When an artist begins to shine at such a young age it can be tempting to focus on their youth as their USP and constantly talk about their music in the context of other young musicians. However, American Indie-Folk singer Nadia Kamrath exudes such a songwriting maturity that it makes her age feel obsolete. Exploring the most vulnerable corners of human emotion, her music is refreshingly honest and even uncomfortably relatable at times. We caught up with her to see what draws her towards this raw, emotive sound.
Following the bedroom pop sounds of ‘For Lucy’ your recent single ‘seven steps behind you’ radiates a much more vulnerable and heartbroken energy. What prompted you to write this melancholic track?
"I wrote 'Seven Steps Behind' You a long time ago and I kind of rediscovered it in my notes app a few months ago. That song really embodies an emotion I have wanted to express through my music for a long time. To me, it represents that feeling of longing, when the person you love doesn’t fully reciprocate in a way that feels like enough. I used the imagery of a storm and that feeling of drowning as a way to express that. I also had a lot of fun leaning into this melancholic emotion through the instrumentation and production, especially with that baritone guitar contrasting with the weeping violins".
Could you tell us what inspired the lyrical content for the latest track ‘Feel This Once’
"'Feel This Once' is about diving headfirst into a relationship and the shift that occurs when you know you’re no longer just friends. It is definitely a more playful, lighter song. I grew up in a small town where all the kids would bridge jump at high tide and I was terrified of doing it. I would stand there looking over at the water for long periods of time until I could finally gather up enough courage to take the leap. I guess when I was writing this song that memory came to me as a way of expressing the fear of jumping into a new relationship… especially with someone you’ve been friends with for a long time".
'Feel It Once' sees Nadia swap out the gentle acoustics for rolling Indie sound with a low-key, scratchy guitar riff and rambling drum pattern that provides a nice energy. Her ethereal vocals float across the Indie soundscape with a blissful swoop. The lyrics of taking the deep plunge are delivered with an introspective yet expressive tone, perfectly conveying the confusing blend of feelings of uncertainty and excitement. Her sound is so calming and perfectly built for drifting away in the warm summer haze. Any fans of Clairo ,Girl In Red and Katie Lomas need to discover Nadia Kamrath, or for our UK fans, if you are loving the new Abbie Ozard EP then Nadia will continue your blissful, uplifting sonic journey.
All your music seems to have an honesty and fragility to it, what draws you towards making music in that way?
"I think the music I write is just a reflection of who I am as a person. I mostly write about my own experiences and so the lyrical narratives are usually from my point of view. I am super inspired by artists who are not afraid to share music that is totally brutally honest. My goal as a writer is just to write everything that comes to mind, unfiltered and 100% real".
Do you ever feel vulnerable expressing such deep and emotional personal feelings through your music or do you find it makes you stronger knowing that people listening can relate?
"I’ve tried to make it a practice to just write everything I’m feeling and not censor myself. Whenever I sit down to write and something comes to me that might feel slightly uncomfortable at the time, I just tell myself that I can always cut it out down the line. I have yet to cut anything and I really do believe that doing this has made my music infinitely better and more personal. When I read peoples messages and reactions to a song where they tell me how much this has helped them through a personal experience or how they relate to the songs in some way, it is just the most rewarding and incredible feeling. That has always been the reason I decided to release music in the first place. It’s strange but I have found that the more personal and specific I am with my writing, the more people are able to relate what I am writing about into their own lives and experiences".
Based off some of your artwork and other photos you seem to have a petticoat attraction towards nature. Is this true and how do you feel the natural world influences you and your music?
"I have always felt connected to the earth because it is so grounding and as an artist I can feel out of my body sometimes. I always have so many ideas swirling in my mind and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. As I mentioned, I grew up in a small town and I was always able to just walk out my front door to play in nature. My brother and I were always free to run around in our yard or in our neighbors yards or down the road at the beach or out on these big rocks at the beach. Nature makes me feel free and balanced and brings me back into my body. For me, it is also incredibly inspiring and gives me the perspective and reminder that I am a part of something way bigger".
What do you think you’ve learnt since you released your debut last year? And do you feel you’ve evolved as a person / as an artist in that time?
"When I think about who I was when I first released music a year ago, it feels like many lifetimes ago. Because I’m only sixteen, things in my life change so often and so fast. I think I continue to get braver with each song I write and I get more comfortable and confident in who I am. As an artist, I am building up courage to trust my artistic choices. With some of the first songs I ever made, I remember I had a little voice in my head that would try to influence me to make choices based on what I felt like other people would want to hear. My music feels more authentic now and that voice is almost gone. All of my greatest role models and influences are unapologetically honest and brave and I feel proud of the massive steps I continue to take to be this way as well".
What are your plans musically for the rest of 2022?
"My debut EP 'Confessions' will be coming out later this summer! It is a culmination of most of the singles I have released thus far as well as a little something new. I am also in the early stages of working on an entirely new project. I am so excited about what I have been working on, I can’t even put it into words. I have had so many new songs come to me in these past few months, and I have been collaborating with people I am just so inspired by. I can’t wait to share them".
Who are your favourite current artists right now?
"There are so many incredible artists making the coolest music right now. Currently, I am really loving Radiohead, Florence + The Machine, Indigo De Souza, Patti Smith, and Mazzy Star".
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