Exposed Vocals Interviews L.A. Nova
L.A. Nova is an artist from Huntington Station in Long Island, NY who grew up in a corrupt neighborhood. He started doing music at the age of 12 and realized his talent for it at the age of 14. L.A. was much into sports until he was shot in front of his aunt’s home, which ultimately ended his football career. He was incarcerated some time later for 3 years where he developed his business management skills and his passion for music grew even more. Now at the age of 24, he’s an up and coming artist and he’s been featured on Coast to Coast mixtapes and plans on working even harder on everything the future has is in store.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
L.A. Nova: Well to start, I grew up in Huntington Station in Long Island, New York. I was raised in the middle of violence and crime and became a product of my environment. So when i was around 12, i started doing music for recreation but as i got older, i seen it as a way out. Over time, i grew a passion for it. And around the age of 15, I joined the Universal Zulu Nation and it opened my eyes to how real music should sound.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
L.A. Nova: I’ve been asked that a lot. The block i was raised on was Lowndes Avenue and it was that same block were my life revolved around for as long as i can remember. So it’s just something that stuck with me. Nova came from a good friend of mines that passed away when i was around 16 years old. He always told me my bars were “outta this world” so he started saying Nova. So to pay homage to my good friend and my old block, it became L.A. Nova.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
L.A. Nova: I think online music sharing is a good way to get your music heard. Social media now is the biggest trend at the moment and there are platforms specifically for music sharing. So it’s perfect for unsigned and up and coming artists to show it to the world. And also, I do give music away for me because i was never in it for the income. I would rather make music that tells a story of a true struggle so that the youth would listen and see the world for what it really is.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
L.A. Nova: Just keep working hard and STAY FOCUSED. There could be a lot of distractions but as long as you stay focused, you can’t fail. You set your eyes on something and chase it into a corner. Also, if you are up and coming or just getting your start, every aspect of your music, do it yourself. It’s beneficial for you in the long run.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
L.A. Nova: My inspiration comes from my life. My whole life was a struggle enduring poverty, loss of too many relatives and friends, gang violence, committing crimes and being incarcerated. So my songwriting process consists of listening to an instrumental and deciding which part of my life that specific instrumental deserves to be paired with.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
L.A. Nova: I use quite a few platforms. It starts from Facebook and Twitter all the way down to TuneCore and RadioAirPlay. The links underneath are my main social site links:
www.facebook.com/LA-Nova-1001173873299023/?ref=hl
twitter.com/MarciMarci25
www.instagram.com/la_nova_25/
www.reverbnation.com/lanova7
soundcloud.com/la_nova_25
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
L.A. Nova: First off, I wouldn’t take a year off because hard work pays and no work doesn’t. But with a half a million dollars, I would start a business for my family to run while i work steadily on my career so that way, my family would have a good steady income working with each other in a comfortable environment while i do what i love to do while collecting residual income.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
L.A. Nova: I promote it to my immediate circle of friends and family first because they have nothing but my best interest in mind. Afterwards, i would post to all my social media sites and finally, I would send my music to everyone in connected to in other states and countries. So far, I’ve touched base in Boston, Oklahoma, California and Canada.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
L.A. Nova: I have a few upcoming projects that i will be working on in the next upcoming months. But my main focus at the moment is getting my 2.5 Campaign to it’s highest capacity in growth. My campaign consists of different artists, whether lyricists or singers, photographers, engineers and producers.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
L.A. Nova: If i wasn’t making music, I probably would be playing football if i would’ve stayed on the path my mother intended for me. But it’s too late for that so music is my heart and soul now.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
L.A. Nova: I still haven’t perfected that part yet. It is very difficult to balance out personal and business but it definitely is possible! So share an equal amount of priority and focus on both of those aspects but I’m
more outcome focused than income focused so i think about the long run.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
L.A. Nova: Well my fans can look for more dedicated work to keep open eyes on life and the struggle that a lot of people, no matter race or religion, are going through. Expect Hip Hop and expect the story to be the realest of them all!
L.A. Nova: Shout outs to exposed vocals. I want to thank you for conducting this interview and showing me love. I definitely enjoyed conversating with you. Peace!