Born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, Nakia Daniel Reynoso (who now professionally goes by his first name only) made his first splash on the Austin music as “Vic Odin,” the larger-than-life manager of the city’s finest Reno-style lounge band, the Small Stars. That is, until frontman Guy Fantasy — aka Miles Zuniga of Fastball — gave Nakia the boot. “You’re a super-talented singer,” Zuniga told him. “Go out and get your band.” So Nakia did just that, assembling the perfect cast of Southern Cousins to help him belt out his explosively entertaining take on Southern soul. Nakia’s debut EP, Playing the Cards, is a veritable royal flush made up of his Otis-Redding-worthy originals and a show-stopping cover of Billy Preston’s “That’s the Way God Planned It.” Take it from Nakia convert Jody Denberg, program director for Austin’s influential KGSR-FM: “He’s got a lot of tricks up his sleeve.” Nakia's debut full-length album is currently being recorded and will be available in late September.