When Chordblossom came into existence, it was always our aim to shine a spotlight on the artists and bands that make up the music scene in Northern Ireland. We’ve been doing it for over ten years now and one of our favourite methods is our Introducing feature.
Put the kettle on, curl up on your sofa and and join us for a quickfire Q&A with some of our favourite new musicians. Who knows, maybe you’ll even discover your new favourite artists.
This iteration of Introducing features the musical talents of NADIA who just released her new single ‘Buzz’.
What was the inspiration behind your artist name?
NADIA is actually my first name! I’d been thinking about using it as my artist name for a while. When I signed with my label, they thought it was a good idea too, so we went for it!
You’ve just released a new single. How did it come about and what does it mean to you?
Buzz is such a meaningful song to me and was written about never feeling alone in the city and how the buzz of the crowds of people always keeps you company. I’m so thankful for all the support it’s been getting since its release!
Have you any more releases or studio time lined up for later in the year?
I work with my dad who’s a music producer every week in his studio so I feel very grateful for that. It’s an amazing creative space. I have quite a few releases this year as well that I’m really excited for and they’ll be announced soon!
Tell us about your song writing process.
Writing lyrics is one of those things I can’t force. Ideas come to me out of nowhere and I have so many lyrics written in my notes folder or short voice recordings. In terms of production, I love the process of taking a rough idea and being able to develop it into a finished song. I always start with some basic chords and a rough vocal in the studio.
My producer and I work towards the finished song over a few weeks. It’s always a learning process which I love and I’m always developing new production skills. I also think it’s great to see so many women getting more involved in music production at the moment.
Who were your favourite artists/bands growing up? Have your influences changed over time?
My parents were both in music whilst I was growing up so they introduced me to a lot of amazing artists. My mum introduced me to artists such as Aretha Franklin, Macy Gray, Diana Ross and Fleetwood Mac, whilst my dad introduced me to the likes of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bowie and Steely Dan.
I also adored everything Motown as a teenager. Amy Winehouse was a big influence on me at that age and I admired her beautiful, raw song writing.
Nowadays, I listen to a lot of pop and electronic artists such as Tame Impala, Dua Lipa, Troye Sivan and more. A lot of influences, but I definitely think it’s helped shape me into the artist I am today.
What’s been your favourite local release from the last twelve months?
There are so many amazing NI artists right now! An album I loved recently was ‘Daylight Savings’ by Reevah and a favourite single of mine from the past year is ‘Hear me’ by amazing artist, Rwanda Shaw.
If you weren’t a musician, what line of work would we find you in?
I’m definitely a creative person so I know it would be something in the arts! I’ve also been running my own jewellery brand ‘Mystic Soul Jewellery’ for a few years now which I love very much.
If you could collaborate with one artist or band from NI, who would it be and why?
I’ve collaborated with a few NI artists in the past such as Jordan Adetunji. There are so many brilliant artists to choose from but I would love to maybe collaborate with ‘Menrva’ from Northern Ireland! They produce some brilliant house tracks and I’ve really enjoyed following their much deserved success!
It is intensely difficult to be successful in the music industry. What does NI need to do to invest in/develop to boost your chances?
I think Northern Ireland does a great job at promoting new artists. Possibly more radio time could be allocated to smaller artists to get their name out there, and also more support slot opportunities for local acts at bigger events.
What does success look like for you?
Success to me would be travelling the world performing and connecting with my fans, working with amazing producers and putting out music that feels authentic and true to me.
You’re going out on tour and can have anything you want on your rider, what would we find on yours?
I’m pretty easy to be honest.. the simple things in life are good for me. But I’ll never turn down some Cadbury Mini Eggs!
Where and when can we next catch you live?
I just played a fundraiser gig in the Oh Yeah Centre on the 8th March called ‘Dearly Departed Sisters’ for International Women’s Day. I also just signed with a booking agent in London which is really exciting so dates for gigs will be announced later this spring.
If you enjoyed this feature and fancy discovering some more new artists, we suggest you jump on over to our archive of Introducing pieces.
If you are a band or musician based in Northern Ireland interested in taking part in our Introducing feature, we recommend submitting new music to us via our Contact page and if we enjoy it, you’ll no doubt hear from us.