From LDN Music Magazine Issue 1
Did you know that singer-songwriter turned pop princess Nina Nesbitt has size three feet and often walks on her tip-toes? Nope, us neither. The Scotland-born beauty talks touring America, hit single ‘Loyal to Me’, smashing up the music industry, and her split from major label Island Records.
“She’s just getting out of a lift” states Nina’s PR. “Is your car there?” he asks her. “Here it is!” she exclaims in her signature Scottish tone. “Right, I’m opening the car door… and I’m in!” she continues.
Life is hectic when you’re touring America, promoting a new single to radio and doing writing sessions. From Hollywood to Phoenix, staying in more air B&Bs than you can imagine and attending multiple meetings comes as second nature to Nina now. This is precisely what she is doing as she makes time in her busy schedule to chat with us.
“It’s gonna be about 26 degrees today” she claims. Lucky for some – “I know; it looks so cold back home!”. Supporting American singer MAX on tour is just a warm up for Nina as she prepares for her own headline tour of the USA. Not forgetting her loyal European fans, of course, who will have their own dazzling performances to attend to later in the month.
Life in The States is sweet for the British singer, as she explains “there are no preconceptions”. Establishing her music career on the basis of an acoustic guitar has left somewhat of an expectation back in the UK, but her previous work has not quite travelled across the seas. “I’m like a brand new artist here… people are very open minded”. Winning over a crowd is quite an achievement in Britain, Nina explains, whereas in America people want to like you, giving a much warmer atmosphere at shows. Typical Brits, then.
Such pleasant audiences are allowing the singer to really play up to the crowds, oozing confidence from past experience in the UK. Teaching them lyrics to new single ‘Loyal to Me’ and pitting pop megastars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake against each other are amongst Nina’s onstage antics. “Every single night it’s been team Britney so far.”
A cover of Britney’s ‘Toxic’ made its way onto the tour set list following fan comments suggesting the similarities between the two singers. “I’ll take it” Nina laughs. Also covering Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me a River’ for Spotify aided in gaining support from the music streaming platform. New York’s Time Square was only one of the notable promotional billboards for Nina’s newest single ‘Loyal to Me’.
The single, a 90s influenced girl-power R&B anthem, edged its way onto the US radio top 40 – quite the achievement considering America’s vast 4000 plus radio stations. On the other side of the Atlantic, the single is gaining just as much support in the form of airplay, with BBC Radio 2 A-listing the track. A live session with the station had Nina’s nerves on edge, considering she has never had a song playlisted before. Sailing through the performance opened the singer’s music up to a brand new kind of audience.
Admitting she initially wrote the song for a SyCo act (“not psycho like … like the label SyCo!”), Nina kept the song for herself to add a new dynamic to the upcoming album. “I wanted to put a few bangers on [the album] so people who… didn’t want to delve that deep could still enjoy it”.
Influenced by Destiny’s Child and TLC, Nina confesses the track started as “a bit of fun”. Giving her hand at R&B, stepping out of her own style of music for the day, shows a new side to the songwriter that suits her nicely.
Stepping out of her comfort zone wasn’t just kept for the recording, though. The accompanying music video sees the singer try her hand at dance, more specifically ballet. Making it into the Scottish team for gymnastics as a child was going to come in useful at some point in life, let’s be honest. “I cannot dance to save myself, but I’ve always loved ballet” Nina states, before explaining that a lot of her gymnastic training included ballet exercises. Another special skill of Nina’s is walking on her tip-toes… “I’ve got size 3 feet so I think … that’s why it’s quite easy for me to do” the singer clarifies. Although her friends think it’s weird, this particular talent proved useful for the pointe technique required for the video. An aesthetically pleasing melange of nudes and pinks paired with a sass-filled dance routine makes for the perfect contemporary pop video.
Despite such success, four days of pointe practise was enough for Nina as she replies “nooo… not now!” when Strictly Come Dancing was suggested – shame!
Drawing a line under her previous singer-songwriter architype, years of experience in the music industry have helped Nina form her infectious pop sound. Turning the focus away from lyricism and towards melody has been the key. “The rest of the world doesn’t speak English, so how is music travelling?” the singer asked herself following multiple writing sessions with industry professionals in the early stages of her career. Looking at how others listen to music has been pivotal in defining Nina’s song writing skills.
Another musical milestone was Nina’s decision to leave major record label Island Records in favour of a more DIY approach. Musical freedom was crucial to the singer’s decision, and so far “it’s been an absolute dream”. The independent label, Label Services, are just that. “I just hand the music in and they go “cool, I love it””. “Creatively, I can do whatever I want” the singer enlightens. It certainly seems to be working.
With a new, pop-infused album due out early next year, plus a follow-up to ‘Loyal to Me’ on the horizon, Nina is working hard on building a new reputation on both home soil and abroad. Expect “relationships, career ambitions, depression, anxiety, and friends having babies” to appear on the up-coming LP.
Starting from the ground up can be hard, but Nina has the best mind-set as she confirms; “I knew I could do it”.
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