Nick Gaitan was born in Houston, Texas, on December 11, 1979, and grew up in the East End's Pecan Park neighborhood. Mexican American and American music, including soul and rock, filled Gaitan's childhood. In 2006, Gaitan embarked on his Gulf Coast band Nick Gaitan & The Umbrella Man, a rootsy blend of Tex-Mex (including Tejano, conjunto, and other música Tejana), country (including honky tonk and rockabilly), rock and roll, swamp pop, jazz, and blues, R&B, and soul. At present, he performs his Houston roots music with a rotating cast of musicians, many of whom played with Nick Gaitan & The Umbrella Man or Los Skarnales.