At 58 Fordwych Road circa 1968 photo: Ray stevenson
In 2025 Nick releases ‘58 Fordwych Rd’
58 Fordwych Road in Kilburn, London was where Nick spent the first few years of life. It was also a hang out for Nick's parents' bohemian friends. The 58 Fordwych Road Tour recreated that flat when Nick aired some of the most seminal acoustic classics as a tribute to his dad and his contempories at a pivotal point in music history, whilst relating anecdotes and tales from swinging sixties London. Nick played gems by Davy Graham, Bert Jansch, John Renbourne, Jackson C. Frank, Sandy Denny, Paul Simon et al. As well as the one and only Roy Harper of course!
On Sep 20 2025 Nick was awarded an honorary degree and made Master of the University by the Open University for his music, charitable work, academic tutoring and support for grass roots music.
“Harper has so much musicianship in him that it just leaks out all over the place.”
— The Times
Earth Day Blue
Recorded in Abbey Road Studio 2 on Earth Day 2024, September sees the release of Nick's 14th studio album, 'Earth Day Blue'. Produced by John Leckie and mixed by Tchad Blake. ‘Earth Day Blue' is what John wanted to create: the essence of an NH gig captured in a studio environment.
Nick and John had first ‘worked’ together when Nick, aged 8, recorded his first ever songs whilst Nick’s father Roy was recording his own seminal work 'Lifemask'.
Pic of Roy and Nick by Colin Curwood In Abbey Road Studio 2 in 1973. At the other end of that microphone is .. John Leckie.
“If anything Nick Harper is the closest thing we've got to Lewis Carroll. His songs are the musical equivalent of Carroll's Looking Glass, peer through and you find a fantastical, magical world. Not always sugar sweet but forever different.”
— Maverick
Harpic pictured earlier today. photo: Lily Harper
As 2020 got about its reckless mischief and with a year of gigs postponed, Nick retreated to the studio. The resulting album couldn't have been more of a great escape in every way. Phantastes is an ethereal dream realm of an album that explores the parallels of the seminal fantasy novel of the same name by George MacDonald and the beginnings of Nick's own love story from 1982. Totally divorced from 2020 in time and space, the album has been enthusiastically received by fans seeking a temporary refuge from the here and now.
Continuing his recent predilection for the spoken word, Nick cemented the bond between his music and the aforementioned book by recording an audiobook of Phantastes, with musical interpretations of George MacDonald's poems and songs contained therein.
“Betjemen with a guitar”
— Guitarist Magazine