other in whatever ways we can. Challenging times these days.
What were the studio sessions and recording process like for this album? Any great stories from the studio? What kind of vibe did you aim for overall?
Nicole: I have never had a better experience in ANY recording studio than what we’ve had working with Joel at Studio G in Brooklyn. We have recorded our last four albums with him there, and the experience is amazing every time. I think that finding a great producer with whom you vibe is such a huge piece of the puzzle for any musician.
Dwight: We had a beautifully focused eight days in the studio. A flow state, really. I woke up on day four, got to my car, and the window had been smashed, and even that didn’t diminish the momentum of that week. Grateful for that week!
If listeners can take away one thing from having heard this album, what do you hope that is?
Nicole: My hope for this, and every album, is that some of these songs can be a light in the dark for someone. Music is such a powerful connector. It can change the way you think about something. It can be a reminder that you are not alone. It can be a companion in ways that no one else really can.
Dwight: I love that, Nicole! I agree.
How is this album similar or different from your past releases?
Dwight: This album is a new step forward. New sounds. New songs. A couple of covers that we made ourselves. We got to record much of it tracking right across from each other over those eight days. Much love to brother Jon Solo, who was there playing keys with us before he left for Nashville.
What is coming up next for you both?
Nicole: It’s hard to know exactly – seemingly, everything is new. I mean, the whole world feels quite different from the last time we put out music, which was only a couple of years ago. From a behind-the-scenes perspective, we have a new manager, a new agent, and this new album coming out on March 20th. A new tour to be announced soon. New places to play. And a new perspective. Newness. Everywhere.
Dwight: We’re going to get out and play this music for the people. Bring a little more love into this world right now. I’m moved by music as much as when I was a kid, singing and playing guitar and the drums. Writing songs. Continuing to get to play with Nicole and Ezra and with all the other talented musicians I have the pleasure of coming in contact with.
