Nardean Magic Interview

Nardean Returns With Spellbinding New Single 'MAGIC!'

Egyptian-Australian artist Nardean returns with a new spellbinding single 'MAGIC!' featuring Heirloome.

Produced by Stackhat, 'MAGIC!' sees Nardean effortlessly blend infectious life- affirming lyrics and bouncy, golden-era beats to forge her very own brand of unapologetic positivity.

"I've coined a new term," says Nardean. "I think my brand is coolked. It's the perfect balance of cool and cooked."

"I have been focusing more on music for live shows," says Nardean, "and I really wanted to write some cute and feel good tracks for this record. Having a crowd of people yell the word 'magic' really loudly at a show is one of the best feelings I've ever experienced in my life."

The track was inspired after her second trip to NYC, where she heard the drummer of a band tell everyone to turn to the person next to them and say "don't hide your magic." She fell in love with the moment, and so the song was born.

'MAGIC!' features Nardean's best friend and ex-housemate, Heirloome. It was written on the back porch of their place in Earlwood, Sydney and aided by a few glasses of wine.

This song is the first single off Nardean's upcoming EP, due for release early next year. This record is a collaboration between herself and esoteric Sydney producer Stackhat, who produced her break-out single, 'Nothing Matters.'

Coming shortly will be a music video to accompany this feel good, bouncy tune promising magical visuals and Hogwarts vibes.

Nardean will be doing a string of shows, performing at The Beresford on the 8th November with Clarissa Mei as support, The Campbelltown Arts Centre on 23rd November for the Conscious Artist Showcase, and in Melbourne on the 30th of November for Blue Black Beatz Festival.

Interview with Nardean

Question: How would you describe your music?

Nardean: Lately I have been describing my music as "post hop". It is influenced by hip hop but includes lots of different elements - from electronic, to glitch-hop and neo soul.

At the basis of everything is the lyrics, this is what matters most to me!


Question: Can you tell us about MAGIC!?

Nardean: The way MAGIC! came together was ... well... MAGIC! (laughs) I had written the first verse to a different beat, and then sort of forgotten about it. Then Stackhat showed me the beat and I remembered those lyrics from a few months earlier, they fit together perfectly.

At the time I started working on the EP with Stackhat, Heirloome and I were living together and we set ourselves the goal of writing one song a week. It got to Sunday night and neither myself nor Heirloome had finished the song for the week, so we thought... why not write a song together! I showed her MAGIC!, and then we finished it together that night. I love how every song comes together in such a unique way.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Nardean: It is really quite thrilling - the problem solving element of it. It's like a puzzle... you have all these moving parts and you're trying to piece them together to make a cohesive image.

You feel a thing and the emotion has its own impulse and it's forced out of you, and then you got to try and be its mother and give birth to the idea!


Question: What should we expect from your upcoming shows?

Nardean: I miss performing! I miss dancing with people and connecting and speaking poems and hugging people after shows!! I am so excited to get back to the stage and make people feel things; the new shows will be full of unreleased songs that are extremely fun to dance to! So come wearing your dancing shoes.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Nardean: This is hard, but I honestly think that at the moment it is MAGIC! The call and response bit, where I get to say "bishhh I know you're magic" and hear people sing it back is such a wholesome feeling.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?
Nardean: Well, my parents still haven't seen me perform, so I'd really love that, actually!


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Nardean: It's like asking which is my favourite child, I couldn't choose. They are both different feelings and both have such a special place in my life.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Nardean: At the moment I am listening to Mereba, Kaiit, A.Girl, L-Fresh the Lion, J.I.D, Boogie, and an Egyptian artist called Amr Diab.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Nardean: It was actually a mixture of a few things, but the first time I saw a woman rapping on stage was Mirrah Reflects, in Sydney at the Civic Underground. I was about 21 years old, that was really the first time I thought to myself "this is what I need to be doing with my life."


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Nardean: One is too hard, but if I could put three people in a room it would be Anderson Paak, Nai Palm (let's bring the whole band too...) and Kendrick Lamar.

Question: What's a typical day like?

Nardean: At the moment I am fully self-employed; which is incredible. I will wake up, meditate, exercise and go for a walk. Then I come home, and work on music or video editing for a day! I currently live back with my folks in St Clair, and have been talking lots and lots of long walks whenever I need a break. I try and balance my time with creativity and organisational stuff, as I am self-managed right now. But mostly, my days are full of music, writing, harry potter and joy.


Question: Can you share your socials?

Nardean: @nardean__
www.facebook.com/nardeann
www.nardean.com


Interview by Brooke Hunter