In the Heart of the Mountain by Ben Nichols | Life's Greatest Hits Episode 15
Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions. On this episode we discuss a 2025 release: In the Heart of the Mountain, which comes from an artist who's best known as the voice at the center of one of the most beloved Americana rock bands of the last 25 years known as Lucero, and his name is Ben Nichols. Ben Nichols is the frontman, primary songwriter, and emotional backbone of Lucero—a Memphis-based band that has spent decades living in the space where punk, grit, Southern rock, and heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting collide. Lucero built their reputation the hard way: relentless touring and making songs about love, regret, and survival, with a voice in Ben Nichols that sounds like he's lived through it all in every lyric he sings. "Songs like My Best Girl," "Texas & Tennessee," "Nights Like These," "Sixteen," the list goes on. Lucero's songs come from a collection of albums that span over the last 20 years. Nobody's Darlings, Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers, 1372 Overton Park, Women & Work, All a Man Should Do, Among the Ghosts, When You Found Me, and Should've Learned By Now. And just last year, Ben Nichols and Lucero keys player Rick Steff released Lucero Unplugged, a collection of 20 acoustic Lucero songs, all recorded in one live session. While holding the mantle of Lucero, Ben Nicholas has also stepped away from the band to put out solo music over the years, including 2009's The Last Pale Light in the West and 2025's In The Heart of the Mountain. In the Heart of the Mountain was co-produced by Ben Nichols himself and Matt Ross-Spang. It was recorded at Southern Grooves in Memphis, TN, and features contributions from Morgan Eve Swain, Todd Beene, and Cory Branan. Stripped down and reflective, In the Heart of the Mountain trades the barroom sing-alongs for quiet acoustic moments, focusing on themes of isolation, resilience, and finding clarity far away from noise, expectation, and the road.
