NIAA
Photo credit: Bethany Rogers
Nashville-based singer/songwriter NIAA released her latest single “Follow” in September.
On this personal and vulnerable song, NIAA put into words what she felt about the loss of her father. It is the first single off NIAA’s upcoming debut EP Crash, set to be released on November 20th. The 5-track record will introduce the artist as who she really is: fearless and honest.
“Each of the 5 songs feels like a little piece of my heart and a glimpse into who I am,” says NIAA.
“Follow” is now available on major streaming platforms.
Photo credit: Bethany Rogers
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is NIAA and I’m an indie/pop artist from Nashville, TN. I moved out here in 2016 to pursue a career as an artist after deciding that my initial dream of moving to New York City for Musical Theater wasn’t quite for me. In 2018, I really started writing and finding my sound as an artist and from there NIAA was born. I’ve spent the past few years writing and recording music, and I am so excited to finally start to share what I’ve been working on and who I am.
Do you remember your early musical memories?
For as long as I can remember, music has been a big part of my life. I can attribute that to my parents constantly playing music in the houses that I grew up in. One of my earliest memories tied to music is of my Dad and I listening to Elvis while washing the car in the driveway of my childhood home. I think I was around 6 or 7 years old at the time. My dad was a huge music fan, so that’s definitely where it started for me.
When did you realize you could sing?
My family always said that I could sing, but I think in the 5th or 6th grade was when people outside of my family started saying it was something I should think about pursuing. From there, I started performing in musicals and writing songs, and I guess I just never really stopped from there.
Growing up, what were your favorite records to sing along to?
Again, my house was always filled with music when I was growing up. My dad listened to everything; Dean Martin, Kenny Chesney, Barbara Streisand, Jay-Z. You name it. Frank Sinatra is probably the artist that I remember singing along to the most when I was younger though.
At what point did you decide to be an artist and release your original music?
I was actually in college for Music Theater at the time when I had picked up songwriting again after a few years. I visited Nashville the summer after my sophomore year and just fell in love with it. It brought songwriting back into my life, at a time when I needed it most. My father had just been diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer and being able to get swept up into music and pouring myself into songwriting was a form of therapy for me. I think at that point on, I knew that I wanted to be an artist, that I had a story to tell and that I wanted to find a way to uniquely tell it.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
Both of my parents, but my mom was the first to really support me in wanting to pursue music. My dad had always supported my love for music, but when I realized music was something that I wanted to pursue as a career, he was definitely skeptical. The first time he saw me perform my sophomore year of High School, he came around. Ask anyone in the audience and they would tell you my dad was always the loudest one cheering me on. I know not everyone is lucky enough to have parents who support them unconditionally in music, so I am forever grateful for them.
How would you define NIAA, the artist?
If I had to define NIAA with one word, I’d say fearless. I struggle pretty regularly with confidence and insecurities, but with this project, I wanted to really focus on not letting the fear of what other people would think influence me and the artist I want to be. As far as my music goes, I really tried to be as vulnerable and honest as possible with the songs on my upcoming release. The songs are longer than a typical pop song and don’t quite follow the commercial formula, but they are a good depiction of who I am right now and that’s what I felt mattered most when introducing myself to the world as an artist. I think there is something pretty magical about being fearlessly yourself and while I’m not perfect, it’s what I strive for as both an artist and a person. I know I am going to continue to evolve and grow and I can only hope that people are willing to go along for the ride with me as I do that.
"Follow" is your latest single - what's the story/inspiration behind this single?
As I mentioned previously, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer back in 2013. At the time of his diagnosis, he was given 90 days to live. While he outlived his prognosis and gave us 9 more bittersweet months with him, it was a devastating time for my family and I. Even though songwriting was a form of therapy for me during that time, it was really tough for me to write about the thing that I was hurting about the most. It wasn’t until a couple years later that I was able to put into words what I felt about the loss of my father. All the little moments in the verses of the songs are specific memories from those 9 months in my life. It is the most vulnerable song on my EP, but I also tried to keep the song universal in a way that anyone who has experienced loss can relate to. If nothing else, I hope it makes my dad proud.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
When the idea for Follow first came to me, I knew it was going to be a special song. I also knew how difficult it was going to be to write. I wrote four of the five songs on my EP, Crash, by myself, but Follow didn’t feel like a song I could write by myself, so my husband (boyfriend at the time!) came alongside me to write this one. From there, when we took it into the studio, my producers (Sean Rogers & Forrest Finn) really helped the song find its voice, sonically. By the time we were done in production, the song had all of the rises and falls that I had envisioned from the beginning, but also embraced some surprise gospel elements like the choir, that I wouldn’t have imagined initially. It’s truly one of my favorites from Crash and I’m thankful for everyone who had a part in creating it.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I think I felt a lot of things while writing this song. I felt somewhat nostalgic; thinking back to the memories that stick out to me most from the 9 months I had with my dad, post diagnosis, was a beautiful and painful thing.I felt thankful for the times I was able to have with my dad and angry for all the time that has been taken away. It felt like a therapy session. Since my dad was diagnosed, I have battled with anxiety and depression. After writing this song, it felt for the first time that a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. Not that it was completely gone, but it was much easier to carry.
What message do you want to deliver through this single?
The message of this single is that it is okay to let yourself grieve a heavy loss. For the longest time, I suppressed a lot of the grief I felt about the loss of my dad, and the weight of constantly suppressing those emotions was very heavy. This song was part of my grieving process even though it was written several years after my dad's passing. If anything can come from this song, I would hope that even just one person can use this song to let themselves grieve, regardless of whether they’ve lost a loved one to Cancer or grew apart from a childhood friend. Loss is loss and it’s ok to grieve in your own way.
What does it mean for you to be an artist?
Generally speaking, I think the role of an artist is to find a unique and creative way to tell stories and make an impact on the world through those stories. For me, personally, having the opportunity to be an artist and share my stories with the world really means everything. Living in Nashville, TN, and being surrounded by all of the talent here is incredible and I truly feel blessed to even be a small part of it.
What do you like the most about songwriting?
I love how much I learn about myself from songwriting. It’s truly the ultimate exercise of self-discovery. When you’re digging so deep into your emotions and trying to find the right words to express them, you find out what really scares you, and excites you, and upsets you, and what makes you, you. I’ve learned so much about myself from writing songs. And I think the beauty of songwriting is that the listener can experience the same thing. Sometimes a good song can make you feel things that you didn’t even know were there. It happens to me all the time.
What do you want to accomplish professionally and personally?
Professionally, my goal is to make a living on my music alone. I have found how hard it can be to work a job that you are not passionate about. I have had a lot of energy drained by having to work a 9-5 job to support myself, when what I really want to be doing is pouring myself into my music. I am so lucky that I have a husband who is so unconditionally supportive of me, but if I could help support myself and my family with music, while staying true to myself, that would be a dream come true.
As far as personal goals, I really want to start a family and be able to balance music life and family life. Someone I really admire and look up to is Caitlyn Smith. She is an incredible songwriter and has demonstrated that it can be possible to start a family while touring and accelerating an artist career. I will never forget seeing her perform at Mercy Lounge in Nashville, while she was pregnant, just roaring through her set while her husband was on stage performing in her band. I was so amazed by her. #goals
Any upcoming project(s)?
On November 20th, I’m releasing a 5-song EP called Crash. I wrote and recorded these songs about two years ago, so it’s been a long time coming, but I’m so proud of how they turned out and I am so excited to finally have them out in the world. Each of the 5 songs feels like a little piece of my heart and a glimpse into who I am. It’s somewhat terrifying to put yourself out there like that, but I think that’s where the best music comes from. Since Crash has taken such a long time to put together and prepare for release, I’ve been hard at work writing tons of new songs. I am so ready for people to hear Crash and I am even more excited for what the next chapter will hold.
What major life lesson have you learned so far?
I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned in the last year is that if you wait around for the perfect time, you’ll wait forever. You can be the most prepared person in the world and life will still find a way to throw a curveball at you. For me, that curveball was the COVID-19 pandemic, as I am sure it has been for most artists this year. I released my first single in March right on the brink of the lockdowns, and all plans I had for the future release of my EP were immediately out the window. But I’ve adapted and I’ve learned and grown a lot.
I think the biggest lesson I have learned in life is to never take a second for granted. Life is short, so tell the people you love that you love them.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I think the world would be a better place if people were all just kinder to each other. It’s not a super complex thought, but somehow people can tend to miss the mark on that. I think something that I have realized as I have gotten older is that it is possible to stand up for yourself and things you believe in while also showing unconditional kindness to others. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s possible.
What message do you want to give to the world?
Embrace the things that scare you. Don't let fear get in the way of you being your truest self.
Pre-save NIAA’s debut EP Crash here.
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