Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadia Vaeh.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
According to my parents, I was emulating vocalists and humming melodies from age two and I would dance my lil diaper off. When I was 12, my mom enrolled me into the Atlanta Youth Choir where I learned more about voice and harmonies and song arrangement in the more classical sense.
As soon as I hit my teens though, my hormones were raging and I needed MORE. I found myself in the arms of the Spice Girls, Britney, Christina, PiNk but then I also fell hard for Jewel, Alanis, and OG Avril. I would sit in my room at night and listen to my boombox and study the CD Pamphlets until I knew every nuance and just dream.
I started keeping journals with doodles and random poems and lyrics.
At 16, I got really into artists like No Doubt, Nirvana, Paramore, ETC., and that is when I decided I wanted to have my very own band. Some friends and I formed my first original music project called “Broken Harmony”… I’m sure there are awful recordings somewhere on myspace if that still exists.
The summer after I formed my band, I had my world shattered and I stepped away from music for several years. My mother, my best friend, had made a few suicides attempts that summer placing life as my family and I knew it on hold. She finally ended the summer successful in her pursuit to escape her pain. After that experience, it was hard to return to music because it just didn’t feel the same without her. She was my believer and inspiration. My love of words and wordcraft developed from writing with her as a kid. She was an amazing poet.
It was a journey to get back to the core of who I am and I am just so thankful I found my way back to music as it has been the only way to rebuild what was lost. Music is such a powerful healer.
I’m going to touch on my journey back to music as well because that’s such a huge part of my story.
At this turning point in my life, I was a pretty avid serial, serious relationship person. I’d dive into a relationship with someone that probably wasn’t right for me to distract myself from the pain I was living in. So, this one particular relationship was falling apart and I was just devastated. While I was in the midst moving out of the beautiful Atlanta loft I’d been sharing with him, I decided I wanted to do one final sad load of laundry, but I noticed we were out of detergent.
I went down to the friendliest neighbor’s door (granted he and I had exchanged mere hellos) and asked to borrow a cuppa soap. He kindly obliged, and in doing so, I noticed circus rigs and stylings all over his large, high-ceilinged space.
I remarked on how cool it must be to be an actual circus ringmaster and that I’d always wanted to be in the circus, to which he followed up with an invite to the next practice.
I found myself performing with this circus troop and sang in some of their shows, where I met my buddy Ben Farmer who reminded me of my love of words and songwriting. We started working on a folk project and I felt so alive being back immersed into creating. I also started writing some electronic reggae music around this time with friend Kirby (Kherbs) right around this time as well.
I also somehow wound up into a performance art troupe and had a brief stint as a burlesque dancer (finding yourself is hard guys) and met my next romantic misadventure through friends in that community.
It wasn’t entirely a misadventure though, because it was this gent who helped me discover so much about my core-self, spear-headed by leading me to pop production through one of his homies from work named Glenn.
I did a few songs with Glenn, and I tried to make them work for me but wasn’t given the space to explore in this collaboration. I filmed a couple of videos, did some photoshoots, planned some release parties, but in the end, I didn’t feel like I had enough skin in the records and I ended up not releasing the works.
I then found myself living in Colorado with this same boyfriend that had helped me realize my dream of writing pop music, only to be living his dream of being a cannabis business mogul.
I eventually circled back around to face the music once again back home in Atlanta, where I ended up connecting with some people in Nashville. I took some song outlines I had written with my ex to get produced out by them in music city. The project ended up being nowhere near what I had hoped for sonically and I was pretty disheartened by the experience.
I pressed on though and began flying out back out to Colorado. My friend Mitch Zonnefeld worked at a recording studio out there and was always super encouraging and supportive of my music. I thought, maybe I’ll meet some producers there. Sure enough, I met the first two producers I created something with that I felt proud to share; Rob Gedelian and Christopher J. Bloom. These dudes, along with working out of KMGstudios where I would record were pivotal to me finding my way to LA to full-on BLOSSOM.
At this point in my journey though, I still wasn’t quite ready to go all-in yet, so I went back home to Atlanta for one more go. I felt so stagnant after just a couple months. I was living with my wonderful friend Houston in the city who gave me the freedom me and ability to figure out what I needed by being flexible on rent when I would travel to LA. I was flying out first every few months, then every month for about a year before deciding to move out and truly pursue my artistry. I am so glad I did too because now I’ve found an amazing team that gives me the room to grow and explore my sound. It’s been a crazy music evolution but an even wilder spiritual one.
I am just so grateful to be here.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been an easy journey but I am at a place now where I can see the beauty in some of the hardship.
The biggest challenges I’ve faced have definitely been mental health-related. This industry and pursuit can be very taxing. I struggle with the balancing act and have to push to keep my self-care game alive.
One thing that has mitigated some of this is having a team and that has my back and really works hard to understand my visions and bring them to life and also checks me when I’m over-doing it. (Shoutout to Tyler Spratt for being the best music industry big bro this girl could ever ask for, believing in me and for working so hard to bring my songs to life in a way I can fully be proud of and feel represents me.)
Finances can sometimes tough to manage as a freelance artist/entrepreneur. One month, I may have more money going out into new projects rather than into my bank account and other months it balances out.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I’m a singer, songwriter and recording artist from Atlanta, GA specializing in making music that just makes you feel good. I’m proud and feel so blessed to be at a place where I can make the music in my heart real. I want to help others heal and find themselves through my music.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the creative force here and the collaborative songwriting community. I am very much a fan of the countless food options and offerings. (I LOVE FAT BURGER – Sorry in ‘n out lovers.)
I enjoy the wide array of nature offerings that are close-by.
I hate the pollution levels, trash, homeless situation and lack of adequate public transportation.
Pricing:
- I do have merch for sale @ www.nadiavaeh.com/shop
- My music is available for streaming everywhere
- but can be purchased here with a donation of $1 or more https://nadiavaeh.bandcamp.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nadiavaeh.com
Image Credit:
Angela Kohler, Nick Humphries, Edward Hernandez, Philip from VisionQuest Sound, John Garland, Thom Kerr
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