Front Page
US Interviews
Special Features
Nightclubs
Events + Concerts
Album Reviews
Games
Music Videos
Chat Room

Interview Archive

By Kate Watkins

London is a metropolis. People busily roam around not really paying attention to anything going on around them. Many forget to even observe the city and all that surrounds them, especially their fellow Londoners. London-based singer-songwriter, Nina Jayne is an exception. Her music and lyrics reflect various things she has seen and experienced in and around the capital, and throughout the world. “I’ve done a lot of travelling and have seen a lot of things, whether it was going to the studio or coming back to the studio and seeing something,” said the 21-year-old. “I wanted to vocalise what’s around us.”

Nina grew up in North London in a musical family; her Pakistani father plays the guitar, and her Jamaican mother and two sisters all sing. Her music reflects her upbringing; she grew up listening to Joni Mitchell, a songwriter known for her emotional lyrics. Urban life plays a fundamental part in Nina’s lyrics. In her writing, she tries to depict not only herself and her own emotions, but all areas of society, some of which easily go unnoticed. “When I wrote this album, I really thought about the songs,” Nina said of her debut release, the EP ‘No Ordinary Pain’. “I wrote about subjects from homelessness to poverty and domestic violence. Literally, me on my travels. The title track ‘No Ordinary Pain’ which talks about a part of London society I felt I could write about.” That part of London society is homelessness. Nina writes about what she sees. “While I was on my travels on a daily basis, I would pick things up,” she explained. “I was involved in them.”

Her album is slated for release next spring, and Nina is happy to report things are going well.
“[The album] is finished in terms of writing it down. I am trying to track down 50 songs to 12 songs. We’re in the process of getting the mixes right. I’m really happy with it and really proud of it as well,” she gushed. “I am dying to get it out and get the public’s initial reaction from it.”

Nina’s busy schedule of travelling and touring seems hectic and chaotic, but it has been a place of creative inspiration, as she always takes something to write with wherever she goes. “While doing the album I did a little travelling to New York and Japan. Obviously there are a lot of things that go on on a daily basis, even if you think it goes on in just your hometown, which goes on everywhere. I’ve just being inspired by people, tasting different food and meeting people. That affects me without realising it. I probably picked up a lot of things without even noticing.”

When she isn’t out on the road, she enjoys chilling out in her South London apartment at her bar. “It’s silent,” she says simply. This is no doubt a necessary luxury for a soul as introspective as Nina’s. Her daily life and observations are a part of her creativity. She is a writer first and foremost, and her music is very lyrically driven. She compares her style to Dido, as it is “full of lyrical content.”

Nina’s ambition and willingness to grow as a person no doubt aids her as she battles through the music business, a business known for its heavy demands on up and coming artists. Her passion is what keeps her motivated. “The hardest thing was coming to terms with the amount of sacrifice you have to give. Once I realised this, I was like, ‘Ok fine, this is what I have to do.’ It takes a lot of determination,” she explained. “So many times you feel happy at one point and sad at another point, so it’s just really believing in what you do and understanding the industry you are in and that it’s not always on your terms. You really have to compromise a lot of things. I’ve learned a lot over this year, and I am really, really happy and feel like I’ve grown up. I’ve got a lot more understanding now, a lot more than I did a year ago, and all I can do is learn next year as well.”

Even with the knocks and punches the music business often brings, Nina is thrilled to be a part of it. Touring and travelling are both things she hopes to continue. She has already toured regionally and has been an opening act for established artists like Amp Fiddler, Roy Ayers and the legendary Lionel Ritchie, an experience she treasures. “By far one of the best things I have ever done!” she exclaimed. “Lionel Ritchie is a complete gentleman. He is so loving and so caring. His audience is amazing as well. Performing is something I love and something I am looking forward to doing some more.”

She also has some other goals she would like to achieve. “I would love to be recognised for my writing. I’d like to collect a couple of Brits and a Grammy. It’s definitely something I am looking forward to. Obviously it would be great to have something to put on your mantle to show what you have achieved.”

Her full-length album will not be released for a couple of months, but Nina is already thinking ahead. “I just can’t wait to write the next album now. I am really gearing up for promoting this one and getting this one out now and touring with it but I really can’t wait to write the next one.”

Even with a busy life of travelling, touring and recording, Nina Jayne still finds time to see and write about the things around her. With her star steadily rising, hopefully we will see more of this soul singer in the near future.

Her EP ‘No Ordinary Pain’ is out now on BMG.

Official artist website: www.ninajayne.com