Zanzibar
ORIGINAL
EST. ’90s · WINSTON-SALEM · NC
nic croucher
From Cape Town to Carolina — covers you didn’t expect, originals you’ll remember.
Acoustic singer-songwriter based in Winston-Salem, NC — born in South Africa, shaped by Southeast Asia, and playing gigs since the early ’90s. Covers reimagined in my own style, originals pulled from a life on the move.
ABOUT
Four decades, four continents, one guitar.
I’m Nic, and I’ve been playing guitar and writing songs since I was twelve — that’s nearly forty years of chasing the right chord for the right moment.
Born in South Africa and shaped by years in Southeast Asia before landing in Winston-Salem, my originals carry those places with them: Bangkok, Taipei, Cape Town, Asheville, and the Blue Ridge all find their way into the lyrics. Some songs are quiet — about love, love lost, the journey. Others, like Rum and Blue Ridge Parkway, are built to move a room.
Vocals are my main instrument, and I lean into syncopated rhythms and covers you know but wouldn’t expect, played my way rather than copied from the record. I’m equally at home at a listening room, a wedding, a kids’ party, or a kindergarten sing-along.
If you’d like me to play your event — or write an original song for someone you love, by an actual human and not an algorithm — let’s talk.
“The bow breaks through the eye of the storm.”
“I’ll take my bottle of rum and find me someone I can share it with.”
“I feel the wind blow through your pretty hair.”
Live from the room.
Two originals and a cover — a small taste of the catalog.
Whatever
ORIGINAL
Walk on the Ocean
COVER · TOAD THE WET SPROCKET
Shows big, small, grown-up, tiny.
01
Live gigs
Listening rooms, bars, cafés, breweries. Full sets of covers and originals, or tailored to the vibe of the room.
02
Private events & weddings
Ceremonies, receptions, birthdays, backyard parties. Happy to learn a first-dance song or a family favorite.
03
Custom songwriting
Need a song for an anniversary, a proposal, a eulogy, a surprise? Written and performed by a human, not an algorithm.
04
Kids’ shows & parties
Children’s songs and stories for playschools, kindergartens, and kids’ parties. A children’s book is in the works too.
Covers you might ask for.
A partial list — I add to it constantly. Don’t see a song you love? Ask me. I probably know it, or I’ll learn it.
Show the list
- Walk on the Ocean — Toad the Wet Sprocket
- Ophelia — The Band
- Don’t Carry It All — The Decemberists
- Black Magic Woman — Santana / Fleetwood Mac
- …and many more. Send Nic a request.
Where to catch me live.
-
No shows on the calendar right now.
New dates get posted here first — or reach out to book one.
Out there elsewhere.
A few performances that live beyond my channel.
Let’s play.
Booking, custom songs, event inquiries, or just to say hi. I read every message.