Nina-Symone is a very talented up & coming singer from New York. Nina also attends one of the top music schools in the country Berklee College of Music in Boston. She recently released her debut EP "ECSTASY". The EP features 4 tracks "Addicted", "Runaway", "Again", and "Feels". Each song has a very light and feel-good vibe. We spoke with Nina to get to know a little bit about her and the EP. Read the interview below.
Where are you from?
I was born in New York and have been bicoastal between LA and New York since I was nine years old.
How does being from there affect you as an artist?
Growing up in both New York and LA has definitely had an impact on me as a musician. Both cities have a big culture when it comes to not only music but also fashion, and they have allowed me to develop my own taste and style.
What artists did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to a lot of old-school Hip-Hop and R&B. Both of my parents always blasted music throughout the house growing up and it’s always been a big part of my life.
At what age did you know you wanted to make music?
My mom always tells me that I used to hum music before I could talk and when I could finally talk I used to sing all day long to her old school R&B songs. I took singing lessons and also did dance for most of my life and I took dance more seriously, but once I got to high school I decided I wanted singing to be my career.
How did it feel to be accepted into one of the top music programs, Berklee College of Music?
Out of all the schools, I applied to, I wanted to go to Berklee the most, so when I got in my whole family was so excited. When we first toured Berklee my dad was like a kid in a candy store, so he was definitely the most excited.
Now onto your new EP ECSTASY, which track do you think speaks to you the most and why?
Runaway is by far my favorite. I love all of the tracks but Runaway just makes me feel so good. The beat, the words, and the overall feel just make me feel like I’m floating on cloud nine.
If you had to pick lyrics from a track on the EP that are your favorite, what would they be and why?
“damn I love it here, the vibe with you so right the connection is crystal clear” from the 3rd track on my EP, Again. It just really describes how I feel and I think it’s a very relatable lyric to a lot of other people who have a special someone and have a beautiful connection with them.
Is there anyone who’s a muse for the EP?
My boyfriend, Donte was my muse and inspiration for the project. Everything I said in the EP really describes how happy I am and how he makes me feel like I’m the only girl in the world. He shows me more and more every day how much I mean to him.
Is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for helping out the process of ECSTASY?
Yes! My amazing vocal coach Angel Lea, Jason Carpenter for the track, Paul Redel for mixing, Ruairi O'Flaherty for mixing the songs, and my parents especially for always supporting everything I do and really allowing me to be creative with my craft.
How has attending Berklee affected you as an artist?
Attending Berklee has allowed me to learn things that I didn’t know before, especially about the production side of music. The classes I took on production helped me produce this EP.
What’s your typical creative process?
Whenever I get inspired I’ll write whatever it is down in my notes, or if it’s a melody or a rhythm I’ll record it in my voice memos so I have it. Afterward, I’ll go back and continue what I started and add different parts until I’m finished.
Listen to "ECSTASY" below.
Follow Nina-Symone on social media.
IG: @ninabandzz