Published: March 03, 2009 11:17 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight March 2009 Edition
Nadia Kazmi
Nadia Kazmi
Nadia Kazmi is bringing something refreshing and new to the music industry with her mix of pop, rock and soul. Nadia is also giving her fans some of the most soulful lyrics, great hooks, and interesting sounds that will have them begging for more. In this recent interview with this extremely talented and beautiful Singer/Songwriter, Nadia gives our Webzine the 411 on what she is all about. Enjoy this super ultra cool spotlight.
Isaac: What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment for 2008?
Nadia: My biggest accomplishment for 2008 has been the recording of my full-length album. There were ups and downs and it was a learning experience. It's difficult to learn to let go
and not want everything to be absolute perfection (or shall I say: the imperfect
perfection that I was seeking).
Especially when you put your heart and soul into writing all the songs and people make changes to them or you feel that you could do certain things better if there was more time. There are limitations of budget and time etc. that must be adhered to. I always went in knowing that this is a business but it still comes as a shock how much you have to negotiate and deal with people. People skills are an asset.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry
and why?
Nadia: My biggest influences in the music industry were Leonard Cohen, Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Pink Floyd and Queen. These artists are quite diverse but they have
certain commonalities: they are all great writers, have deeply moving vocals, and
well-thought out lyrics. 70s rock and blues are so closely tied together that it
becomes difficult to separate them.
I loved Stevie Wonder because I was a big fan of Hip Hop and Soul music and his music was
the greatest combination of extremely rhythmic music with conscious lyrics and amazing
melodies. Stevie Wonder's album "Songs in the Key of Life" actually changed my life
because it made me want to make music. His music is not simple or predictable and yet it
is utterly enjoyable with a great message. No one else combines melodies, lyrics and
music as strongly as he does. I believe he is bar to strive for (and never reach!)
John Lennon influenced me with his rebellious attitude and great songwriting (love the
Beatles too, of course but John just hit me harder). He wanted change and he thought he
could influence people more with music than anything else. Whether he was right or wrong
in his beliefs, his aim was always true and I related to that a great deal. I was
studying philosophy in school and had always been the argumentative type because I had
one cause or another that I was supporting. If it wasn't animals, it was anti-religion
or environmentalism. I thought I could change one person's opinion at a time through
discussion and I was wrong. People can't see the light through reason because ego blinds
us all. It's much easier to shine the light in someone's face and have them feel it. I
think I've mellowed since then but at my core I have a rebel soul, I've simply found a
better way to reach people.
The first Pink Floyd song I heard was 'Wish you were Here" and it made me a fan
immediately. Before hearing any of their music, I was resistant to them (and Led Zep)
because I didn't like the idea of listening to long instrumentals/solos since I was so
invested in vocals. However, once hearing them, it was obvious to me why their first
album was as an R&B band, they are very much rhythm and blues but in an abstract way that
evokes a specific feeling the moment they start to play.
Roberta Flack sang with such depth and fragility that I would cry every time I heard one
of her ballads. The influence she had on me and still does is to be a dynamic singer and
artist. I want my ballads to stop you in your tracks with their emotional softness and
my harder songs to rip your head off!
Queen was when I really discovered that glam rock theatrical kind of writing. I became
such a big fan in University that I was only listening to them over and over and over. Freddie Mercury's voice is perfectly balanced multiple octave instrument that a singer
hears and has to resist emulating. Their writing was exceptionally quirky and always fun
while incorporating many genres even though they were categorized as rock. I definitely
write that way and want to continue to blend genres.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
Nadia: My music is SOUL INDIE ROCK (whatever that means??!! I have a soul, I'm an independent artist and I can fucking rock!) I bring a refusal to be pigeon-holed and an undying
passion for the SONG. I love the song.
The best thing that I can bring to the industry is a focus on my craft of songwriting. I
am, by no means, an expert but it's the most enjoyable part of music for me. It's the
root from which everything springs. Songwriting happens before the arrangements,
instruments etc. are all laid down and before anything is produced so at that point the
writer feels like the potential is limitless and the greatest end result is still
possible. George Martin wrote about the Beatles feeling that way when they were coming
up with the songs in the studio. He said they would all get less and less enthusiastic
as the song was flushed out and recorded because reality is never as fabulous as the
imagination.
I feel what I bring to the music industry is an enormous passion for songwriting and
pushing the envelope with my live performance. Well-written songs can be performed in a
multitude of ways and I want the people who pay to see me to get something new and
interesting every time they come out. Although my album has some hints of what you will
get at the live show, there is a fiercer rock attitude to all the songs at the live show
that kicks people out of the haze of their daily routine and gets them to feel something.
I think that's what people want from music.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and
why?
Nadia: If I had the opportunity to work with one artist it would be Leonard Cohen because his
poetry inspired me to become a writer more than anything else I encountered.
I feel a camaraderie with him because he comes from Canada and there is a certain
sensibility that Canadians have but mostly because he was able to write true poetry to music without feeling the need to pop-ify it. He is on tour right now (probably his last tour) and I can't wait to see him in NYC and in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (my hometown!)
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
Nadia: I wouldn't.
**(Isaac smiles).
Isaac: What is your definition for Pop music?
Nadia: Everything that doesn't make my ears bleed (and even some shit that does . . .). At one
time or another, each of these has been popular music: Jazz, Rock, R&B/ Soul, Punk, Hip Hop, Rap, Alternative, Post-punk, New Wave, Indie Rock and Country.
If I had to narrow it down, I would say it's anything that sounds catchy and accessible to a large group of people at a given time. Again, right now that's anyone's guess. I heard a Franz Ferdinand song in an iPod touch commercial the other day and it was very catchy but they are described as "alternative". The whole meaning of alternative arose because it is alternate to popular appeal. So I'm confused but moreover: I don't care. Definition is losing and artistry is winning.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from your previous releases?
Nadia: This is my debut release!!!!! It is called "ARRIVAL."
Isaac: What can fans expect from your latest CD, you are working on currently? What is
the inspiration behind the CD?
Nadia: The inspiration behind the upcoming CD, Arrival, is all the major influences I've had as
musician and a songwriter. Some tunes have an esoteric Pink Floyd quality and some have
a Stevie Wonder beat, others are more pop and catchy (Arrival) but they are all different
parts of me. None of us is one-dimensional and neither is this album. Many artists get
into a rut and all their songs start to sound similar. For me, it's the opposite situation: I write from whatever inspires me in that second so I could write a reggae tune (I did: My People!)
My way of singing and writing is what ties them together. I have a tendency to sing bluesy and I think my voice is distinctive. The songwriting is lyrically and musically strong and since I believe in the power of a song, all the distinct elements come together well. Although this album is being released at the end of April, I am already working on my next album and it will be even more in-your-face rocking out (like Tyranny on this album) but will incorporate all the same influences.
Isaac: What can fans expect from Nadia Kazmi in 2009?
Nadia: Fans can expect new music and remixes of their favorite songs of the album. A lot of live shows and festivals in the summer and fall plus a lot of…
Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans?
Nadia: The person I want to thank most is my mother. Artists seem to be the bastards in every industry, yet they are the creators of everything. It's predictable and cliché but without the support of someone who truly believes in you as a person, it is very difficult for an artist to make it in this industry.
However, I am not thanking her as much for her support as I am thanking her for being one of the most incredible human beings on this planet. Had she been anyone else, someone less talented, less intelligent, less generous, less successful in business or motherhood, less able or less exceptional, I surely would not have embarked on such an emotional and treacherous
journey to the center of the Earth . . . simply because I would not have thought it
possible to achieve as much.
No one wants to hear that someone they care about is about to embark on the most treacherous road there is. My mother has supported me when every fiber of her being was telling her that this would be a scary road indeed . . . so, thank you.
Isaac: Final words from Nadia Kazmi…
Nadia: I can't run no more with that lawless crowd, while the killers in high places say their prayers out loud: but they've summoned up a thundercloud and they're gonna hear from
me.- L. Cohen (Anthem)
Thank you Isaac for having an interest in an artist without having any predispositions,
designs or ambitions. Thanks for your time.
