NADIA SHEIKH

TALKING TO THE SONGBIRD – AN INTERVIEW WITH NADIA SHEIKH

Hi Nadia how are you?

Hey! I’m good, thanks. Hope you’re well too 🙂

I’m good! Thanks for asking!

Congratulations on the release of “Neverending Trial” how does it feel?

Thank you!! It feels good to finally have it out! It’s such a long process from conception to release, so it’s great to finally be able to show it to people.

What’s the story behind the song?

“Neverending Trial” is a cry for freedom, about wanting to embrace life and do the things you want to do but feeling the pressure of society and the norm that is set upon us and never knowing if it’s ok to just be you.

You’re a British/Spanish singer songwriter how did it all begin for you?

Yes! So I have dual nationality, my dad is British and my mum is Spanish. I was born and bred in a town called Alcora in Spain, but always travelled a lot to the UK and at home I fed on all my cultural parts. I moved to London at 18 and it’s where I’m still currently based.

What did you listen to growing up?

It was quite eclectic but my first love was The Beatles, my parents used to play them at home all the time, also QUEEN, ABBA and The Eagles, as well as a lot of pop both from the UK, Spain and America.

You worked with Brett Shaw, what were the sessions like?

Working with Brett was brill, he was the perfect person for “Undefined”, he got the vibe instantly and it was such a pleasant recording experience. It was just so smooth and we were all so happy with the process and the result! My band and I are a team and we all knew exactly how the EP had to sound, so it was great to work with such a great team of people in the room.

What did you learn most from that experience?

To trust my gut, ideas and vision, but also to let things happen.

You’ve had an eventful year – Glastonbury, Kendal Calling, recognition from TikTok. What’s been a big pinch me moment for you?

Yes! It’s been quite mental the last 12 months. I think definitely Glastonbury, it’s something that had been on my bucket list since the start and it was incredible to finally be able to go there and to not just play but experience the festival itself.

You have an EP coming out what’s your favourite track on it?

Ohh that’s a very tricky one! Different songs mean different things to me, but I think “The Shadows” and “Broken Bridges” might be my favourites.

What did you do differently since recording the last one?

It was a very different process to “Undefined”. “Undefined” was a very organic EP, very “raw” and “real” whereas the approach to recording “Neverending Trial” has been a lot more ‘in the box’ if that makes sense. We did a few days in the studio to record drums, acoustics, etc…, but we had a lot of guitars and bass tracks recorded from the pre-production sessions and lots of bits from the demos made it onto the record too. Also, for “Undefined” I recorded the vocals in the studio with some amazing vintage mics, and for “Neverending Trial” due to losing my voice and someone getting Covid, I ended up doing them in my bedroom setup (actually inside my wardrobe! Haha).

You’ve got live dates coming up this year, how are preparations going for it?

Yes!! We’ve announced our headline shows in London and Manchester on 29th and 28th September respectively and have some Spain shows in the pipeline too. We’re very excited to get these new songs out. We’ve played some live before but we haven’t done a big headline since 2021 and we’re buzzing for it!! I want to make them special.

COVID impacted the creative industry in a big way what kept you motivated?

I think we’re very much still feeling the consequences of Covid in many senses. I absolutely adore making music, it’s been quite hard since Covid as a lot of things have changed, plus the cost of living crisis, etc…but I still get excited when I write a new song I love, or when we play a show, and I think that won’t ever change. I’m determined and driven by nature so as long as I’m enjoying it, I can’t see myself not doing the thing!

The last three years have been a time to reflect what did you learn about yourself?

I learnt a lot about myself over lockdown (I guess we all did!). I think one of the biggest things (and I’m still learning to accept it and to follow it) is that it’s ok to rest, it’s ok to not work 24/7 and it’s actually more productive. I can’t say I’m very good at it but I’m learning to embrace it.

Did you pick up any new skills?

Funnily enough over lockdown I got into Zentangle, I haven’t really done it since though. I spent most of my time making music and working, so more than learning new skills, I had time to spend more time working on my others.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I’m obsessed with the album Cub by Wunderhorse. I must’ve listened to that a million times. I really like the new Nothing but Thieves tunes too and the new Ben Howard stuff. Oh, and the new boygenius record is great!

What are you looking forward to next?

I’m looking forward to the last bits of music coming out this year and the headline shows. And I’m actually also looking forward to all the stuff I’ve been writing and working on with my band. I have no idea when that will be seeing the light of day but I’m definitely excited about it!

Listen to ‘Never Ending Trial’ here now.