Nina Nesbitt Gives Us a Sneak Peek Inside Her Upcoming Album and Spring Tours 

Donn Swaby

Creating a balance of pop sentiment and down-to-earth amenability, Nina Nesbitt continues to take the pop world by storm. With several buzzing singles under her belt, fans can’t seem to get enough of 23 year old Scottish singer/songwriter. Most recently, Nesbitt released a music video and acoustic version to accompany her soulful and catchy “Somebody Special,” the newest single off of her upcoming album.

As Nesbitt prepares for her upcoming North American tours with Jake Bugg and Clean Bandit, and soon-to-follow album release, Entertainment Voice caught up with the pop darling to get a deeper perspective on her new material and give her fans a closer look at her creative process.

“Somebody Special,” your most recent single, tells the story of how reuniting with an ex boyfriend put you on a bit of a high. Will you take us deeper inside of the song and what it means to you when you hear it now?

It’s the happiest, poppiest song on the album so it’s a fun one to play. It just reminds me of a great time in my life when we got back together and no matter what we were doing or where we were everything felt exciting. it reminds me a lot of walking round Walmart buying sweets (laughs).

You have said “Somebody Special” is the most pop (and the most positive) song on your upcoming album, where the rest of the album is a bit more sad. What can fans expect from your album in the way of style and subject matter?

It’s mostly about personal growth and takes you on a journey from start to finish. There’s (kinda) upbeat singles and then some lyrical ballads. It’s mostly stripped back with piano and atmospheric production but still has those poppy choruses. All will be revealed soon…

You write songs for other artists as well as for yourself. Do you usually write tracks with other artists in mind or do you decide after the song is written whether you’ll save it for yourself or give it away?

I just get in to a room and try and write the best song that I can. Then it’s a case of listening back and deciding if it’s me or not. Normally when it’s for me I get a special feeling when I’m writing it and just know that I can’t give it away. It’s like giving birth to a child (laughs).

You have previously stated that many musical genres have formed your songwriting. Do you have any influences that your fans would be genuinely surprised by?

I listen to pretty much everything. I’m inspired by every genre that I hear but you maybe can’t hear it through my music. Like, I listen to rap music and I’m obsessed with how they tell the story. And then I’m like, “Right. I wanna tell my story like that through pop.” Or I listen to rock music and I’m thinking, “Wow I want my chorus to hit as hard as that but with different sounds.” So it could be any genre that inspires something subliminally.

How has your homeland of Scotland influenced you musically?

I think it was really influential when I started out because I was a lot more folk-led. I grew up walking around Edinburgh hearing a lot of traditional music and buskers, and I guess it probably influenced me and my music. I love celtic melodies and a few of the vocal runs I naturally did growing up would come from them.

Your single “The Best You Had” hints at “the confusion between our egos and our feelings” when going through a breakup. You have said that the song was inspired after a conversation you had with a friend. What was going through your head as the track was coming together?

I had the chorus lyrics written down for months and loved them so I kept on trying to fit them in to a song. I eventually had a session with my friend Jordan Riley and he started playing these amazing chords, I picked up an SM7, started singing whatever came to me and the song was literally written 20 minutes later. I knew it was a really special song to me as soon as the chords started.

Beginning in March, you are joining Jake Bugg on his upcoming North American tour. Jake is dubbing this an “acoustic tour,” and you just released an acoustic version of “Somebody Special” on Feb. 23. Will you be performing acoustically on the tour as well?

Yes absolutely, I’ll be performing completely acoustic with guitar and piano on this tour which will be a really nice contrast from the Clean Bandit tour afterwards. I love playing acoustic because it’s a good way of showcasing the songs I think and add another dimension.

Yes, you will also be joining Clean Bandit for the second half of their “I Miss You Tour” this spring. What are looking forward to most on your upcoming tours with both Jake Bugg and Clean Bandit?

I’m so excited for both, they’ll be really different so it’ll be interesting to experience those audiences and visit all the places scheduled. I’ve barely visited any of the places before so I’m really excited to see them!

Will your North American fans get a chance to hear any previously unreleased songs from your upcoming album on these tours? 

Yes, it’ll mostly be new music. I love playing songs before they come out because it gives me an instant reaction which is really helpful when it comes to picking the singles.

Does your new album have a title yet or have you been kicking around any title ideas? And do you know a date, or a timeline, of when it will be released

It’ll be our end of summer/early autumn, and yes, it has a name but no I haven’t announced it yet. It’s very long. But it’s something that I feel like I’d get tattooed (laughs). It’s a good motto for life.

Nina Nesbitt’s concert dates are here.