Ben Nichols is a singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee who has been making music both solo and with the alternative-country group Lucero, since the early 2000s. He has released seven full-length albums, with his solo albums The Last Pale Light in the West, released in 2009, and Adios, released in 2020, being his most critically acclaimed works. He also collaborated with producer Rick Rubin on an album in 2017. Nichols' music has earned him comparisons to alt-country greats such as Steve Earle and Ryan Adams, and has been characterized as Americana, folk-rock, and rock. His lyrics often focus on intense themes of love, loss, hope, and despair while rarely shying away from the darkness of life. His sound has been described as "tough, melodic, and literate, drawing from classic rock, country twang, and punk energy".