Nicholas was born in 1979, and grew up between Essex and Detroit. His mother took him to his first piano lessons when he was seven. He also started (and abandoned) playing classical guitar, took up the bass, and was taught to play drums by his father. He began writing songs when he was ten.

He moved to London in 2001 and began playing the small clubs annd bars around the acoustic circuit. In 2004 he joined London band The Conway Story after meeting them on the city's fertile live scene and going into the studio as a guest keys player on their first recordings. He has been recording with them ever since.