Breaking through the pop barrier
Product of the London Cypriot music scene, Nicola K hopes her ‘fusion’ music will allow her to break into a wider market
Have you ever wondered what a mix of Cypriot, rock, R&B, Latin and soul music would sound like? If you’re curious, then you should probably look up the new and upcoming sexy singer Nicola K, who has set up a record label, recorded an EP and made many heads turn at the sound of her amazing, soulful voice, and all at the age of 22! Nicola was in Larnaca recently, where she was enjoying a break with partner and producer Ben Knight (known as Benjamin K) after performing at the Urban Soul Festival in Nicosia last month.
“We’ve got a lot going on,” she said. With Cypriot roots, “coming to Cyprus is something we’ve been meaning to do for ages but we never had the time to do so.” It’s no surprise really as Nicola’s life seems to have been a musical roller coaster since finishing her degree in June. Apart from her song writing and singing career, Nicola started a record label with Ben, called Swagbag, in September 2006. “We knew it was a risk but we were willing to do everything needed to make it work,” she says. “Mainly because we wanted to break out of the pop barrier that characterises most music lately.” Having been involved in music videos before her own music career took off (her face was featured in ‘Can you Feel the Love’ by the Plastic Toyz, ‘Mute’ by Aerial-X and the number one hit ‘Lola’s Theme’ by the Shapeshifters), Nicola wanted to fuse various styles. “Ben brought his very unique and funky UK hip-hop beats while I brought my Cypriot background, R&B, rock and soul influences,” she explains. The result? Nicola’s first EP was met with rave reviews while her performances at various bars and clubs around the UK were said to be professional and breathtaking.
Nicola’s passion for music started at a young age. “My dad is an accordionist and played at weddings and enjoyed entertaining people through music while my mother was a typical Opera Society kind of woman.” Growing up as a Cypriot in the UK, Nicola has been blessed with many musical influences, however she feels that this background can also pose problems, as shown in her EP ‘Who am I?’ “I was bullied as a child for looking different and it made me feel like a foreigner even although my Greek is actually very poor.” Although she doesn’t rule out the prospect of singing in Greek, Nicola’s EP was warmly welcomed in the Greek community as well as the rest of the UK. “It was through extensive gigging and promoting that we got the record heard,” Ben explains. “And it seemed like every age was interested in the music and liked it, from six-year-old kids to 60 year olds.” Her songs can be heard on London Greek Radio and ‘Lost in Translation’, one of the most popular songs with a very catchy tune “went down like a storm” DJs said.
Nicola performs live with a band of experienced and professional musicians consisting of drums, bass, guitar, keys and backing vocals. “We’re a happy group and that shines through when we perform on stage,” she says. Although most gigs are confined to venues such as the Orange Room, Nexus, Talking Heads and other bars in the Southampton area, Sound in Leicester Square, the Wembley Stadium (function room) and The Fiddler’s Room in Camden are also on the list. “Having done so many gigs, I’m used to the jitters I get before going on stage because you never know how the crowd is going to react,” she explains. “But luckily, I’m very happy with the way things are going.”
Although Nicola K does hope for a career in singing, she is also passionate about continuing a business career. “We’ve signed up a few extraordinary talents already, so we’re working really hard to keep this small, independent record label among the big boys.” Meanwhile, she continues working at her father’s fish and chip shop whenever she is needed and, of course, still goes ahead with gigging “even if it is for weddings and I’m singing ‘Reach For The Stars’”.
Nicola K’s EP is available on iTunes and mpGreek. You can also catch her performances online while a new album will be out next year
