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Nicola is the middle daughter of three girls and was born in Market Lavington, Wiltshire, a relatively large village next to Salisbury Plain. Her dad is a violinist and her mum a cellist and pianist and they met at The Royal Academy of Music. From a young age Nicola (according to her mum!) expressed a desire to play the cello and the piano, so off she started and by the age of eleven had gained distinction in grade 8 on the cello and merit in grade 7 on the piano. Then boys and horse riding and swimming and going out kicked in and much to her parents' dismay the music took a back seat, for about fourteen years really!

Then at around the age of 25, having acquired a degree in Performing Arts at Middlesex Poly (as it was then known) and begun half-heartedly singing in various bands and working in various market research establishments in London, Nicola decided she wanted to sing and play double bass - just like that! Her mum and especially her dad were mad Fred Astaire fans so she had seen all the films and heard many of the tunes so initially she began by just harmonising the melodies - then one day some helpful and startled young lad introduced her to Paul Chambers. Nicola woke up!

Now based in Sheffield she has assembled herself a sparkling quintet that she regularly plays with, touring major jazz venues and festivals. The material is all her favourite jazz and Latin standards - arranged in her own inimitable fashion. As her esteemed uncle - Robert Farnon - once stated, "What a great choice of songs. What a fine group of musicians, an absolute joy."