INTRO BY KAT VISTI
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO COURTESY OF NOKAY
Nokay started singing in a local choir group in a small town in Pennsylvania. He learned how to play piano, drums, and marimba. He eventually started songwriting and writing poetry, and using his creative artistic abilities he started making music. Nokay released his debut single entitled "Fear" and recently released his four track EP, The One I Feed. In a recent interview with Nokay we learned more about his EP, his musical influences, and what we can expect from him in the future.
When and how did you first get your start in music?
"I first started singing and playing piano when I was a young child, maybe 5 or 6 years old. But when I was in college I discovered music production and songwriting, so I started crafting my own songs shortly after that."
How would you describe your music in three words?
"Hybrid, evolving, and uncommon."
Who are some of your musical influences?
"I take a lot of cues from different aspects of a song. Vocally, Sia is one of my favorite performers because she always delivers a word or phrase like it’s very personal to her. Musically I look more to producers like Dylan Bauld, Ludwig Goransson, and Timbaland. And lyrically I tend to like more obscure or subtle songs like Lapsley and Kevin Garrett."
You recently released your debut EP, The One I Feed. Can you tell us a little about it and the process creating it?
“The One I Feed has 4 songs. 'Passenger' took the longest to complete, about 14 months or so, mostly because the instrumentation and overall style kept changing. And 'Fear' was the easiest to complete because the hook and production happened in a snap it seemed. All the songs begin from different starting points, some with lyrics, some with melody, etc., but they all undergo a process at the end of making the instrumentation and lyrics more congruent and specific to the experience they’re about."
What song off the EP would you say you’re most proud of?
"'Passenger' is my favorite song off the EP, for sure. It’s the most honest and true to a distinct experience, and there are a lot of different elements in it that converge in ways I didn’t predict when I started it."
Is there anything else we can expect from you in the near future?
"I’m really looking forward to performing and touring later this year, and I’ve already started working on songs for the next EP. I hope to release a single by December, and the EP in spring of 2019."