A breath of fresh air in the pop world, Nancy Daines is unapologetically herself as she shows off jazz roots, soulful melodies, and powerhouse vocals. Daines captures audiences with an electric and fun-loving personality and a jaw-dropping vocal range. Her infectious joy and honesty creates a relatable space for people to be a part of - and her goal is just that. With her highly-anticipated EP on the way, “While We’re Young” is bound to be an impressive and authentic view into who she is and where she is going.”
“The Way You Love Me” is a song that pours through with a certain subtle confidence and a simultaneous element of love and appreciation. Both of which prove inspiring conceptually yet calming on the musical front. The opening moments lay out a fairly classic, jazz-cafe kind of vibe fused with a light beat, a few dashes of contemporary pop. Then Nancy’s voice emerges amidst this growing rhythm, uniting with the progression as things move onward into gentle, soulful territory. Her voice meanders in a totally unique way, switching from spacious and short lines to a quicker pace that’s equally gentle in delivery as the song’s structure makes itself known. This voice is categorically something of its own, Nancy Daines has a sound that is undeniably hers, and the way she floats through the stages of the track, with softness yet intention, it’s beautifully captivating and genuinely refreshing amidst today’s musical landscape. Absolutely an artist worth knowing about.
Listen to “The Way You Love Me” here and read more with Nancy below!
Hi Nancy! Thank you so much for your time, it’s great to connect with you! How long have you been making music, and who or what first inspired you to start?
Hello! So excited to connect with you guys! I know you get this a lot, but I truly have been singing for as long as I can remember. My sister first inspired me to because I wanted to be just like her and she sang all the time. My mom mom used to sit at the piano and we would sing with her as she played all kinds of songs. Once I started, I really never stopped! There was something about bringing people the joy of music that made me feel like I was meant to do it. I found I loved music and the stage! In church and school I was always the little girl being way too extra - treating everything like I was starring on Broadway.
How do you get started when writing songs, and how do you know when a song is finished and ready to be shared?
I wish I had some great formula for popping out songs, but truly it is always so different! Sometimes I'm driving and I start singing a melody that sticks. Other times, I'll experience something (or watch someone else experience something) that stays with me and I know it's important to write out so that I can process it and other people can relate to it. As any type of creative person, I don't know if I ever fully feel 100% finished with a project. There are always little things I would change - even the songs I have already released. But I think a song is ready when you believe you did the absolute best you could do in the moment, with the resources you were given, and it feels true to you.
You have a really beautiful and powerful singing voice. Were you vocally trained, and is there any advice you can offer to singers who want to improve their range or their strength when performing?
Thank you so much! I grew up singing in choir and started taking private classical voice lessons my senior year of high school. After high school I took commercial lessons in college! If I could give one piece of advice to a singer, I would say this - be confident. Something I have really learned (especially these past couple years) is that singing is sooo mental. Of course it helps to have technical training, but if you are confident to go for a note or pitch before you sing it, you’ll save yourself from so many pitch issues. Confidence can trick an audience into thinking you're even better than you are haha.
What can listeners expect from your EP “While We’re Young”?
This is the most authentic project I have ever made, it feels so true to me! People can expect a combination of playful lyrics and melodies, jazzy chords, and grooves that get you moving. It’s all catchy tunes that you will want to blast with the windows down on a road trip. The songs feel like a map of my experiences in my twenties - but also with a lot of influences and references from my childhood. It explores feelings of wanting to be heard in such a loud society, dealing with fading love, and experiencing a new and exciting love. A nostalgic and yet modern take on the world around me. Old school meets new! I hope that people my age can relate to what I've been going through, but also an older generation can look back and relive those same feelings they may have experienced when they were our age. That's how the name came about!
What’s next for you?
Hopefully first some sleep! After that - who really knows. I am trying to get better at being present in whatever I'm doing now instead of planning 10 steps ahead. But if I had to guess, I could see a Christmas project in the works! I also absolutely love gospel music, so that might have an influence on the next set of songs! Whatever it is, I'm excited to find out!
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