Hickman is best known for co-founding the band Cracker, in which he is the lead guitarist, occasional vocalist and a co-songwriter. In 2005 he released his first solo album, Palmhenge.

Additionally, Hickman was a member of the 1980's band The Unforgiven, and had earlier briefly teamed up with future Cracker bandmate David Lowery in a pre-Camper Van Beethoven outfit known as the Estonian Gauchos.

Occasionally, Hickman ventures away from solo work and Cracker to spearhead side projects, such as All Thumbs Trio (with moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey, and East Coast guitarist Gibb Droll), and Crazysloth, an Arizona-based band.