Nadia Sheikh Talks New Single, Her Voice And More

A half-British, half-Spanish artist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, who writes and records in both English and Spanish, Nadia Sheikh crafts songs that cut deep with raw emotion, equal parts grit and grace. Her latest single ‘Memories’ is out now and it felt like the perfect time to talk to her:

When did you begin singing?

I always loved music as a kid, but it wasn’t until I was around 12 that I started. I’d never sang before, and one day I just decided to announce to my mum that I wanted to be a singer. She said, “great, sing me something” and for the life of me I couldn’t get a sound to come out haha. 

What is your earliest musical memory?

Dancing to Mambo No. 5 in the living room and having an obsession with The Beatles, watching the film “A Hard Day’s Night” over and over again.

You have released your new single ‘Memories’. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?

I have! I’m so happy it’s finally out. It’s a song about missing the person you loved after a relationship is broken, but more than the mere thought of missing them, it’s about the little things, the everyday reminders that things have changed and they’re not part of your life anymore while you try to cling onto the memories of what was.

Where did you record the single and who produced it?

It’s co-produced between myself and my bandmates Rowan Davies (bass) and George Gardiner (drums), who I’ve been working with for many years. We recorded drums at Brighton Electric but the rest is done at home. It was mixed and mastered by George Perks.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

Nothing funny as such, more that it was a song that went through many stages, but the essence was capture from the very first demo. I remember writing it one night and being so excited about it, that in a session I had the next day with the boys, we put whatever we were working on then aside and just started working on the demo for “Memories”.

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

I’m an independent self-funded artist so our resources are quite limited, so nothing fancy! However, we wanted a kind of rubber bridge guitar sound for the acoustic guitar plucks in the choruses and we didn’t have one. I bought one of those tennis racket rubber things that you can kind of “cheat” a guitar with to make it sound similar but it wasn’t right, so we ended up using paper on a baby travel acoustic I have which isn’t the best to record, but it was the exact sound we wanted!

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

There’s a visualiser for each release this year so far. With budget being very low, I wanted to make something that captured the song’s essence but that was simple, so I decided to do visualisers in one take, a simple lip sync performance shot. So I asked my friend Joao Faria to film it, and I did the editing. For “How to Lose a Friend” I wanted something more dynamic so we did it in a busy street in Soho but for
“Memories” I wanted something more intimate, so I posed the idea of trying to get the golden hour light, and we got lucky with finding the ideal place! We actually only filmed one take of it.

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

I have lots of unreleased music that could fall into these but I shout some released
songs!

– Happiest: How to Lose a Friend. Although the sentiment is bittersweet, this song
always uplifts me

– Angriest: Quiet – it’s a song about the lack of voice we sometimes have as women,
an issue that sadly is still very relevant.

– Most reflective: Memories

Do you have any further music releases planned for 2025?

I do!! And I’m so excited about it. “Recuerdos”, the Spanish version of “Memories” dropped on 30th May, which I’m super excited about, and there’s a lot more music coming up this year.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

Have connected with the audience, have had a good time.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I play guitar and piano, but I usually play guitar live. I have my trusty SM58 and I use a Quad Cortex, which is brilliant as I can have all my amps and pedals in one and it’s super easy to travel with.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I grew up in a town called Alcora, in Spain. I’d describe it as: industrial, safe, familiar,
permanent, fiesta.

How do you look after your voice?

I always wash my hands!! As silly as it sounds, it really helps with not catching stuff. But hydration, warming up before shows, trying not to shout when I’m at gigs or loud spaces. Eating healthy.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I read a novel called “A Little Life” last year which had me completely absorbed, it’s
so painful but written so beautifully and it explains friendships and love in a very
touching way. I think it’d lend itself to a beautiful score, and I’d love to have a go at it!

What makes Nadia Sheikh happy and what makes you unhappy?

Happy:
Family and friends, music and art, feeling touched by something, creativity, dogs, deep and meaningful conversations, being active, sunshine, being locked in on a gray day writing songs, gigs…

Unhappy:
Intolerance, war, waste, injustice and not being able to do something to help, social media planning, lactose and gluten, being far away from my loved ones.

Feature Image Photo Credit:  Joao Faria

Nadia Sheik’s latest single ‘Memories’ is out now.

Buy/Listen Here: https://releases.nadiasheikh.com/memories

For more information visit her official website: https://www.nadiasheikh.com/