In simply two brief years and with solely a handful of EPs and singles, West Midlands singer-songwriter Nieve Ella has shaped the form of feverishly devoted fanbase that would take some artists a long time to ascertain. Since her first launch in 2022, her presence has unfold like wildfire – there’s clearly an enormous urge for food for her heartfelt, confessional music.

A self-confessed youngster of the streaming period, Ella tells me she has a reasonably agnostic method to style – a pop sensibility shapes indie-rock ranges of thick guitar textures and emotional rawness. Drawing on the direct fashion of her heroes Sam Fender and Phoebe Bridgers, Ella’s songs paint emotionally-driven vignettes, sharing an intimate peek right into a wider inside world – it’s the form of music that appears to speak in confidence to simply you as you pay attention, even should you occur to be within the entrance row of a packed venue.

She wears her influences on her sleeve – virtually actually, as once I communicate to her a small cardboard cutout of Phoebe Bridgers peeks over her shoulder. She’s unashamedly part of the wave of nice UK indie artists that’s been sweeping the nation ever since reside music made its post-COVID return. Her dedication to catchy guitar traces and singalong hooks has seen her assist artists like Inhaler and Dylan, and headline her personal UK tour.

I spoke to Ella about her comparatively current begin on guitar, how she fell in love with enjoying reside, and the way posting acoustic covers on YouTube and TikTok led her to the place she is right now.

The place did music and guitar begin for you?

It was lockdown – clearly I had nothing to do, simply sat in my room, and I had this guitar that my dad had left me. I simply picked it up, actually, I’d been listening to Blackbird by the Beatles so I began enjoying that. It was like every week later I began writing my very own music, and that got here straight from that – earlier than, I used to be by no means ready to determine the best way to write a tune with out one thing else, as a result of I couldn’t play the piano or something like that.

I primarily learnt by simply trying via Final Guitar – principally simply chord studying shapes – and that’s nonetheless how I take into consideration issues, actually. I’m undecided I’d know what to do if somebody stated “play a B flat”!

Aside from the Beatles, what else have been you studying as you began out?

Various pop music – I actually obtained into watching individuals on YouTube over lockdown, clearly individuals have been posting on-line rather a lot. I used to be moving into Harry Kinds, and there was a band referred to as Simple Life – they’re not referred to as that anymore although! However yeah, it was artists that aren’t that guitary. However I actually loved making their songs into guitar songs – it was actually cool to me that I might make that extra digital and poppy sound sound extra acoustic.

So I discovered some covers of some issues, stuff that was like, blowing up on TikTok, and I’d publish these on-line – individuals would discover me as a result of the tune was trending.

How did that flip into releasing your individual EPs and singles via a label, quite than simply posting covers on-line?

So I went over from YouTube to TikTok, and began doing the identical factor there. Some those who I knew of who did music discovered me, and confirmed me to their supervisor – so I used to be requested, ‘do you’ve got any authentic stuff?’ – and I used to be like sure, however it’s all simply voice memos of me singing in my room. However that’s the way it began! From there, it was simply assembly new individuals, writing with them and so forth – however it did simply begin via posting covers on social media.

I do know numerous artists have completed that too, and I’m fortunate sufficient to say I can even write my very own music. With regards to writing your individual stuff after simply enjoying covers, you possibly can actually fear that it’s not going to be ok.

What was it wish to go from simply performing covers in a bed room to enjoying reside in entrance of tons of of individuals?

That was a journey, an absolute journey. The primary time I ever performed reside was round 2021. I used to be in school and I performed on the Albert’s Shed in Telford – I actually had no clue the best way to play, individuals in my school used to say to me that I used the guitar as a prop. And I form of did, a bit – however I actually needed to be taught.

So I performed my very first gig in 2022, and it was bizarre, so bizarre – it creates this complete totally different world, proper? Particularly enjoying guitar on the identical time. It was so scary for me. However I’m so fortunate to have one of the best band ever, they’re my greatest associates, and we’ve all learnt collectively. And it feels proper now. However earlier than? The scariest factor ever. My knees would shake so unhealthy – I performed the chords proper, however my mind simply spiralled. So it’s good to really feel so comfy now – it’s simply muscle reminiscence at this level.

When did the band enter the image?

So I began writing in 2020, and in 2021 I’d determined that it was really what I actually wanna do. It was round then I met Finn, my guitarist, via TikTok. He was additionally doing the identical – he helped me write stuff and be taught the guitar. After which I met Matty, my drummer in 2021 too – he was within the line at a Sam Fender gig, I knew his good friend so we simply frolicked all night time. That was proper when gigs had come again from COVID and everybody was coming again on tour, it was so enjoyable.

I met Fran, my bassist the yr after, once I had moved to Brighton. I used to be identical to, ‘…I want a bassist, are you able to play?’ and she or he’s probably the greatest individuals ever, so she’s caught with us ever since! It’s very a lot a unit though it’s, you realize, me, the artist – I’m all the time occupied with their components once I’m writing, it’s all the time very band-led.

How has your songwriting modified because you began out?

After I began writing, it could be extra about what I had simply really gone via. I fancied a boy and he didn’t like me again, so I used to be like ‘oh my god I don’t know the best way to really feel about this, I’m gonna write about it’. That’s all I used to do.

However now, I’m a lot extra into the precise course of – final week I wrote a tune, and the chords have been a bit extra bizarre and darkish, so it made me need to sing a melody that was much more bizarre and darkish, and lean into that. However earlier than I wouldn’t even take into consideration that, I might simply really feel like I wanted to put in writing a tune about an individual, and have it come throughout as precisely what it’s. Now, I really feel rather a lot freer with what I sound like, which makes me really feel much more motivated to maintain on exploring totally different sounds.

What style would you name your music?

Having come from the world of streaming, there’s little distinction between genres – even on the radio, they actually play every kind of issues. You possibly can say it’s all ‘various’, after which it may be actually something. And that’s why I form of wrestle to say what my music is, as a result of I can form of do something. And I feel that’s actually cool! I’m so glad that I get to expertise that as a result of it simply feels so free – I don’t really feel like I’ve to impress anyone by enjoying rock or something like that.

Are there challenges to beginning out inside that world? Streaming companies as an entire have acquired some criticism for the pressures they placed on artists.

After I began out, I didn’t really feel any strain, I felt like I might do and say no matter I needed – however that was as a result of I wasn’t that educated. I used to be very new to all of it. However as time has gone on, I’ve met extra individuals and learnt extra concerning the business and that’s once I begin considering like, ‘oh crap, are they going to love this?’ or ‘will this work on radio?’

After I began out, I didn’t need to even get signed – my plan was simply to make it myself on Logic, and launch it on SoundCloud, or launch it on a CD and hand it to individuals. However I actually can’t, I don’t even know the best way to make a CD – I’m such an iPad child in that world, as a result of all I do know is streaming and YouTube and TikTok and Instagram. And that makes me unhappy, as a result of I might like to have skilled that world of CDs and stuff – clearly vinyl is a little bit of a factor once more, I suppose. However once I grew up, I used to be shopping for CDs and that was so thrilling – I’d dreamt of strolling right into a music store in my city and seeing my CD, however, clearly that’s not the way it works anymore.

However by way of streaming, I suppose I don’t fear concerning the numbers. Possibly I’d fear extra if it was the variety of CDs offered – that will positively stress me out!

Let’s discuss guitars – I’ve seen that whenever you play reside, you’ve obtained a triple stand. What are you enjoying in the intervening time?

I used to only play with my Jag, which I purchased in 2022, and I might play that on a regular basis as a result of it was sparkly and I assumed it was sick. However ever since going into the studio much more – I work rather a lot with a man referred to as Ian, and he has this actually beautiful Jag that has an virtually baritone really feel to it that I actually, actually cherished. I feel my love of that sound got here from listening to numerous Phoebe Bridgers – I really like deep-sounding opening tunings, so I did numerous writing on new songs with open tunings.

However enjoying with these reside could be very totally different, as a result of sometimes I don’t really feel like I can get the precise sound that I recorded. I’m nonetheless studying with pedals – we really use HX Stomps reside, because it’s rather a lot simpler, however it’s not the identical feeling – particularly should you’re not in the suitable venue. So, I used to be struggling slightly with getting the suitable sound – so I figured I wanted to have three guitars, and get the suitable sound for every. And, as a result of I take advantage of three totally different tunings and I’m very very petrified of tuning on stage, I do want the three guitars!

So there’s additionally the Epiphone Crestwood, and for normal tuning, I’ve obtained this lovely black Epiphone Emily Wolfe Sheraton – she’s a extremely cool guitarist, and it’s a really cool guitar, you possibly can simply really feel it as a result of it’s semi-hollow. However it actually likes being in commonplace – once I used it in open D, it simply didn’t really feel the identical.

What’s subsequent for you? Is there an album or extra touring within the works?

Proper now I’m making an attempt to determine what the following factor goes to be. I’m writing numerous stuff that I might like to play reside. And that’s the factor I’m so obsessive about in the intervening time – I’m actually having fun with writing for reside. My dream for this yr is simply to play reside as a lot as potential, and be taught as a lot as I can from it. I form of am already, sound-wise – Finn will do stuff reside the place it’s positively not within the recorded tune, and so it’s like ‘that’s fucking cool, put that within the subsequent factor we report.’

So I simply need to be as lively as potential, actually, and be taught extra concerning the guitar, too – as a result of I’m so new to it. So it’s good to be round individuals who have the identical ardour for the sound, for guitars, for writing.

I feel the purpose is to return out with one thing that seems like a reside report – that’s the dream, to only play in a room with the band, report it, after which be like: ‘that is it, that is the album.’

Nieve Ella’s newest single ‘Sugarcoated’ is out now.