In the Spotlight: Generator Alumni Nadedja Releases New Track ‘Unfold’

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background as an artist.

I’m Nadedja, an artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne. I’m originally from a state called “Piauí” in Brazil, but I’ve been living abroad for a long time now. I lived in the USA during 2014/2015 and I moved to the UK in 2017. From a very young age, I knew music was my true passion and I started to write my own songs when I was 12. However, I only started to work professionally with music in 2019, when I was already living in the North East of England. It took me a while to feel ready to pursue this as a career, as I felt like music was the thing I did alone in my room to process my feelings. Eventually though, I fell in love with the idea of exploring different sounds and crafting my songs into something deeper. There’s nothing better than listening to a song that you lose yourself inside of.

What is your musical style?

My music is a blend of alt-pop, indie-pop, contemporary R&B and new-MPB (which is a Brazilian style). I’ve been gathering a lot of influences along the way and my music definitely reflects that. It’s a bit crazy but fun!

Just last Friday, you released your new single, ‘Unfold’. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song and the creative process of how it came together?

‘Unfold’ evolved during lockdown, and channels a lot of uncertainty and solitude. But a song that started from a sad beginning ended up being much brighter. Halfway through writing the lyrics, I realised that I was actually talking about resilience, and holding on to the connections you build with others. It ended up being about transformation, self-acceptance and movement.

The songwriting process for ‘Unfold’ was quite different, actually. Usually I write a song in one session, however I felt like ‘Unfold’ needed time for me to connect the dots in my head. Some parts were written at the piano, some on Logic Pro, and some even whilst showering at 2am! At the end of this disjointed process, I managed to put together a demo with piano chords, synths, beats and harmonies and go from there, collaborating with my producer HATi. We worked remotely for much of this process, however we were lucky to find a window between lockdowns to record the final vocals together. HATi really helped bring the song to life, developing it into what you can hear now!

You’ve been actively involved with Generator for a while and taken part in our residencies, alongside the Release Yourself programme and Songwriting Residency in 2020. Tell us about your experience with these programmes and how it has contributed to your music career.

Both programmes were extremely important to my career and deeply influenced the music I’ve written in 2020. The Songwriting Residency was amazing from start to finish, I met some really talented people and learned a lot about how there’s no limits when it comes to songwriting. During the Residency, I really pushed my boundaries and grew a lot as a songwriter, broadening my creative process.

This left me feeling a strong urge to experiment with everything: collaborations, software, sounds, different production styles, producers etc. It was very eye-opening! The Release Yourself programme also helped me massively, as it felt like a continuation of the process that initiated with the Songwriting Residency. During the programme, I reassessed my career direction, and I realised that I needed to focus my energy on creating the music that truly represented me. I was so lucky to work with an amazing producer HATi, who I met during the previous programme. Working with HATi always felt so natural, and she really helped bring ‘Unfold’ to life! Later on, I learned a lot about online promotion and digital marketing, which has been really helpful and insightful during the promotional campaign. It’s been a long and exciting ride!

2021 is off to a fantastic start for you with your new release. What else do you have in store for 2021?

Thank you! I’m super excited for 2021! I’m currently working on some new tracks that together with ‘Unfold’ will form my debut EP. I can’t say too much about it yet, but keep your eyes peeled, because ‘Unfold’ is just the start of everything!

What advice would you give to other emerging musicians in the region looking to progress in their careers?

Enjoy your music and the process of making it! Always remember the purpose of your art, stay persistent and be resilient. It can take a little while, but if you believe in what you do and you walk with purpose, great things will happen! But don’t forget along the way that music is supposed to be fun and a thing you absolutely love – don’t lose track of that.

Where can people check out your work? – *insert spotify links, social media*

All my socials are @nadedjamusic. Here are some places you can find me:

Spotify: https://bit.ly/nadedjaspotify YouTube: https://bit.ly/nadedjayoutube Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadedjamusic/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nadedjamusic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadedjamusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nadedjamusic Website: https://www.nadedja.com