We love pop and we’re not ashamed to admit it! Good pop, that is… A short while ago I heard a song by a young songstress called Nina Schofield, and you know what? I felt happy afterwards, and thought I should share it with the rest of you…
Lucky for me Nina had a bit of free time in her busy schedule to e-fit me in for a quick chat…
Hi Nina, for those who do not know you or your music, how would you best describe your sound?
I’d say its anthemic, (hopefully) uplifting power pop with a little bit of soul in there too. Lots of piano and strings – maybe Paloma Faith meets Imagine Dragons!
And when did you decide to make music?
There was always music in my house growing up – my mum played the piano so I had that to tinker about on early on and I started properly learning piano when I was 5. Then singing and writing just seemed like a natural progression and I had fun making up stories through songs. I wrote my first ‘proper’ song when I was 12 and kept going from there!
Apart from your mum, who has been your biggest influence so far and why?
I’ll always remember when I first heard Coldplay’s album ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ and I thought every song was magical. I listened to that on repeat for months and it still remains a massive inspiration. Each time I listen to their music I get a renewed sense of passion for music and want to start writing! I think their songs are able to tap into emotion and connect with an audience whilst still being memorable and powerful.
What does your daily routine look like and how much of the day do you spend on making/ writing music?
I try and write every day – I do a lot of writing for other artists as well as myself so I have to prioritize depending on what deadline is coming up first! I’ll usually have breakfast, start answering emails and check my accounts, and if I have a gig I’ll be sorting out my gear for the evening. A lot of my best writing happens at night so if I’m not out at a show I’ll be glued to my piano. Other times I have sessions in different studios during the day so I’m out in all sorts of new places quite a few days of the week writing and working with other producers and artists. I love the variety music can bring from day to day.
How does your writing/ creating process look like and when does it usually happen?
If I’m writing for myself then I usually sit at my piano and channel whatever thoughts or feelings I’m having into melodies and lyrical ideas over some chords. Then I can feel whether a good song is going to start to take shape or not…as I mentioned before this usually happens at night time for me. Probably because I’ve been processing everything from the day and it all starts to bubble under the surface by this time. I’m quite quick with my writing as I like having the complete thing in front of me pretty soon after I’ve started an idea I like – It’s great therapy!
For other projects I try and imagine myself as the artist I’m writing for and hear their voice singing the song in my head. If I can’t imagine them singing a certain hook or lyric then I scrap it and try something else. Sometimes all rules go out the window and I’ll just jam something with a writer friend and stumble across some cool ideas that way too.
What’s the most memorable event in your music career so far and why?
Recently I went to Glasgow to play a show for my publisher whilst Radio 1’s big weekend was on. I was lucky enough to share the same plane ride home as Chris Martin and few other artists from the event – I got to play a fun gig and then meet my musical hero in the same day!
What’s the most embarrassing event in your music career and why?
I played a festival where there were a few sound problems and I had about 5 minutes on stage just chatting to the audience. I’m usually ok with that kind of thing but for some reason I decided to tell a knock-knock joke and positively no-one laughed..or even reacted at all if I’m honest. I learnt pretty quickly to have a few more stories up my sleeve for next time!
Tell us one thing about yourself that not many people know about.
A few years ago I was on an advert with Emma Bunton and was asked during filming to be her stand-in as well. It was a lot of fun!
Your new single “Over It Under It” will be out soon. What’s it about?
It’s about being wronged by someone whilst in a relationship and reaching that tipping point where you realize holding on is no longer doing you any good. It’s better to pick yourself up, move on and don’t look back!
Why did you choose this particular track as your next single?
It’s always been a favourite of mine and it gets such a positive reaction when I play it live. It’s one that I hope a lot of people can relate to when they hear it and can feel the emotional release… and maybe get some anger out!
What kind of audience would you like to reach with this song and why?
I hope it appeals to anyone who’s had a rough relationship experience and wants to feel empowered to move on. I don’t think it matters how old you are or whether you’re a guy or a girl – hurt is universal and something we all go through. Hopefully people just like the sound of the song as well.
What’s next in store for you after the single is out?
I’ll be continuing to tour around the country – I’m currently on my schools tour which has been amazing fun so far. I also just started working on my next record so I’ll be focusing a lot more on that at the end of the summer and have a few more exciting projects coming up very shortly.
Big thanks to Nina!
Big thanks to Nina!
