It’s no surprise that electro/pop artist NØVE is always one step ahead. Though his debut EP, Dark Paradise, which centers around the darker times in his life is set to drop this spring, he’s already well into planning his full-length release for later this year, likely a much more positive and hopeful release than his debut. With two songs, “Trigger” and “Taboo,” from Dark Paradise out now this year only promises to get better and better for NØVE.
Can you tell us a little bit about NØVE for any readers who may not be familiar?
I was born in LA, and raised in Venice. Music has always been a part of my life, but I never thought it would be something I would try and do professionally. I was always that annoying dude walking around the halls at school singing really loud or I would walk up to girls that I thought were cute and would sing ‘let me love you’ by Mario or some Usher song. I was just always singing. I also listened to literally everything. Most of my friends would only really listen to either rap or rock; but if you went in my iPod, you would find everything from Lil Wayne to The Used to Bob Marley. I loved it all. I feel like my music really reflects that. One of my least favorite questions people ask is “what genre is your music in”? I really don’t know how to answer that. My production has elements of hip-hop, rock, EDM and pop, while my vocal melodies are pop-ish with a little bit of an R&B flavor to it. I hate trying to put my art in a corner. I just get in the zone and do what ever feels natural.
What first inspired you to get involved with music and start singing? When was it that you realized it was something you wanted to pursue seriously?
Like i said above, music has always been a part of my life. I’ve been singing since I was a little kid. I always just thought of it as a hobby though and never thought to pursue it on any sort of a serious basis. I picked up the guitar when I was 14 and that’s when I started writing songs. The first song I ever wrote was for a girl I dated in middle school. It was super corny but she liked it (I think) so thats all that really matters. After that, I kept writing songs and recording them on garage band and my love for music kept growing. What has always spoken to me the most about music are melodies. I live for a good melody. Every song I write starts with melody and then i’ll write lyrics. When I graduated high school, I wanted to follow my dads footsteps and work in television. I did the production assistant grind for a while and realized that my heart wasn’t really in it. Music was my passion and I knew that if I didn’t give it a shot, I would never forgive myself. Ever since then, i’ve been doing music. My very first record was actually a alt/rock record. We shopped it around to a few labels and they basically said that nobody was listening to that anymore and to come back with something else. I was crushed… That album was a collection of songs I had been working on since i was a teenager and they had a lot of sentimental value to me. Since then, i’ve learned that in this business, you HAVE to have thick skin. After that, I learned how to use professional recording software and started making beats and writing to those and that’s when NØVE was born.
You’re getting ready to release your debut EP, Dark Paradise this spring. What are you most excited for listeners to hear on it?
Honestly, everything. I’m just really excited to finally be putting something out for people to hear. For years i’ve been writing an recording songs, but they have just sat around. The craziest thing so far is when I look at my soundcloud stats, it shows me where in the world my songs have been played and them shits have been played in countries I’ve never even heard of. So far, France has been showing me a lot of love so thank you France!! I’ve also gotten quite a few plays in Kazakhstan!!!! Such a trip haha.
What was the most daunting or difficult part about creating your debut EP? On the flip side, what has been the most rewarding part?
The most difficult part of the EP for me was not being to critical on myself and the songs. I tend to get super wrapped up in the process sometimes and forget that i’m making art. Just knowing that this was going to be my debut EP and the first pieces of work the world would hear from NØVE was such a trip to me. The most rewarding part has been the amazing response i’ve gotten so far from the releases of “Trigger” and “Taboo.”
You recently released your first single, “Taboo,” which features Johnny What. How did that collaboration come about? What do you think he brought to the table?
My entire EP was actually produced by Johnny What. Johnny and I have been working together for years. He has been such a big influence and mentor to me over the years. We were introduced by a mutual friend back in 2012 when I was working on the rock project and we’ve been working together ever since. I feel like Johnny has always really understood me as an artist and has always seen and understood my vision which is really hard to find.
Do you feel that growing up and living in Venice Beach has had an effect on your music?
The Veniceculture is pretty laid back and Vibey. That’s how I would say my music is. Laid back and VIbey.
What would you like listeners to be able to take away from Dark Paradise?
I would really like people to just get a good sense of what NØVE is about and connect with my music on any level. Dark Paradise tells the stories of a darker time in my life and maybe people who are going through their own dark times, can relate. My full-length album which will be dropping this spring will sort of be the opposite and reflect more on what my life is like now and how I made the transition from dark to light.
Along with the EP release, do you have any other big plans for 2016?
After the EP, I plan on finishing up the album and then I will be announcing dates for shows, so look out for those.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I just want to thank you guys for your time and make sure everybody gets connected with me on Social media for updates on releases and shows.
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