“

Photos: Elle Creamer

“
n i c o l a?
T he latest muse to the indie music scene. The
one and only takes time out of her busy
schedule to sit down and sup starbucks with
WD: Hi Nikki! How’s the album doing these days?
N: It’s going great thanks! I’m so pysched to be here
right now! The albums doing fantastic and selling like
WD: So how long did it take to get the whole album
together?
I’ve got a feeling it took 2 or 3 weeks. I’m a perfec-
our own Ava Matthews... oh! and to chat about life ice creams on a summers day so that’s gotta be tionist so i scribbled alot of my old stuff out and tried
on the road as a hectic superstar. Guitar in hand, of good? new lyrics again which did alot of peoples head ins
course. (giggles)

“I do not
We are amazed at how down-to-earth, chatty and WD: Definitely. Well we love the album and you especially
bubbly she is. She enters the hotel suite with such a (Laughs) Is it personal experience you base your Ian’s, but
happy aura it is possible to envy her nastalgic per- stuff on? i’m glad i

love Missy
sona. Oh yes, it’s a big part of it. I don’t think i could write kept polish-
For undertaking such a sultry look, she oozes confi- a song if i haven’t experienced it or done it myself. ing it off
dence and she tells us why this new found super star- We’ve all been heart-broken so those songs were a because i

Elliot!”
dom hasn’t quite gone to her head. There aren’t given to me, i just overall write what i feel, and i try to didn’t want
many quite so civilised people in the world who put my heart into them to reach out to my fans. a second
haven’t, at one time or another sat down, and dis- Cheesy like, but true eh? (laughs) rate album,
cussed their influences. Nikki ( as she likes to be i wanted
called) also tells her story on why she teamed up WD: You teamed up with the one and only music something i
with one of the most peerlessly innovative producers producer Ian Curtis, what was that like? was really
of our time to make her debut album so intriguing Amazing! In a word (laughs) He’s so hands on with happy with and knew i spent alot of time editing
and fasinating she encapsulated the hearts of every everything and is always bubbly and just brilliant! I and making better and the whole time i was like ‘this
‘once’ broken hearted teen and every indie boy. don’t think i saw him without a starbucks to be hon- had better be one fucking amazing album!’ and
Her album provides more inspiration than a lifetime est (laughs) But when we started the album, he was you know what? It really was.
of celebrity biographies than most people will read just released out of hospital for a grandmal epileptic
in their life time. And of course, who can forget her seizure so he was brilliant at disguising it and just get- WD: Well we hear ray ban’s are ba--ck in season be-
A-Mazing debut in Manchester where she took to ting on with it really, it wasn’t a problem and he did- cause of you!
the stage and belted out one of her many moving n’t suffer one throughout our recordings so i’m very Really?? Oh wow, trendsetter!
tracks that managed to capture the entire 1,000 grateful he came out of his way and did this album
spectators. She does not only accomplish well in the for me after, obviously, all his personal health scares. WD: You are! Do you feel like people follow you as
world of music, but her fashion choices also inspire And just to clear this up...I do not have any sort of like, a style icon yet? Your style is pretty remarkable
regular reinterpretations in the world of art, with de- feelings for Ian Curtis! haha! Everybody asks me that (Smiles) That’s lovely! But no i don’t seriously. Every-
signers lining up to print her face on t-shirts and question so just to clarify, I do not fancy Ian. He’s thing’s still all hitting me one song at a time (laughs) I
jumpers, this indie kids set for world domination. With awesome though don’t get me wrong but no. Defi- still can’t can’t believe i’ve done an album if i’m
her infamous purple hair and jet black ray bans, nitely not (laughs) honest, If people see me as a style icon aswell, that
there’s no doubt she’ll make an impact across the is extremely flattering because i do just literally get
pond... out of bed, and throw on what i can find thats
comfy. If a designer ever phones me up one day
asking for inspiration on a clothing line, then i’ll know
i’m an icon (laughs)
19
WD: What made you produce a ‘logo’? For people to To be honest, i don’t see other artists as compe-
know your name better? tition it’s just other people expressing their tal-
Na, i just wanted to create an identity for myself. I ents. But if i had to compare my album to other
know people think i’m just a regular ol’ joe singer but artists i would say that mine has alot more emo-
i think creating a logo for myself will establish i’m very tion in it, with past experiences reflected in
serious about my profession and have so much pas- them. Cos’ i know alot of artists that just write
sion for singing, this will make people go ‘oh yeah i songs explaining feelings not having lived them
know that symbol...It’s nicola!’ you know? themselves. I mean, i went to a sandwich shop
the other day, and this young girl came up to
WD: Okay, have you listened to your new album? me and looked at me in complete wonderment
Yeah i have! (laughs) it’s a new thing i’ve got goin, i saying my albums helped her. It’s little stuff like
bought 5 copies of my album, just to get a head that that just abolishes the competition for me
start. Yeah weird i know but it was like a reality really.
check that my album was actually out in stores. I
was godsmacked at how fucking in- WD: Definitely. Did your child-
credible i sounded! (laughs). But hood shape you to who you

“ I think Dan
the thing that made it all the are today?
more better for me was that it’s Oh yeah, doesn’t it every-

Black is beaut!, I
reaching out to girls and boys body? My childhood was
who’ve been through similar very normal. No tragic tale

really love his

things to me. to tell, just a simple modern
Definitely worth while. day family with my 2

style!”
younger sisters doing my
WD: Well, on a topic change, head in near enough every-
with something fan’s have been day! My mum and dad did-
itching to know, what its your n’t divorce either, so i’d say
favourite book? i had a pretty solid back-
Without a doubt The Twilight ground. I mean, i’ve had the same best friend
saga. It’s just fantastic how steph captures all the since i was three years old and that shapes me
emotions in it. I read it in literally a number of weeks still cos’ not alot of people can say they’ve
(laughs) definitely a guilty pleasure of mine, it’s ace. stook by a friend for years. But Elisha (the best
friend) really is my rock!
WD: Oooh it is good Twilight. What about your
favourite Movie? WD: Okay, so, describe your perfect guy and
Hmmm, that’s actually a hard one because i really where you’d want to go on your first date?
will watch anything and everything but if i had to Oooh my perfect guy has to like indie! He has WD: Fair enough. waht about festivals? Any you’re
pick one. (Pauses) All time fav for me is The Goonies! to be an indie guy! There the best! (laughs) He going to trash?
It’s fucking incredible! (quotes from film) ‘Chunk! has to have a very chilled style about him with No, not this year. I’ve been so busy with my album that
Chunk!’ (laughs) Definitely a fantastic movie with messy hair and big beautiful brown eyes, there my i’ve now got to promote it and do talks and
such good stuff in it to say it was made in like, the weakness. With a guitar casually hung on his back. magazine interviews so believe it or not, that actually
early 1980’s, right? haha! Yeah that’d do me! (laughs) But as for the date, i’d like takes up my whole year and gig-ing aswell so i am
him either to take me to a gig or a really really really quite busy this time round, especially compared to last
WD: We’re not sure either (laughs) Influences for long walk somewhere. Weather permitting of course year.
music? (laughs) but if he kissed me in the rain that is so text- WD: Busy busy busy. Okay so, to round off. Where do
I had so many influences in music growing up a 90’s book romeo and juliet! you see yourself in like, 10 years?
kid, like the spice girls! (laughs) but for my genre, the I really just wanna be where i am but better! With alot
band that really did inspire me would have to be ei- WD: Very particular...Do you have any crushes? more acomplished and maybe a number one album

.
ther kings of leon or Acoustic Ladyland!. They are (Looks down) Yeah i have. Isn’t it obvious? haha! But i notched under my belt! I know thats abit far fetched
amazing but it’s such a shame they aren’t well think Dan Black is beaut! I love his style! I actually did but I really want to get that. And hopefully not single!
known because their lead singer has the most relax- meet him once backstage at a gig and i was just jelly (laughs) and also to be overall happy and acom-
ing indie voice i think i’ve ever heard. For all you out (laughs) He didn’t seem phased but i just wanted to plished really. Oh! and my main aim is to collaborate
there who haven’t heard them, get them listened run away and save myself before i looked like a twat. with someone really famous or well-known to a coun-
to! There base guitarist came up with the most fan- try, that’s my goal! But the thing that really makes it all
tastic beats. I think when i was one day listening to WD: We heard you like Missy Elliot!? worth while for me is my talent and being able to ex-
their album i decided to write one of my first songs, (Laughs!) She is amazing though! But the penny did press it all over the world. I mean, even if this is as good
in fact (pauses to think) yes i did. They just ignited drop when I heard ‘Supa Dupa Fly’. It was obviously in- as it gets for me I’ll be happy cos’ i’m not trying to
something in me and i just wanted to keep going, spired by jungle, drum n bass and taken to a hip hop break hollywood like, just doing my own thing with
writing and singing like them. My biggest influence is world. Definitely an inspiration but no, i’m not in love people taking notice is well good enough for me.
them most definitely.

WD: Style choices? Does

anybody influence them? Nicola’s new album Kind Words for Broken
Not really, but saying that, i Lovers is out in stores now.
am into alot of Vivienne
Westwood’s things. Alot of
people think she’s ecentric
but she’s just passionate
about her talent, that’s
what makes her so pre-
found. Her jackets are the
shizz! I recently bought a
navy military jacket by her
and it’s lovely! I’ve definitely
grown a fondness for her Nicola: The Facts...
designs. Full name: Nicola Claire Allen
DOB:11.5.91
WD: What about as a child Age: 18
Nic? What was your style Her Album: Kind Words For Broken
like then? Lovers
(Laughs) Believe it or not, in- Fav Shop: Topshop or Roxy
credibly girly. I had the little Pet Peeve: People not putting drinks on
floral pink dresses and gin- coasters
ger curly hair! Thats why i Siblings: Two Younger Sisters (Keely and
dye it all the time...to get rid Madison)
of that! But I’m actually Family Life: Mum, dad, sisters. Grew up
grateful because that influ- in Sheffield, South Yorkshire
ences alot of my style Fav Song: Bitterseet Symphony - The
choices today. I add girly Verve
quirks to my outfits like pink
bows or feminine florals.
Anything that represents my
personality cos’ thats what
it’s all about isn’t it? Being
individual.

WD: Well, putting style influ-

Matthews
ences aside, how do you anks: Ava
think your album compares Special Th
to your fellow competition?

12 April 2010 20