Preparing to release his debut EP, “Bones”, in February of 2018, London based producer Nearly Native is back with the third single, “Shallow”, featuring Hero Baldwin. It wasn’t all that long ago that we featured his debut single, “I Have Been Waiting”, and once again he grabs us with his original vibes and interesting production style.
Showing off a new vibe on his latest release, “Shallow”, Nearly Native takes a step away from his two-step rhythms as he opts for a deeper groove accentuated by the haunting vocals by Hero. With industrial textures filling the background, the baseline takes hold while pitchy synth lines accentuate the track. Dark and dancey, this track is both emotive and pumping.
With the release of his EP on the horizon, we figured we’d catch up with Nearly Native for a chat. Check out the track below and keep scrolling to catch our Q&A.
RDFO: I love how original your tunes are. What is the process like for you when creating new music?
NN: The usual process is to program a beat until I’m convinced that I can’t hear it without dancing around the room. Then, I’ll write in a chord sequence that moves me and creates some sort of emotional juxtaposition to the nasty Garage stuff that’s happening underneath. I usually add guitar parts as decoration – it’s my main instrument and there’s nowhere near enough guitar in music right now. Once I’m done, I rest on it, listen to it the next day, hate it, start again and usually, the third time round is when I crack it. Then we write lyrics and melodies that reflect the atmosphere of the tracks – dark, vulnerable and catchy.
RDFO: What part of the UK are you based in?
NN: East London
RDFO: Who are some of your favorite artists you think are tearing it up in the UK right now?
NN: I can’t get enough of Slowthai – star in the making. Tom Misch is flying the flag for keeping decent guitar playing alive which is always a good thing. I’m also really into a few artists on the Liquid Ritual label; Kareful and Vacant in particular. Check out my ‘Nearly Native – Currently Listening‘ playlist on Spotify
RDFO: What does the name Nearly Native mean and how did you come up with it?
NN: Its a tongue in cheek reference to my heritage; I’m Half Irish, Half Burmese, but was born in Barking. I am a native of this country, yet my heritage is a complete mashup. A lot of what makes Britain ‘great’ is ‘Nearly Native‘.
RDFO: How did the collab with Hero Baldwin on your latest release come about?
NN: I was introduced to Hero via my publisher Big Life Music. We hit it off instantly and wrote ‘Shallow‘ in one session. The energy she brings to writing sessions is off the chart!
RDFO: Tell us about what you have in store for the Bones EP.
NN: There’s two more tracks to be released from the Bones EP – very excited for both. I have a few remixes awaiting release, then it’s on to EP two! I’ll hopefully be doing some live spots at some point as well.
RDFO:Any advice for other aspiring producers out there?
NN:
1) Learn to play an instrument – it helps you think outside the box 2) Listen to stuff outside your comfort zone 3) Forget what everyone else is doing 4) Make sure that what you’re creating makes you want to leap in the air and run down the streets screaming “THIS IS AMAZING”, otherwise, whats the point?!
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