Nick Hexum

Best known as a member of the rap/reggae/pop group 311, singer and guitarist Nick Hexum is also a laid-back jazz- and soul-influenced solo artist who performs with his brother, guitarist Zack Hexum, in the Nick Hexum Quintet. Born in Wisconsin in 1970, Hexum grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where played in his high school jazz band and formed several local rock bands. After a brief stint in Los Angeles in the late '80s, Hexum returned to Omaha, where he formed what would eventually become 311 along with his friend Chad Sexton. During the '90s and early 2000s, Hexum toured and recorded with 311; they released several highly successful albums. In 2004, Hexum and his brother Zac (who earned a jazz degree from North Texas University in 2000), toured in support of Presidential candidate John Kerry. In 2013, Nick and Zack paired up again for the debut Nick Hexum Quintet album My Shadow Pages, an album of all-original material written by Nick. ~ Matt Collar