Music Review and Interview with Nikki Teeuw – Shakespeare
This song has a lot going for it, it’s really unusual, all the way from the sort of eighties bounce of the beat and the electronic bass, to the lyrics, the softness of the lead vocal, and the overall concept. It’s original in many ways, and it’s of that sound that crosses over between a number of different genres. On a production level I thought the vocal could be a little louder within the mix, it has a gentle sound to it, which is effective, it’s almost like a whisper, but occasionally it’s so very quiet that you’re almost straining to pick up the words.
The production on the whole is great though, this track has been creatively constructed so that there is no complacency with certain sounds, though the rhythm and the vibe remain consistent. It’s intriguing as a poetic piece of music, and it is indeed poetic, and the idea of Shakespeare is represented well by this. It’s intriguing in that it doesn’t feed into any expectations or find itself confined by style based margins.
A little melodic change towards the end would possibly have added that little something to really make it stand out and stay in your mind after listening, but as a poetic piece of music, it’s unique and compelling, just the way that it is. The beat and the bass are quite hard sounding in contrast with the tender vocal, and this creates a whole ambience of unfamiliar and essentially fresh sounds. It’s quite an experience to listen to. The video that accompanies the song is a simple and very real portrayal of the singer as an artist. These type of videos are always quite nice to see, as they really allow you to get the full experience of what the artist meant when they first came up with the song – you get to see it all in action, essentially; the emotion, the expression.
By Rebecca Cullen
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Nikki Teeuw: I was contacted directly by exposed vocals for an interview.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Nikki Teeuw: I grew up in Melbourne, Australia where I am currently based. I originally had dreams of being an actress and studied dramatic arts for 7 years privately. I appeared in a number of plays and did a lot of extra work on TV and in movies, and through this I started voice lessons originally to strengthen my voice for stage. I had always written poetry and lyrics though and once I’d had a few singing lessons I knew that was what I wanted to do so I began looking for others to work on songs with. I started with a few local hip-hop artists and recorded a few demos, which led to other collaborations and I steadily worked on my craft. I couldn’t imagine a life without music. Being an artist wasn’t ever really a “choice” I made but a way of life.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why
Nikki Teeuw: I think it’s a good way to get more exposure for your music. But I don’t agree with illegal downloading of course. And yes I do give away some music online. I currently have a free download available of the title track to my album “Strange Butterfly”. It is a free giveaway in anticipation of my next single, which is coming out in April.
The link to the free download is here…
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?
Nikki Teeuw: Hone your talent. The better you become the more interest in your music. And persist.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Nikki Teeuw : Not really. I do so many rehearsals before shows that when there is a small mistake it is usually something to do with timing, which is easily fixed. The key is to not stress if it does happen.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Nikki Teeuw: I usually gig when I have a release and I especially like to be on a bill with other artists because it gives everyone the opportunity to play to different crowds and find a wider audience for their art. As I am featuring a Melbourne artist (Marisa Liistro) on a few of my upcoming single covers I am looking at doing a launch that is also an art exhibition for my next show so I am looking forward to that.
Probably the weirdest gig I had was at a bar that was also an artist space. After we had performed we discovered a room that had nothing but a dirty mattress and a tv screen…I’ll leave the content to your imagination but we didn’t go in there!
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Nikki Teeuw: Personal experience is where I get most of my inspiration. Observation also, when it comes to lyric writing. Sometimes, especially lately, I start with free form poems and build them into song format. It seems to be the way of most creatives that pain tends to inspire a lot of their art, which has been the case for me a lot in the past and I had a tendency to write with some angst. I think I’ve progressed from there and I now try to write with a deeper insight. Musically I work with others, as I’m not a player myself. I can start with a basic melody on a keyboard but then I bring it to one of my collaborators and we tend to build from there. I have an amazing friend who I have written a lot of my music with…Susie Ahern…who just seems to know exactly what I’m trying to achieve. Other times I will be sent a basic groove or chord idea and I’ll build my melody around that…..it’s different all the time.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Nikki Teeuw: My website is currently under construction but I tend to find soundcloud a great platform. I also use twitter quite regularly now.
My soundcloud page is www.soundcloud.com/nikkiteeuw
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Nikki Teeuw: I’m not sure I should admit to this, but the most embarrassing would be The Ketchup Song!
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Nikki Teeuw: A trip to France is on the top of the list! And to be honest I’d buy a house!
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
Nikki Teeuw: I work on garage-band for demos at home. I eventually will set myself up a proper vocal booth to record at home but I have a good studio at MAPA in Melbourne where I do most of my proper recording sessions.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Nikki Teeuw: I use a service in Australia called AMRAP. Then I do a whole lot of online marketing via facebook, twitter etc. My digital distribution company also have some great promo services.
I find twitter incredibly useful though.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Nikki Teeuw: Anyone who knows me knows the answer to this question is Madonna. I’m a huge fan of hers. I’m really looking forward to seeing her in Melbourne. I wish I was the support!
I have a lot of others that I would love to work with. Not just musicians but actors also. I’d love to feature Jamie Clayton from Sense8 in a video clip.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Nikki Teeuw: I am very excited about the release of my next single titled “Shakespeare”. It will be released in April and I am filming the clip to it in March.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Nikki Teeuw: I will always be making music.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
Nikki Teeuw: Well this also another embarrassing admission. It was Joey Perrone from a tv show in Australia called Young Talent Time. I loved him and I found his album in a market.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Nikki Teeuw: Sometimes with great difficulty. I have never settled into the 9-5 with ease. I have had a lot of casual jobs and I prefer it that way as it has really been the only way for me to stay focused on my music and given me the time to write.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Nikki Teeuw: My first release this year will be in April. It is a single titled Shakespeare written with Susie Ahern. I will then be releasing a few more singles throughout the year, which will also feature a different piece of artwork from Marisa Liistro. I will launch this with a showcase and exhibition and possibly even release a book of poems this year, which is something very new for me!
