Exploring the Boundaries of Nisa's Musical Transformation

"Shapeshifting," Self-Discovery Through Music, and the Power of Embracing Change.

Image: Courtesy of the Artist.

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege to sit down with up-and-coming artist Nisa to talk about her debut album "Shapeshifting." From playing guitar since childhood to crafting original music, Nisa's journey took a significant turn in 2019-2020 when she began sharing her personal compositions. Inspired by artists like PJ Harvey and Björk during her time in London, Nisa's exploration of sound led her to collaborate with Brooklyn-based producer Torna on her forthcoming album. She shared with us a deeply personal insight into her creative process, describing it as a journey akin to mourning oneself, letting go of the past, and embracing a new identity. Through cathartic songwriting and sound design, Nisa navigates themes of healing and self-discovery, inviting audiences into a transformative journey of introspection and growth.

Pilar: Could you take us back to the beginning of your musical journey? How did you first get started in music, and who were some of your earliest inspirations or influences? Additionally, could you share some insights into how your artistic journey has evolved, from those early beginnings to where you are now, and any significant milestones or challenges you've encountered along the way?

Nisa: I started playing and writing my own music seriously a few years ago in 2019-2020. I had been playing guitar since I was young, starting when I was around seven or eight, mostly without a teacher, just experimenting. Throughout high school and college, I became more interested in playing in bands, often providing additional guitar for others. In college, I played in several music collectives, offering my guitar skills to bands when needed. However, I didn't start sharing my own original music until 2019. During that time, I studied in London, where I found inspiration from artists like PJ Harvey and Björk. When I returned to New York, I began working with musicians in Brooklyn, including Torna, who produced 'Shapeshifting,' my forthcoming album. From then on, I started making EPs, experimenting with different sounds and styles until I found my own. This record marks the first time I've written a collection of songs that feels like a concept album, drawing inspiration from artists like Björk and Kate Bush, whose innovative approaches to music have always resonated with me.

Pilar: Your debut album draws inspiration from Agnès Varda’s film "Jane B. par Agnès V." How does cinema influence your music-making process? Do you have any direct references apart from this specific film, or is it something that usually resonates with you to write, produce, and create?

Nisa: I really love this question because it feels so connected to my process. I've always been into film, and Agnès is one director who I really relate to and enjoy for her quirkiness and film style. I've never been the type to explore a lot of new wave directors, but with her, I connected. There are a couple of others and other movies that resonate with me as well. When I recorded an EP a few years ago, we watched 'Paris, Texas' without sound, and I loved it so much. Wim Wenders is another person whose directing style and cinematography I really appreciate. He has an interesting way of showing nature and the little things of life, which I find resonates with music as well. Film is huge for me; I love watching. 'Amélie' is another movie I adore. It's a French movie, and I think it's another style, like the surrealist films that I really love. Varda does that really well too; she's salient and can pull you out of a moment by making it surreal. That's specifically where I'm always looking to imitate and draw inspiration from.

Pilar: Your music is described as "post-pop" for its innovative blend of sounds and influences. Can you discuss the artistic vision behind this genre-defying approach?

Nisa: Thank you for mentioning post-pop because, actually, when I was first trying to figure out what it is that I like to explore musically and what draws me to writing a song, I realized that sometimes it's these boundary-less elements and this combination of different genres that I enjoy. I've played with a lot of indie rock bands, and many of my friends are indie folk and indie rock songwriters. I love the way they think and write. I've never been able to decide on a specific genre, so I decided to focus on the concept rather than the genre itself, whatever that means. Another artist who does this really well, who I love and look up to, is Núria Graham. Her latest album is a good example of blending pop and indie rock with elements of electronic music in an interesting way. Björk also does this; her songs defy genre, but you can always tell how they feel. To me, it's more about how a song can be both pop and trip-hoppy and not have to fit into a specific category but still convey a feeling to the audience. That's what I've been going for lately, and it's cool because then I can write a punk song if I want, and it still makes sense in the context.

Pilar: On that topic… your earlier works, such as your debut EP "Guilt Trip," were characterized by a more indie rock sound, whereas "Shapeshifting" incorporates elements of grunge pop. Can you discuss the transition between these genres in your music, and what inspired you to explore the grunge pop sound on your latest album?

Nisa: A few years ago, when I first did 'Guilt Trip,' looking back now, I realize what's important to me is how influenced I am by my environment and the changes I'm going through in terms of writing. This can be said of anyone experiencing anything; we adapt. With 'Guilt Trip,' I wrote it when I was stuck at home for about two years with no idea of the future, dealing with all this pent-up change and emotional stress about where my life was headed. I had just come back from London, didn't want to be in New York, and had all these emotions. That's why 'Guilt Trip' sounded the way it did; the songs were a reflection of that time. Now, I feel like I have a bit more agency in how I'm feeling because it's not as uncertain on a minute-to-minute basis, like it was during the pandemic. I've also grown to understand that I don't always want to write garagey songs; that was maybe my introduction. In the future, I'll probably stick closer to this post-pop sound.

Pilar: "Shapeshifting" reflects a journey towards self-acceptance and self-actualization, symbolized by the desire for an empowered, prolonged stare in the mirror. Can you share what you see in the mirror now, both metaphorically and literally, compared to before? Were there aspects of your reflection that once caused unease, and how has that perception evolved over time?

Nisa: Yeah, this is a great question. I love it. I'm going to try to tackle it in pieces because I think a lot of it is an ongoing process. Some of them are things that I think I've processed, but I think self-acceptance is something that's ongoing. But also, I think at the time, it was important for me to confront because it felt time-sensitive. Overall, the way that I see myself now versus how I maybe was seeing myself then was there was this distortion on the lens of how I was perceiving my relationship to others and my ability to connect with people. At the time when I was writing this, I was literally in a physical space that was like a four by four room with no windows. I had a studio that I rented cheaply, which felt like a safe space for me to work. Part of that was because I was living at home with my parents during that time, away from school where I felt more comfortable. So I was kind of pushed back into this world where I had to deal with issues related to how I saw myself versus how my family saw me, my place in the world. I was graduating soon and wanted to pursue a path as a musician, which felt unlikely for me. Coupled with pulling away from people I was close to and receding from myself, not feeling confident in my skin, all led to me feeling very alone at the time. The songs were the way that I came to deal with it and understood. When I took them to Ronnie's studio for final productions and put real layers on them, they started to reveal things to me. I wrote them in the winter, and then in the summer, when we worked on them, they started to make more sense to me. I started confronting some of the struggles and ended up in a place that felt much more confident and accepting for me. I've always been hard on myself when it comes to communication and the issues I've had with that in the past. This album was like a reckoning for me in terms of being okay with changes coming slowly. I always talk about change in my songs. For me, this record specifically was about forgiveness toward myself as well, which is where it closes up with 'Transform.' Now, what's reflected back is the truth. I feel like I have been honest with myself and with others in a deeply personal way that has vindicated me. I'm feeling no guilt and feeling responsible for my actions and the way that I exist in the world without being too hard on myself.

Pilar: Could you elaborate on the catharsis of using writing and music as tools for healing and self-discovery throughout this transformative process?

Nisa: I talk to a lot of my friends who are musicians about this. Sometimes you write a song that you really want to share. You're like, 'I'm so excited for everyone to hear this. I hope they get something out of it.' That's definitely a big part of it for me. I love writing, and I've always loved writing. I even studied English, thinking maybe I'll write for movies. But sometimes, I write a song that I almost am afraid to share because it was written not for anything but to kind of be a release or make me process something. Maybe I had a really bad fight with someone, and I wrote this song, and I don't want them to hear it. I just wanted to write it and release it. I think the catharsis element and self-discovery relate back to the last question about 'Shape-shifting.' Honestly, sometimes something will come out of me, and it doesn't mean it was a profound thing. I could write something totally dumb, and then tomorrow, I'll look at it or see it as, 'Oh, I don't like this.' But the day after, I'll look at it and say, 'Oh, but I was trying to say something, either to me or someone.' And maybe I don't want to harp on it, but whatever I was writing at the moment meant something deeper. That's what I feel at the moment. And I'll go back, and I'm like, 'Oh, this is important. I need to remember why I felt this way.' I think songs really do that.

Pilar: In your song "Smokescreen," you explore the struggle of seeking closure while being trapped in repetitive behaviors. You mentioned that the song reflects a journey of self-realization about harmful patterns. If you were chatting with a friend, what would you advise them to do to be able to step away from repetitive destructive patterns?

Nisa: I think the best way I've experienced moving on from those patterns is realizing that we're not always responsible for them. Sometimes it's a compulsion or behavior we're conditioned to because of our upbringing or what we believe is best for us. Until it repeatedly goes wrong, we're not always fully aware. It's hard to acknowledge that, in the end, we're the ones left with these negative feelings. If we find ourselves repeating behavior and feeling horrible repeatedly, something needs to change. Perhaps the best way to do it is to step out for a second, though that can be really hard. I had a situation once with a friend, which this song is based around, where the situation became toxic. Maybe it wasn't apparent until it exploded. When it did, we both realized, and that realization can be difficult. Essentially, you're forcing yourself to create a new, healthy pattern. So my advice would be, remember that every time you feel pain, there's a reason; pain is there to warn us of something going wrong. And I recognize that sometimes it's easier said than done.

Pilar: Your song "Breach" delves into themes of deception and self-preservation. Can you share insights into the inspiration behind these lyrics and how they relate to your personal experiences or reflections on trust and boundaries?

Nisa: I think this song is a big one in terms of trust and boundaries.' It's almost like I framed it as a pep talk to myself, encouraging me to stand up for myself. It starts with 'cut the shit and walk right in.' Because when I wrote this, I felt like I was a people pleaser, and those tendencies were taking over. When you have a generally positive disposition, people might tend to ask more of you in situations where they might not ask as much of someone else. I felt like I was being taken advantage of a little bit when I wrote this. So, this song relates to deception in the sense that even someone you love could hurt you unintentionally, without realizing they're doing it. I was trying to write this as a song about standing my ground and as a message to myself that I can trust people, but I can also stand up for myself and recognize when I'm being asked too much. It's easy to keep giving until you run out of energy.

Pilar: Your vocals on your record are amazing. They take you on a journey of their own with significant distortion and manipulation, adding layers of texture to the songs. Can you share insights into the vocal processing techniques employed on the album, such as effects chains or recording methods, and how do you feel these techniques enhance the emotional impact of your music?

Nisa: I love vocal effects. One artist I have to give a shoutout to for this is Imogen Heap, especially for her song 'Hide and Seek,' where the entire track is sung through a vocoder. The emotional impact, especially at the end when there's no other instrument but the vocoder… That song made me obsessed with using vocal effects. When Ronnie and I were working on the album -- he deserves all the credit for suggesting a lot of the vocal distortion. We realized how using a robot voice or autotune in an album centered around deep themes like communication could add layers of meaning to feelings like sadness or empowerment. For example, in 'Dreamspeak,' we felt the need for both a monotonous voice and harmonies simultaneously. We wanted to draw out emotions in a repetitive yet unique and strange way. Personally, I love experimenting with vocal effects. Screaming into the mic and then reducing it to a whisper, adding echoes – all these effects can add such depth and intrigue to a song. Caroline Polachek is another artist I admire for her vocal experimentation; she does so many crazy things that sound so cool.

Nisa's debut album "Shapeshifting" is out now, available for streaming on all platforms.