NICOLE SAPHOS BAND - Alt/Indie - Philadelphia PA

Operating in the Fiona Apple / Dirty Projectors sphere of the alternative music spectrum, Nicole Saphos Band is known for their harmonically bold and rhythmically driven original music. The Philly based band consists of Sean Markey (electric guitar/vocals), Ele Rubenstein (drums) and Saphos (songwriting, bass, vocals & occasional acoustic guitar).

Together, they have released three full length albums; “Nicole Saphos Band” [2026], “Figure Eights” [2023] & “Takoma Sessions” [2020].

Praise for Nicole Saphos Band & Figure Eights:

“With a sound that evokes influences old and new – Björk, Fiona Apple, Dirty Projectors, and Wet Leg are among her admitted influences – Nicole Saphos is a songwriter and musician whose music grapples with heavy emotions and the buzz of nostalgia, yet never seems derivative. Her songs are fresh, unique, and able to walk through fire.” - Chris Ingalls, PopMatters

“Everything from its genre-skipping nature, to its boundless creativity, to its off-kilter harmonies and structure feels intrinsically Nicole Saphos” - Kieran Rogers, CLOUT

“Dynamic, quality songwriting — swelling from quaint folk-friendly musings into an ardent rock styling, swapping with cohesive and melodic strengths throughout.” - Mike Mineo, Obscure Sound

“a wonderful slice of organic musical goodness, the kind of arrangements you hardly find around anymore.” - Gabriel Mazza, Mesmerized

In 2019, Nicole became the first songwriter invited to attend the prestigious residency program at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. She has also received several prominent grant awards for her work in songwriting and performance, including 2018 & 2020 Artist & Scholars grants from the Montgomery County Arts Council, and a 2020 Regional Independent Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council.