Singer-Songwriter NUUXS releases 'DREAMERS' Today! | We Talk Music & Overcoming Adversity
Singer-songwriter NUUXS releases 'Dreamers' today! 6th November and SPF recently.
It's the latest offering from her forthcoming debut album Heirloom, due in March 2021. Heirloom is a liberating record, cut with light, darkness and introspection, and reflection of NUUXS' musical liberation after learning to reclaim her confidence. The soulful, disco-pop euphoria that makes up her sound acts as a light counter to the darker lyricism, making it a beguiling collection of alternative pop.
Surreal ballad 'Dreamers' is a reminder of the importance of dreams despite the odds; something NUUXS is evidence of.
Heirloom follows 2019’s Red Tape Mixtape, which garnered widespread support from the likes of Annie Mac, CLASH and BBC Introducing.
Your unique brand of soulful, disco euphoria, alt-pop is a staple of your music. SPF is an easy, upbeat, summer chillout, escapism experience and when listening to your latest track 'Dreamers' there is a similar vibe and sense of escapism. Could you tell us what 'Dreamers' is about and what inspired the song?
As we grow up we are slowly given things to carry that make it harder to feel that weightlessness we did when we were children. ‘Dreamers’ is for the person that needs to hear their dreams were and are real and must at all costs be kept safe. Music has always been my escapism and so when I wrote Dreamers it was all about the elevating feeling that comes when you accept everything around you, look at it for what it is and let it go. Dreamers is a song for everyone who wants to believe in hope. I am always hopeful for better days and the brilliance that is found in all of us.
Many of your music videos have some great animations, what do you love about animation and is there any particular reason behind doing this e.g. lockdown etc?
The animation was absolutely a part of lockdown and I was actually supposed to shoot music videos with Ji and Doh and the whole team was ready to go the day before the first lockdown. However, Charlie Cross who has animated all my Heirloom videos so far was an absolute angel. I loved his quirky style which very much suited me and the plan I have for the album release. We’ve got more to come and a slow reveal of something special which I have now created with the original team. Lots of exciting visuals to come.
In equal measure to your inspiring music, we found your unconventional story to success equally inspiring and unique. You have an interesting background in that your mother married a leader of a Christian Bible inspired cult, which ultimately impacted your life as well with no choice in the matter.
You said that you were not allowed to listen to music, have friends or read anything that was not the bible. Did this suppression serve to increase your interest in music, as you said you used to listen to music on the radio at night is this where your passion for music began? When did you know you wanted to pursue music as a career?
My passion for music started from a much younger age, I wasn’t in the cult until I turned 11 and left at 15. So before that, I was experiencing a completely different and complex childhood. I grew up with a best friend who I am still to this day very close with, although having lost touch because of circumstances. We’d play and talk about our dreams and aspirations and promised that we’d one day be neighbours when we were grown-ups. I would see my dad on weekends and I had two siblings who I would often scrapple with but equally adore them both to pieces. I’d spend summers in France with my French grandparents in the countryside and wonder why our lives in the UK was so different and difficult when my mum’s parents were seemingly quite put together. I also enjoyed my very Lao heritage with uncles and aunts who were also refugees like my father who built their lives proudly in the UK working in pubs introducing Thai and Lao food to the British community. All I write and my passion for music is a reminder of where I come from and what it makes me feel and how it inspires me to do more.
Delivering a great performance while acting in Clay’s Redemption, are these adverse experiences something that you used to your advantage now to elevate your acting performance and is acting something you enjoy?
I wouldn’t say I’m a well-seasoned actor at all and hats off to all the ones that put their entire lives dedicated to this craft. However, a friend asked me and was excited to do it so I thought why not. There is something to be said by having some personal experience, you can draw from that. It was great to be a part of and work alongside such an excellent team. Carlos Boellinger should be very proud.
When you escaped the cult you eventually formed an indie-rock band with two friends, and wrote hooks for grime artists, all the while forging your own musical identity. After signing with Sarah Liversedge, a publisher at Bucks Music Group, and starting to write with Jake Gosling (the renowned producer, songwriter and manager, who’s worked with the likes of Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga), you sculpted your eclectic sound. How did you feel when you got the record deal? Was this a dream come true?
Dreams can definitely come true but under no illusions was it easy, we have to work hard for them to come to life. Whether it’s battling your own doubt to putting all the lengthy process that comes with it. Let’s just say I didn’t wake up like this.
As an example of having survived trauma, persevered and come out the other side, have you any advice to someone who reads this may be going through something similar, as youth homelessness is a rising issue in Britain and it’s often due to abuse within the home of whatever kind?
As someone who has experienced this, I am the first to say I am not the only one. There are so many that suffer more and worse even in this very moment that I sit in the comforts I’ve learned to love. I’m not a champion for hardship I’m just one of many. If I had any advice it’s that personally I never asked for help at the times I needed it the most and that’s what eventually became the massive wall I built to having anything good in my life for a long time. We feel a sense of shame and guilt and don’t want to become a burden. What I’ve come to realise is that people are actually nice and your friends really do actually want to be there for you. The trust can be taken from you if it has been broken before. Someone shared this poem with me that can explain what I mean.
“invent yourself and then reinvent yourself,
don't swim in the same slough.
invent yourself and then reinvent yourself and
stay out of the clutches of mediocrity.
invent yourself and then reinvent yourself,
change your tone and shape so often that they can never categorize you.
reinvigorate yourself and
accept what is
but only on the terms that you have invented
and reinvented.
be self-taught.
and reinvent your life because you must;
it is your life and
its history
and the present
belong only to
you.”
Charles Bukowski, The Pleasures of the Damned
Thank you for sharing that poem.
Having had a controlling upbringing - are you triggered by controlling situations e.g. dealing with controlling people, companies, police or people with extremist views?
I had issues letting people in but that’s not necessarily because people were trying to control me. I just needed space and I took it. I took time to breathe, live and learn. I still am and it’s great except now I enjoy it more with people I love and trust immensely. Triggers are still present so it’s important to talk about things and put them out in the open so they essentially stop triggering.
What has been your personal experience of lockdown?
I’ve enjoyed nature, also restructuring the plans for my debut album and baking and cooking a lot and the hot weather that came with it. As we go into the second lockdown I’m going to keep releasing music and have a go at learning to play chess.
You have received a lot of support and acclaim for your music so far from Spotify, KCRW, Amazing Radio and BBC Introducing and countless music outlets with regard to your music, what are your musical goals for the future?
I hope that I can share my music with everyone, I’ve had some cool playlists recently from Spotify, I’m grateful for any support. It really means everything.
What’s next for NUUXS, any socially distanced gigs or live streams we should know about?
I’ll be posting some live performances of my upcoming singles along with more music videos. I’m looking to do a live show very soon which I’ll be keeping everyone posted about.
Thank you so much for these very in-depth questions.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Part of our ethos is to examine things at a deeper level “X-RAY” and we attempt to contribute to breaking down the stigma surrounding discussing issues openly. As you said you are ‘not the only one’ Everyone is going through, has gone through, Or will go through some adversity.
Connect with NUUXS
Interview by John Burbidge