Nadia Sheikh – Toxic
ARTIST NAME: Nadia Sheikh
SONG TITLE: Toxic
RELEASE DATE: 25/1/19
GENRE: Indie rock / Pop rock
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Picture an amalgamation of delicate vocals and ominous indie rock. Vocal lines that shift from airy to powerful in the split of a second.
Nadia Sheikh is a genre chameleon that mixes strong indie rock tracks with timeless pop tunes and heartfelt acoustic songs.
Quirky melodies and catchy choruses that stick with you.
With an impressive cultural background, the half British, half Spanish artist has the power to captivate you with her haunting voice.
With a debut EP and an array of singles receiving airplay by BBC Introducing, RNE and Radio 3 (Spain) Nadia is set to make her mark on the music scene.
The last year has seen Nadia release a collaboration with Jamie Morrison (soul of Pop Morrison and drummer in Stereophonics), being tipped as one of This Feeling’s ‘Big in 2018’ artists, perform all around the UK and Spain, the Isle of Wight Festival and FIB (Benicassim festival).
Her new single ‘Toxic’ landed on 25th January 2019, kickstarting a year that seems nothing but exciting. Catch her on tour this spring.
“Nadia Sheikh is a genre chameleon with a voice that warms the soul”
– Fred Perry Subculture
‘There is definitely something timeless, classic and global about born pop star’
– The Zine
‘Her voice seems to seamlessly span genres like a shape shifter-like, accompanying everything from pop, folk and ominous indie rock with a worrying lack of effort.’
– Northern Exposure
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Tell us your history.
I was brought up in Spain (half British half Spanish). I grew up listening to the likes of the Beatles, Queen and Abba. When I was 12 I started to teach myself how to play guitar and fell in love with music and shortly after I began to sing and write songs. I started to perform live aged 13 and have been doing so eagerly ever since. When I was 14 I entered a competition in Spain organized by EMI where I won the public prize and got to record some of my songs with renowned producer Nigel Walker. I kept on writing songs and performing live and aged 17 I released my first EP, produced by Nigel Walker. It had a great welcoming from the press and the public and when I finished my college studies and turned 18, I moved to London to study music and try to make a career in the industry.
Since arriving London, I started performing live anywhere and everywhere with my guitar. A while after; I found a band that would perform with me and started to play full band shows around the city. We performed around the UK, Spain and even in Ireland.
In 2018, we were tipped as one of the ‘Big in 2018’ bands by promoters This Feeling, coinciding with the release of ‘Going Down’. As well as that, last year we performed all around the UK and Spain including Isle of Wight festival, FIB (Benicassim festival) and support slots with Sophie and the Giants.
This year there’s a lot coming up! ‘Toxic’ just came out and we have a small UK tour coming up this Spring, so all in all, very excited for everything that’s coming!
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Describe yourself as an artist.
I am an artist with a heartfelt and delicate voice surrounded by powerful and rocky guitars but that can also be very emotive. Indie rock songs with a pop core…
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Tell us the genre of your music.
Indie rock / Pop rock – I like to say I write pop songs in an indie rock setup!
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Tell us the story behind your song.
It is a song about illness and struggle, based on personal experience. The narrative embedded in the single describes the spiral of an illness taking hold and dealing with the uphill battle of getting to the root cause.
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Tell us the problems you are facing as a musician.
Being a musician is hard, you have to dedicate all of your time, efforts and money into it and sometimes (most of the time! haha) it’s hard to balance it all, whilst living and paying rent in London, but if you love what you do and you have passion and a goal, those are just little things!
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Discuss the recording and production of the song.
The song was recorded party in a studio in London and party in my bedroom! It was produced by Nigel Walker (former engineer at Air Studios with Sir George Martin and who’s worked with Paul McCartney, Elton John…) who produced my first EP. He came to London from Spain where he is based and although we’d bounced off demos and ideas, we sat in the room and worked out what was good and what wasn’t working in the track, we changed parts, keys, and certain parts of the arrangement and we went into the studio with it. Recorded everything live in the room and then overdubbed parts.
Being an independent artist is hard, especially if you are funding things yourself, and as budget wasn’t huge, we had limited studio time, which meant that I had to record the vocals at my house and work over the internet with Nigel to get the tracks finished!
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List the names of blogs, radio or television stations that have supported you so far.
‘Toxic’ has been played and reviewed:
Radio X – John Kennedy’s X-Posure
Radio 3 – Julio Ruiz’s Disco Grande (Spain)
Amazing Radio
Soundlab Radio
Premium Blend Radio Show
Hoxton Radio
Smile Radio
Earthly Pleasures
Nexus Music Blog
Gigslutz – This Feeling Track of the Day
Indie Central Music – Modernage Music Track of the Week
Rock The Best Music (Spain)
Pupilandia (Spain)
J-Musind (Spain)
Zone Nights (Argentina)
Males Vibrations (Spain)
Luton FM
Diverse FM
NoMePierdoNiUna
Massive thanks to all of them and sorry if I’ve missed you out!
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Elaborate on your music career, experience and future goals.
I’ve been performing since I was a teenager, that’s all I’ve wanted to do. I’ve been learning my craft, my performing live and writing songs, going onto radio sessions, etc.
I was also awarded a scholarship to do a Summer course for vocalists at Stanford University in San Francisco, and I have a degree in Music Performance and Recording, but the most valuable experience has been working with other people in the industry: producers, songwriters, musicians, and by going out and performing, developing my career in a DIY way where I book my shows, do my PR, arrange interviews, record songs, write, etc.
My goals for the future are to keep on developing my skills as a performer, musician and songwriter and to further my career into the next levels…and go all the way to the top! 😀
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Brief us what inspires you to write, compose and sing.
It depends on the song, but it goes from personal experience, things that have happened to me or about the way I am feeling in that particular moment, about things/stories I see or have heard and I also like to write about universal topics, the way I feel about certain things or things that anyone can relate to.
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Brief us the top-secret behind making a hit song.
I think it’s connecting with the audience. It has to have a great hook but that people can also relate to in terms of topics. A song that can be timeless and that people can grow with. But then again…‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was a hit song and it’s incredibly intricate and too long for radio, so I don’t really know if there’s a formula!
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Tell the advice you will give to an upcoming artist.
If you love it, do it and graft for it. Put the hard work in and even if it seems that things are not happening or happening slowly… So keep on going!
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Discuss at length your music careers, albums, songs, tours, recognition or awards you might have received.
Releases:
First EP – ‘50 feet’ released when I was 17
Single – ‘No. 24’ released in 2016
Single – ‘Flip the Coin’ released in 2017
Single – ‘Going Down’ released in 2018
Single – ‘Toxic’ released in 2019
In the last two years I have performed solo and with my band all around the UK and Spain including FIB (Benicassim festival) and Isle of Wight festival.
When I was 14 I won the public prize in a contest organized by EMI Spain.
Last year we were tipped as one of This Feeling’s ‘Big in 2018’.
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Tell us how you write your lyrics, compose, sing and record in the studio.
I usually write the music and the lyrics together, although I do have some songs where I have finished the chords and the melody and I work on the lyrics separately.
I have also co-written with other people and everyone’s method is different.
When I’m recording vocals in the studio or at home, I need some sort of intimacy and if at all possible, I like dim lighting. It helps me get more into it for some reason!
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Name your favourite artists for collaboration.
Noel Gallagher!
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Share your press release and reviews with us.
Press Release
NADIA SHEIKH – ‘Toxic’
Impact – March 22nd, 2019 via AWAL
“Sounding great, fantastic!”
– John Kennedy, Radio X
“A potent mix of influences shine through on powerful new single: from Weller to Norah Jones to PJ Harvey, half British, half Spanish, one huge talent”
– Gigslutz, This Feeling Track Of The Day, Big In 2019
“A very special talent with all the tools to shine. One to watch and get very, very excited about indeed”
– Gigslutz
“Nadia Sheikh is a genre chameleon with a voice that warms the soul”
– Fred Perry Subculture
‘There is definitely something timeless, classic and global about born pop star’
– The Zine
London based artist Nadia is set to release her new single ‘Toxic’, with Impact on March 22nd, 2019 via AWAL with the track available via to stream and download from 25th January, 2019.
Following on from her last release ‘Going Down’ earlier this year, ‘Toxic’ has been produced and mixed by Nigel Walker from Air Studios. Nadia will draw you in with her exquisite vocals and hold you there with her bold ominous indie rock guitar style.
The genre chameleon has perfected the art of blending indie rock, with timeless pop, then adding her own flavour with her half-Spanish half-British heritage and heartfelt narratives, you will be in a trance.
At just 14 Nadia’s endeavour into the music scene started with being offered a development deal from EMI Spain after winning their public prize competition. Through this opportunity she began working with Nigel Walker (Air Studios London) releasing her first EP at 17. Since then Nadia has been non-stop collaborating with producers and artists such as Danny Schogger (Sam Brown’s Producer) who produced her singles ‘No. 24’ and ‘Flip The Coin’ and Jamie Morrison ( Drummer of Stereophonics).
She’s also impressed the likes of Mark Gardiner (RIDE) who offered to produce and collaborate with her on future releases.
2018 was a successful year for Nadia, being tipped as ‘This Feeling’s Big In 2018’ alongside artist JUDAS and playing Isle of Wight Festival .
Nadia has also performed at FIB (Benicassim Festival) last summer 2018. 2019 started with a world first play from John Kennedy, a This Feeling Tour and just recently Nadia was invited by Alan McGhee to play his new Creation 23 Label Showcase at The Social.
Of ‘Toxic’ Nadia commented, “It is a song about illness and struggle, based on personal experience of being unknowingly affected by black mold. The narrative embedded in the single describes the spiral of the mysterious illness taking hold and dealing with the uphill battle of getting to the root cause; that was continuously being diagnosed as stress.”
Airplay: John Kennedy – Radio X, Gary Crowley – BBC Introducing London, Charlie Ashcroft – Amazing Radio, Get In Her Ears – Hoxton Radio, Wandsworth Radio, Shoreditch Radio, Boogaloo Radio, Radio 3 (Spain), RNE and RTE2 (Ireland), Soundlab (Playlisting), The Premium Blend Radio, EGH Radio.
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Tell us how you will spend a million dollars.
I would build my own recording studio!
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Discuss music promotion and how you are boosting your fan base.
I’m a DIY artist, so I use mainly my social media accounts to share my music, gigs, videos, etc. with my fans. As well as this, I have had some people contact me after finding out about my music on blogs that have reviewed it and they have gone to check out my other songs.
As well as this, radio is a massive one as you get to reach a bigger audience all at once!
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Tell us how you manage other activities with your music career.
Being an independent artist, you have to do lots of other stuff and work to be able to sustain yourself, especially if you live in a city like London, so sometimes it’s hard to balance it all, and most of the time I have a bazillion things to do and don’t have time to maybe go out with my friends or do other things as much as I would, but I love what I do, so I don’t even think of those things!
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State your artist’s name and elaborate on it.
Nadia Sheikh…I was born with it!
