Today we’d like to introduce you to Nami Dae
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in a small town in New Jersey that was deeply invested in the arts. My parents made sure that I was involved in the music, art, and dance programs in the area. I also spent a significant amount of time at my church, where my parents ran the music department. So as I was growing up, I was always furthering my creative knowledge and experience. As I got older I started to focus most of my time on music. I joined choirs, orchestras, acapella groups, and learned how to arrange music for vocal groups. All of this led me to Berklee College of Music, where I met many of my current friends and collaborators. My college years were when I really got to see music from less of a notation standpoint and more of an emotional experience. I started playing with live bands, freestyling, and experimenting more in the different sounds and styles I could combine together.
By the end of 2021 I had put out two full Eps “Undercover Introvert” and “Water”, the later of which led me to participate in a number of writing camps and recording sessions in LA. I ended up moving to LA in 2023, and I have evolved so much as a person and artist since then. Being here helped me make new friends and sing behind people such as Noname, Tori Kelly, and Forrest Frank. I dropped my latest Ep “Outer Context” in May of this year, which was a project that pushed my writing to it’s experimental limits, both lyrically and sonically. “Outer Context” is a very honest collection of songs that talk about how I was feeling as a young adult trying to regroup after the pandemic. I have always used music as an emotional outlet to the things I experience in my everyday life, but this was the first time I didn’t wrap up the meaning of the songs in loads of figurative language. As I get older I find myself getting more comfortable speaking my mind and doing things I want without the fear of other peoples opinions.
Due to this newfound confidence, I feel more fulfilled, and have had more performances in California, which has allowed me to share my story and connect with others. The people and environments I’ve found myself in lately have helped me get a better understanding of who I am/want to be, which has inspired me to work on my first album, which I intend to release in 2025.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road definitely wasn’t easy. I have second guessed myself and my decisions a lot, but overtime I have come to make peace with the fact that I will never miss things that are specifically for me. There were times where I overthought myself to a standstill, wondering if I was making the right choices in my life and my art. But I’ve come to find there is hardly a wrong answer when you make decisions while being honest about what you want and the work you’re willing to put in to get it. Its easy to compare your journey to others and think that you have to do things a certain way to be successful, but everyone is different, which means everyone’s journey doesn’t always look the same. I’ve learned that staying true to yourself breeds the greatest results in getting closer to your dream reality.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist that is well known for is my intricate melodies and background vocals. I grew up singing in a lot of different choirs and vocal ensembles, so I have fun composing parts. Overtime I started to get more creative with my vocal writing, using my Bgvs like instruments and sound effects to help build the track up. It’s interesting figuring out all the different things I can do with my voice, even if it isn’t normally considered a pretty thing to sing, because sometimes thats what gives a song its edge.
As I continued my artist journey, I started figuring out how to combine certain genres together. As a kid, I grew up listening to a lot of different music and watching concerts on my DVD/VCR. I always dreamed of singing it all, Rock, RnB, Jazz, Classical, Gospel, but I never knew how I would accomplish that. Especially since I saw them as things that didn’t go together. However, as I started hanging out with DJs and watching how they mixed certain songs together, I realized that I could apply that same concept to my writing. This is why I’m so proud of my latest single, “Like I Do”. I made this song with my friend Mntra after I moved to Los Angeles. He’s an amazing producer and when he found out I was from Jersey he sent the beat over. I loved that I got the chance to make a record that fused the alt RnB sound that I sing with the dance music I grew up on.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like that there are so many different types of things to do here, and the days feel so long sometimes it feels like I can fit two in one. But I don’t like how far apart everything is. I feel like so much time is wasted getting from place to place that it makes it difficult to wanna do a lot in one day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://namidae.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nami.dae/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@justanothernamidae
Image Credits
Matt Majoub
Marco Stills
Buddahgotjokes
