Following the release of her latest single 'Only Love', the title track to her upcoming EP, Flex caught up with California-based electronic artist 'Nessa P' to gain an insight into the artist's creative process and artistic evolution.
1. How has your music evolved over the years, and how do you see it reflecting your personal journey?
"I started to play guitar when I was 12. My dad handed me an acoustic guitar at a job site one day, he said I had to learn by myself because he was not paying for lessons. I had the “How to play guitar for dummies book,”I read most of it and got to playing quickly. I was really into pop music and like 80’s metal as a kid, my mom was really into pop, my dad was into rock. I was a 90’s kid who was in love with Blink 182, Birtney Spears, System of a Down, Linkin Park, and the Backstreet Boys. Which make some kind of sense given my upbringing. My music reflected that I was in pop-punk bands all the way through the middle of college.
When I was 15 I also discovered Wes Anderson movies, The Royal Tenenbaums SoundTrack was everything to me.
I met my favorite drummer in the whole world in Santa Cruz, when I went to college. Her name is Melanie Verrico, and she lays it down on the drums. She was really into the Pixies, and Twenty-One Pilots. I was super into Alternative Rock, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Thrice, System of a Down, and then I started backward mapping the rock scene. I started listening to Bob Marley ( I know he is reggae), The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and so on.
It was around this time I was on the debate team, and I had some friends on the team who made mixtapes burned onto CD’s. I was introduced to Animal Collective, Daft Punk, and Thousand Foot Crutch."
2. Can you share a personal or unexpected story linked to your band/stage name?
"I always tell people I am Nessa P because I couldn’t think of anything else, which is like ⅛ truth, I have a lot of backup names. But My boyfriend and I have different stories on how the “P” came to be!"
3. Which artist or life event radically changed your approach to music?
Music festivals have changed me in a huge way. The interaction with the fans, the types of music that make people go crazy, and the way that music engages the audience. You can make music in your bedroom, that makes you happy, and that is a type of art, but it might not have the type of electric connection with your audience that you imagine in your head. A lot of music that artists make on a small time level is super self-indulging, and doesn’t connect with an audience. It's a really self-serving practice that I used to think was what music was all about. I am not of the belief that selling your music makes it a completely commercial thing, but I do think there is a balance. The more people you can include and bring in with your music the better. I have felt such a need to create music that bonds people, all from taking part in music festivals, either as a fan or as an artist.
I think the second most important figure is Mark Ronson, I have made a point to just keep learning, no matter what that looks like. I have been trying out techniques on this EP that Mark Ronson does on his tracks, and I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome."
4. How would you describe your creative process?
"I spent the whole of 2022-2023, thinking about a sound I wanted to curate, and what I wanted to do with that in 2024. I really believe that you just have to get into the studio and work, if you aren't in there, nothing will happen. You don’t even need to be in the studio, you can be in your car, or having a conversation. I am prepared to take inspiration from anywhere at any time. I tend to start with the beat I want, which gives me the overall vibe I am sticking to, and then I start to layer instruments from there, however, feels right, if it serves the song let's go! If something we’re messing with detracts from the song we need to pivot and jump back to last saves, and try something new. Lately, I have been working with different artists, and producers to come up with an overall sound. I had a producer helping me get the Only Love EP up and running."
5. What is your writing process like?
" I no longer write from guitar first as a strict rule, I enjoy making a beat first, being intentional about what I am doing, and what I am creating. I start to layer from there, and I start to add guitar where it is needed: there is a guitar on only one of these tracks. Then I start to layer or add vocals, as needed.
For the Only Love EP, I really focused on disco style piano, and bass lines. Every song except “Do This”. I really enjoyed making the songs on this EP, I feel like my writing process is more fluid. As a producer, I have people coming in the studio and they are very rigid. I will suggest ideas to get us out of a funk, and they will say no I can't do that, or that's not me and that's fine. I think if you’re your own artist you tend to have your ways of doing things for sure, but as a producer, it's super important to be fluid. I can start with words, a beat, a piano melody, whatever, but I just need to start, if I am on the piano for an hour with nothing, then we need to move on to something else."
6. When you’re in the creative process, is there a consistent theme or emotion that drives your songwriting?
"I want to bring people together, I think that is it. I think when you keep that in mind you’re not battling whether you are creating art or something commercial. I am very much interested in the business side of things, but if I am not making meaningful connections with people on every level of this thing then nothing really matters, and nothing is going to happen. People want to be invited into your musical world, they do not want to be put off or intimidated by it, I think that’s why dance music is so popular."
7. Each aspect of music – writing, recording, practising, and playing live – offers something different. Can you share a particularly meaningful moment from each?
"I sort of feel like writing and recording can happen at the same time, I really enjoy that process because I get into a flow state and feel like I am doing what I am meant to be doing. I feel like I am living my truth.
Practice is great because you're just perfecting and I love that, I usually practice a few weeks before a show. I want to have every cue down, and every solo timed perfectly. I feel like a rock star, this is the easy part and it makes you feel confident and prepared. I get excited to share what I am doing, but my loved ones get bored of the repetition.
Live shows are like nothing else, they can really be a positive and enriching experience, especially if you have prepared. I had a few shows that made me feel great, I had an especially good show. A few months back I had so many people supporting me, and I had a great time on stage, I made some tips, and had an overall positive experience. I had an afterglow the whole weekend."
8. Do you take advantage of technology and collaborate remotely, or do you wait until you’re physically present with the rest of the band?
"Considering I am in the band! I just muscle everything out on my own at my own pace. But, I am actually attempting this right now! I am currently starting collaborations with people who are extremely far away from me, but I really want to push myself to do more. I have tried it in the past and failed miserably, give me some time and I think I am gonna have something happening in that regard pretty soon. I will report back again in 6 months!"
9. Is there a song in your repertoire that holds a particularly deep personal meaning for you? Can you share the story or inspiration behind it?
"I am super in love with the song LIFE, it was just a point where I was reaching a new milestone, and I was pushing myself, there were some revelations I had about my potential because of this song, and I decided to never give up on music no matter what."
10. Share one thing about you as an artist that has never before been revealed.
"I am an absolute introvert, I can get in there and mix it up with the best of them, and I have learned over the years that I can come off as the most extroverted person on the planet because I have never had a fear of the extroverted side of me, but I am very much the type of person who wants to be left alone, and is really happy not being around anyone at all for long periods of time. I have very fond memories of the pandemic, I miss it so much. On the other side of things, when I first when to Coachella, on day 2 or 3 I needed a break, and almost had a panic attack and didn't even realize it."
Listen to 'Only Love'
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