Nick Caster remembers exactly when he fell in love with music. He was teenager tagging along with his foster dad, Jeff Wood, who travelled from gig to gig as a DJ. By the time he was 16, the 2001 Charlotte High School graduate knew he had a lot to say through his music, so be began building his musical catalog.

Over the course of a decade, Caster honed his talent and charted a course that eventually led to some international acclaim. In 2014 he released his first single, The Way I Am, on ReverbNation. The song reached No. 1 on the ReverbNation Rock charts and No. 4 on the ReverbNation Global chart. His release of Ride All Night in 2016 is when things really took off.

Within the last three years, Caster found the right outlet and pioneered a new sound that allowed his message to be heard. Caster will release his full debut album, Body Electric in 2017.

“It’s really dynamic,” Caster said. “It’s unlike a sound people have heard before.”

His hometown fans will get a taste of the new album Friday, April 21 when Caster returns home to perform a special set at Riedy’s Tavern at 9 p.m.

An independent artist, Caster said he has the freedom to create the kind of music he is passionate about. His passion has taken him from rock to a new fusion between hard rock and dance/EDM. The connection was made in 2016 when Caster was approached by acclaimed record producer Robert Eibach. Eibach was interested in taking Caster’s rock single, Ride All Night and creating a radio club mix.

The single took off from there and Caster’s new sound was born.

“We collaborated on the idea to make a dance album that still pays respect to the songs I’ve written utilizing my rock vocals,” Caster said. “It was something that was real natural for me.”

He spent close to a year in the studio in Los Angeles, Calif.,working on the album, which is currently being mastered at legendary studio Bernie Grundman Mastering.

“I’m thankful that I got with the right people,” Caster said. “I feel like they were headed in the same direction I was, so that was good.”

You can find Caster’s single Ride All Night (original and Club Mix) on iTunes, find Caster’s music on Pandora and iHeart Radio. You can also check him out live Friday, April 21 at 9 p.m. on the second floor of Riedy’s Tavern, where he will be performing some of his material in addition to some acoustic covers.

For more information, visit nickcaster.com.