Spotlight On... NANI

Edinburgh-based musician NANI's latest EP, Honey, is perfect for the nicer weather we've been having; there's a hazy summer sheen over the course of its six tracks which explore different relationships through a 21st century lens. Perfect for summer road trips as well as afternoon slots at summer festivals (psst, NANI plays Sunday evening on our stage at Kelburn Garden Party). Ahead of Honey's release on Friday 9 June, we catch up with NANI to find out more about her summer-ready record.

Musically, you have a very infectious and light touch, from soft vocals to hazy, laid-back rhythms. What is it that draws you to this kind of music-making, and who/what would you say influences you?
To be honest I never really know what direction a song is gonna take. Once I start writing something, certain sounds just seem to come along with it and then it’s just a question of trial and error with the production. I also often tend to obsess over one specific artist for a short period of time and then dig into their songwriting and production style and learn from their music and their way of storytelling.

Since I am an independent artist with no sort of backing, I don’t even work from a proper studio – everything you hear on this EP was either recorded in my own, or one of my pals’, bedrooms, including the live drums, which was really fun! But with a setup like that there are certain limitations that I need to consider when shaping a song. However, I was lucky to have help from some lovely friends of mine, and there’s some great sounding virtual instruments that are available these days, so all of these factors really help push those limitations.

Musically, I think in general, the artists I look up to the most include Bon Iver and The Japanese House. But ironically I think this EP doesn’t reflect those influences at all. I’d probably reference artists like Men I Trust, Gus Dapperton, Wild Nothing or Joesef as influences for these songs.

Your new EP, Honey, “explores different types of relationships in a 21st century context.” Can you expand on that?
Every generation kind of has their own tools and language, right? But I think especially with social media, there’s been such a shift in language, references, communication, and interacting with one another. Might that be in a romantic relationship or just a platonic one. Like you couldn’t have written a song about being reminded of an ex by your 'search bar' 20-odd years ago. And suddenly that’s like a universal experience.

Or the fact that COVID meant we couldn’t physically be together, that’s what the song Berlin is about for example. Five years ago, a global pandemic wasn’t something everyone was thinking about and now suddenly that’s a feeling that basically everybody in the world shares. And I just thought that’s super interesting. It feels like the themes of this EP could only really be relevant now and they’ll probably be irrelevant in another 20 years.

Another thing which stands out is your self-professed “love for overdone clichés’. What is it that you love about clichés so much?
I think the older I get the more I’ve just seen certain clichés play out in my own life. They’re so applicable, so universal, and that’s the whole point of them. I love how we’re all living our own little lives while at the same time nothing we do is particularly individual to us. And clichés are just something that has been lived by many people already, it’s a common experience. And songwriting to me is often an exaggeration of a feeling or an experience and I think clichés really lend themselves to that kind of songwriting.

On the record, there’s a very beautiful juxtaposition of Honey... and ...I’m In Love, which lyrically is practically the same (we think?), but the feel of the music is so different. Honey... is an upbeat bop, whereas ...I’m In Love somehow evokes a feeling of real sadness and longing. What was the reason for these completely different takes on what kind of feels like the same song?
So ...I’m In Love is actually a voice demo of Honey... that I originally recorded on my iPhone. It seemed like a good fit for this EP, but I wanted it to be a fun, upbeat and overly cute song, like I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles or Friday I’m in Love by The Cure. Not that I’d compare myself to either one of these iconic bands, but the concept is similar, do you know what I mean?

Equally, I really liked the energy of the initial demo of that song, so I just decided to create this wee stripped back version with a few added layers to the original demo to round off the EP. And also point towards the sound of some future work of mine. It has a bittersweet feeling to it. To me that seemed like the perfect way to end this record since there’s this juxtaposition of heartbreak vs being-in-love between all the songs.

Image: NANI by Meg Henderson

Once the EP comes out, you’ve a few live dates planned, including playing for us at Kelburn. What can people expect from your set at Kelburn?
I think for these upcoming shows we’ll really try and bring the energy from the EP. So very pop-heavy, mostly high energy, over-the-top, but also fusing it with some older work such as Pure Frustration and also some newer tracks. I love playing sets that have some sort of emotional arc to them. Usually starting out sombre, then slowly getting more upbeat while leaving the audience with an upbeat track they can have a wee boogie to.

And finally, what does the rest of the year look like for NANI?
Once we finish our run of summer shows I’d like to get back to recording & writing again. I’ll continue playing shows, and we’ve already got a few things booked, but I’d like to experiment with my sound a bit more and leave the pop sound behind. Not forever, but for a good while at least. I’m very proud of this EP and I’m excited to be playing these songs live, but I can’t help but already also be excited for what’s to come next. Personally, I really love artists who are diverse in their artistry, so I hope as my work continues I can keep developing my sound.

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Honey is released on 9 Jun; NANI plays Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 9 Jun; Kelburn Garden Party, Kelburn Castle, 2 Jul; Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Belladrum Estate, nr. Inverness, 29 Jul

nani42.bandcamp.com