The Shropshire-born alt-pop singer-songwriter is building a loyal fanbase of people just like her...
KEY TRACK: Sugarcoated
LABEL: AWAL Recordings
MANAGEMENT: Special Projects
INSTAGRAM: @NieveElla
Did you always envision a career in music?
“I always dreamt of it, but I didn’t do anything about it for a long time. I wanted to study music after school, but I was embarrassed because I didn’t feel ‘clever’ enough. But when lockdown came, it was like, ‘Well, what am I going to do with my life?’ I started playing my guitar and when gigs started up again, I realised that this was what I wanted to do. At that point, I was old enough to feel like I could make it work, go to college to study music and play in front of people more. Then something just clicked, and my dreams started coming true! It’s mind-blowing.”
Your new single, Sugarcoated, grapples with imposter syndrome. What’s the story behind it?
“It’s about me right now, my career and how people perceive me. I wrote my first EP about crushes, and my second was about my relationship, but this is how I feel during a time where everything has changed – relationships have broken down, I’ve made new ones, I’ve explored. I feel more confident now, but imposter syndrome lies in so much – the industry is quite scary, and I didn’t grow up with privileged schooling and music lessons, so I don’t always feel like I’m ‘worthy’ of being a musician. But I’ve grown with my new surroundings, which is cool!”
You’ve supported Dylan, Inhaler and this year you also had your first headline tour across the UK and Europe. Have there been any standout moments?
“Well, the Dylan tour was my first ever support tour – it was about me becoming who I am, and with Inhaler, it was like, ‘OK, who wants to be my fan...?!’ But the headline tour was crazy, all of my fans are like me, we’re the same people – I make music that I would listen to, so that’s probably why they like my sound and understand what I’m saying.”
You signed to AWAL in 2022. How has that relationship been so far?
“When I first signed, I didn’t have a clue what a label was, but signing to AWAL was the best thing I could have done; they’re so artist-friendly. I always thought I’d be releasing music on my own, I had no plan, but because of AWAL, all the visions I had for my first EP came true. I still don’t really have a plan, but I have a good team around me that understand my vision and let me release the music I love.”
