INTERVIEW
MUSIC
NADEDJA
Image by Michael Sreenan
JAY MOUSSA-MANN TALKS TO THE SOULFUL EMERGING SONGWRITER ABOUT HER DARING NEW RELEASE A gorgeous blend of alt. pop fused with elements of jazz and electronic fantasy, Nadedja has created something totally new and thrilling with her captivating debut EP Transient. Inspired by stories collected across her native Brazil, North America and the UK, Nadedja has used her experiences of moving through different lives and cultures to create a beautiful collection of songs. “I think Transient is the most ‘me’ thing I’ve ever done,” she tells me. “It definitely feels like the perfect introduction to not only a more genuine, but also a more daring version of me.” The collection has a wonderfully defined sound to it, which was borne out of the collaboration between Nadedja and producer HATi. “HATi and I met during a songwriting residency organised by Tipping Point, back at the beginning of 2020,” recalls Nadedja. The two usually work by building up the tracks using Nadedja’s demos as a base. “I will write the songs and create my demos; and after that, we’ll both work together on building them and making them sound more polished, dynamic and exciting. It’s a real dream to work with her!” An awardee of Help Musicians’ Do It Differently Fund and an alumni of Sage Gateshead’s coveted Summer Studios residency, Nadedja gained national airplay on BBC 6Music, and was shortlisted as a Fresh Fave on Tom Robinson’s Fresh On The Net. As well as garnering support from Amazing Radio, she recently made waves across the pond, performing live on Brazilian TV and gaining followers and thousands of streams from 78 different countries. Bittersweet Move, Nadedja’s latest release, and the critically acclaimed Sand, are both included on the new EP and demonstrate her hypnotic, soothing style of songwriting and also showcase her incredible vocal range and control with mysterious, heartwrenching lyrics. When We Land is a stand-out track, a delicate
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TRANSIENT DEFINITELY FEELS LIKE THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO NOT ONLY A MORE GENUINE, BUT ALSO A MORE DARING VERSION OF ME piano ballad lifted by HATi’s consistently deft production, with a powerful, soaring chorus. This song showcases all my favourite parts of Nadedja; her unique poetry, captivating vocals and her ability to write memorable songs while keeping them deeply original. Unfold is an instant hook, one of those songs that is equally calming and rousing, dripping piano sitting on top of beautifully arranged synth arps and a desperately catchy chorus. Written during the beginning of lockdown, Nadedja remembers the track didn’t come easy. “Unfold took me a while to write actually. It happened during the very beginning of lockdown and I think my mind was just a bit foggy. It was my very first time experimenting with electronic sounds and it gave me that first taste of hearing myself in the way I’ve always dreamed of hearing.” Transient is a beautiful piece of work which captures Nadedja’s journey in the search for a feeling of belonging. “I’ve learned to be at home within myself,” she says. “This is Transient: an open journal confessing every single step of this endless discovery.” Nadedja releases Transient EP on 15th October. She plays at Twisterella festival, Middlesbrough on Saturday 9th, Sage Gateshead on Thursday 28th and Women Are Mint at Alphabetti Theatre on Saturday 30th October, as well as Waves festival in Sunderland on Saturday 6th November www.nadedja.com
