Stephen Nil has performed in dive bars and classy nightclubs, at hometown festivals and on big concert stages around the nation, but lately his soulful voice accompanied by adept picking and strumming has been rising above noisy traffic.

Nil closes his eyes, tunes out the harsh sounds from the busy intersection just feet away, and sings of the pain of a shattered first love as described in the poetic song “Pink Bullets” by the Shins.

No matter the venue, the passion he feels for making music is the same, he said Wednesday during a break from busking in downtown Colorado Springs with his guitar and artwork.

“I just want to play, and I try to play the best I can wherever I am,” he said. “I treat the street like band practice.”

Unlike larger metropolitan cities, Colorado Springs is not a mecca for street musicians, performers and artists, but it suffices in a pinch, Nil said.

“I’m trying not to be on the street forever; it’s not the finest of experiences. I’m just trying to survive right now. Make a couple of dollars to get a cup of coffee or food.”

The activity is more than panhandling with a perk – it’s sharing talent at a grassroots level that’s rewarded with its own form of paycheck, performers say.

Though some passersby may find them annoying and ignore their presence, other kind-hearted souls who appreciate the efforts show their support with a few bucks or a handful of change that Nil said can add up to a decent wage.

He doesn’t earn as much as being on tour, which he says he’s done often over the years, but considering he gets to choose his own hours and locations, Nil says it’s not a bad way to keep his skills sharp, meet new people and make some money.

“I’m going to make music forever. It’s been in my blood since I was a little kid and learned to sing in choir,” he said.

This season’s prolonged warm weather has extended the busking season locally. With temperatures expected to return to the 50s by Monday following Thursday night’s record snowfall, Nil intends to continue his work.

Busking is legal on public property such as sidewalks and parks, according to city of Colorado Springs spokesman Max D’Onofrio.

The city has no specific laws pertaining to street performance, and there are no licensing requirements for such an activity, he said.

Other ordinances could apply, however, if busking impedes travel, violates the city’s noise regulations or involves trespassing, D’Onofrio added. Citations for those violations depend on the specifics of each incident.

In recent months, buskers have encountered representatives from the Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs’ new Clean and Safe Initiative that launched last year.

Under the program, additional security patrols and new goodwill ambassadors walk the downtown shopping district and speak with people who may be violating city laws or being disruptive and provide guidance about local homeless services and resources. Also, there are more workers keeping the sidewalks and streets tidy and trash-free.

Nil and a few other street performers who declined to give their names said while they understand the need for cleanliness, it seems like authority overreach that could negatively affect their donations. But they aren’t sure about that. How buskers influence the activity of strolling the streets and shopping hasn’t been studied, either.

Emma Ashwood, a manager at Cronk Art and Curiosities near a busking hot spot, said having someone entertaining the masses by the oddities shop on North Tejon Street doesn’t seem to affect business either way. So, she doesn’t have an opinion on what she thinks about the practice.

Pat Rigdon, director of downtown safety and public space management for the Downtown Partnership, said a couple of regular buskers now set up shop for a few hours or the better part of the day.

“We here at the Downtown Partnership want downtown to be fun, festive and vibrant,” he said. “Buskers can certainly add to that.”

As long as they abide by city ordinances designed to keep public spaces safe and orderly, he adds.

Colorado Springs has a few choice corners that are more lucrative than others, which Nil tries to nab before other buskers, which in recent months have included a few different violists and guitarists, and the occasional keyboardist. During the holiday season, the Downtown Partnership sponsored strolling carolers on certain special shopping days as well.

Nil moved to Colorado Springs a decade ago, left for a while and returned a year ago. He was living in his car for four years before it recently got towed.

Now he lives on the same streets he works on and also busks with a goal of scraping up enough money to get his car back from an impound lot.

His open guitar case functions as a donation box. Nil knows he’s talented and said he’s working on an album. His performance draws all ages, from high school students on lunch break to seasoned shoppers who pause for a minute, study his performance, look at his artwork and walk away with a lighter heart.

Nil wears a well-worn Western hat with its own stories to tell. He picked it up in Arizona before circling back to Colorado, and it’s become a signature identifier for the singer, who also creates colorful geometric, arithmetic-based drawings with a twist of whimsy.

Adopting a vagabond lifestyle was a choice for Nil. Though he said he likes to move around, he prefers to have a roof over his head or at least be a car dweller.

This rough spot of homelessness is not ideal, he said, because he has to carry his possessions around with him. He recently acquired a dog named Sophia, who also draws attention and plenty of love.

“Jesus was homeless,” Nil mentions, reflectively. He said the streets are where several famous musicians, including Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran, started their music careers before being discovered.

Nil is not worried about the future. He knows that his “masterpiece” work as a musician is ahead of him, which is a source of comfort and hope.

“I have faith I’ll get my car back, and then things will improve,” he said, smiling. “Everything tends to work out for me.”