Nick Kraus is a gifted singer-songwriter who has been filling the bars and honky-tonks of Central Texas with his unique blend of alt-country rock for the past four years. He is backed on vocals and bass by his wife Kayt. The duo originally met while Nick was playing guitar in an instrumental trash-rock band for the now defunct Kalamazoo Precinct of Women Wrestlers (KPOWW). Together they moved to Boston. where they founded the still strong Boston League of Women Wrestlers (BLOWW) while Nick attended Berklee College of Music. In 2005, they decided to leave cold weather and their punk rock roots behind and head to Texas, where Nick Kraus and his Austin Torpedoes was born.
Dixie Yoder joined the band in 2007, adding her exceptional violin skills to emulate Nick's poignant lyrics.
.the tragic tale of kim & polly jean, the bands first full length album engineered and produced by Ted Roberson (Brandi Carlile, Bob Schneider), was released in 2008, with a handful of special guest musicians such as Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev) on keyboards, Mike Harmeier (Mike & the Moonpies) on lap steel, and Dwight Baker (Heart) taking on the drums, respectively.
"Austin, TX-based Nick Kraus and His Austin Torpedoes recently released The Tragic Tale of Kim and Polly Jean, a remarkably strong batch of songs merging the best elements of Southern boogie with chorus-soaked roadhouse blues." -Andrew Riley, Madeloud.com
After the completion of the album, Bobby Bang (Mike & the Moonpies, the Dirty Sound) completed the band as a permanent drummer. Since then they have toured the south-west United States while still finding time to lay down their second full-length album, Long-Winding Stretches, released May 11, 2010.
"His personality and deft songwriting hoist him to the top of the mass of bedsit mumblers of the current singer songwriting genre." -UnderControl.org.uk
The first single , "Cautious Steps" had the honor of kicking off Texas Music Matters May 14, 2010 on KUT 90.5 FM. They love to play anywhere and everywhere.
AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, AT WATERLOO RECORDS, CHEAPO, SOUND ON SOUND, END OF AN EAR, and online at WWW.AMAZON.COM
