Music Review and Interview with Nikita Rolleston
There isn’t a geographic divide in Australia when it comes to music: one city doesn’t rule over another. It just so happens that most of the country’s music critics live in Sydney and Melbourne, and so that’s where the focus lies. So let’s focus on Nikita Rolleston; having recorded her EP in her basement studio is humbling, in this “make-do”nature of Australia’s vibrant underground music scene…
“I don’t just want to create songs that people bop their heads to, that people only hear. I want people to listen, to feel, to relate to, to understand, and for the music to touch every single person in its own unique way. I want my music to change lives, to make lives, and to create a feeling of existence. I want it to connect with every soul in an intimate nature. I want the message to be heard and interpreted in their own unique way. I want everyone to be a part of my musical creations, to feel like it’s their own poetry of the soul and for the world to be able to connect with every single lyric”
Her highly anticipated EP ‘Kaleidoscope’, is starting to ring bells throughout the music industry including the likes of Richard Kingsmill and Dave Ruby Howe with Triple J Unearthed , placing her on the top 100 music chart within a few weeks of her release.
Listen to this beautiful underground sensation spill her heart through her lyrics and show the world how an artist can connect with her fans, through her music on such a deep level. Listen to ‘kaleidoscope’ below.
By HBdidit – Exposed Vocals Music Reviewer and Breaking News Contributor.
A NYC fashion designer, music reviewer and lover of life!
Exclusive Interview:
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
I actually came across Exposed Vocals on twitter. I saw some interesting posts and wanted to know more. I went on to the website and saw some awesome interviews, insights into the music industry, new musicians and new music, and wanted to be a part of it.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
I’m from a small beach town south of Sydney, Australia. Surfing and music has always been a part of my life. I grew up with the regularity of blasting reggae beats and old school blues and folk in my household. My dad used to play guitar, along with my grandpa and brother. I grew up with live music at family gatherings of a weekend and it eventually caught my interest to play guitar in my later years as a teenager.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
My name Nikita Rolleston, I was born with it, so I just decided to keep it.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
I think it is a great way to be seen and to be heard. If you are not well known and you want people to listen to you, they wont buy it if they don’t really know who you are. Give them a chance to get to know you, to appreciate your style, and I think giving away some of your music for free will help with that.
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?
Find your local venues. Ask them to be an opening set for someone. Make it a good set and they will keep asking you to come back and support others and eventually want you to be headlining. When you do play gigs, network with other artists as well as the people who come to watch you play. You never know who could be watching you. As for airplay, be a part of your local music organizations who are a platform for new music being exposed. There are so many different companies out there that push new music to local radio, you should research the best platforms for you and for the audience you wish to reach.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Of course! Nearly every set I play I have made a mistake. The way I handle it is to just keep going. If I forget my words, I make words up. In the end no one really realizes and if they do, they just think it’s a different version to the original. A great musician will never let a crowd know when a mistake has been made.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
I supported a well known Australian musician a few months back. He was so pedantic about his stage set up and sound, that I was only allowed to stand in one spot the entire time I played. He was too worried about his mic stands being moved an inch and his piano wasn’t angled right.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Travel, surfing, photography, family and friends, definitely inspire me to write. I will sometimes sit and play something on my guitar, and if I like the sound I will record it. I then feel the mood of the piece of music, and from experiences or stories I have in my mind, the writing will just flow.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
www.nikitarolleston.com. I really like TuneCore as a means to sharing music. It allows people to buy your music on itunes, amazon, spotify, and many more. I really like sound cloud to show people what you are about and it is definitely an easy tool to use to send music. Another local platform is Triple J Unearthed. That’s another way to really propel your music in the industry and get noticed. Also social media platforms; YouTube, Facebook, twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
The only embarrassing songs on my mp3 player are my original recordings from years ago.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Tour. Travel. Surf. Film and photograph everything. Play music and record it where ever I go. Help rebuild a community with a Waves for Water project along the way.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
At the moment I have been working in a basement studio of my friends place. I have just finished recording my EP, and I am so happy with the sound that has come out of the basement.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Gigs are a very important part of promoting yourself. People get to see the live version, which is always the best version. Another way is networking with other musicians and industry people. Also connect with local radio broadcasters. The best that has worked for me is regular gigging and sending my music to radio programmers. You never know where your music might end up and who it could potentially be heard by.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Either Coachella or Glastonbury Festival with Ben Howard. I really appreciate his music and style and I would love to write with him one day. Especially playing at a big music festival like Coachella and Glastonbury, the feeling would just be magical.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
I am releasing my new EP – Kaleidoscope late March 2015. From April I am doing a National Australian tour and hope to take my music Internationally as well.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Definitely something creative and something with surfing.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
TLC – Waterfalls in 1995. I loved them and I still do. I really wanted to be a part of their group.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
I make time for music every single day. Even if it’s for 30 minutes at the most. I still get a lot done and so much satisfaction knowing I have worked on it. Balance is extremely important as well. If I don’t have balance I struggle to be creative.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?
A new EP release and some tour dates.
