Meet Nia Kaleo, a rising star blending indie R&B with dance and soul to create a sound that’s captivatingly unique.
In this interview, Nia reflects on his musical journey, from his early beginnings to the release of his latest track, Running in the Dark. He shares insights on his creative process, his vision for the future, and how he’s using his partnership with MN2S to take his music to new heights. With a fresh sound and growing momentum, Nia Kaleo is an artist to watch: dive into his story and get a glimpse of what’s next for this exciting talent.
How did you get into music? What is your musical background?
I guess I’ve always seen myself as a music creator. I didn’t have many friends as a young child so music always seemed to be a constant in my life. I remember being in school and spending any opportunity in the music department, practicing covers or bugging the music teachers about choir or asking them to listen to a melody I’d created. I’d constantly sing wherever I could, even if it didn’t sound good, annoyed a lot of people or got me into trouble with teachers .
When I left secondary school, I attended ELAM which is a specialist music, film and games design college. I had so many performance opportunities; I got to run my own gig and also sat down with a bunch of industry professionals while completing my music industry course and taking guitar lessons (which I’m not very good at).
Tell us about your first release – what was special about that one?
My first release was a set of songs (See Them All, Dragonfly and Good Denial) which I’d recorded and produced myself on GarageBand on my laptop. I wanted to use the fact I had no professional equipment or means to record professionally to kind of tell the story of my development as an artist. The songs weren’t very well mixed but it was the roughness of the tracks that made me really excited to share the first of many different and exciting tracks.
I think what makes them special is while writing these, I had experienced the feelings I had been writing about for ages and it really felt like I’d pulled the plug of a very full tub of emotions and feelings. I felt like a weight was lifted from just putting the words on paper.
Tell us about the latest project you worked on?
My last release (Running in The Dark) I think was a good example of how my music evolves. I wanted to add a dance vibe but still keep it alternative. I think I did that quite well. I’ve been getting into free-styling and posting songwriting snippets on social media which has been difficult to be consistent with but has been great getting feedback from new followers, industry professionals etc.
Could you describe your musical style and creative vision?
I’ve always been an explorer. I never wanted to limit my sound to specific genres, but I’d like to think of my style as indie r&b with dance elements as well as soul somewhere in there. I’m really laid back so I want to encourage that In others through my music.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of entering the music industry?
It’s important you go at your speed. I’ve been told countless times by friends that I should pursue a career in music more but I think the best thing that I’ve ever done for myself was taking the time to strengthen my talent before actively throwing myself at an industry I may not have been prepared for.
Collaborate, but don’t pay people to work with you. Your art is yours and only has the value you put on it. Set your standard from day one, others have to work with it, not the other way round. Work together and share profits. Also, there are so many independent artists out there who just want to grow their talents and careers so why not support them over people who would compliment your work but try and charge you to work with them. As an upcoming artist, you have the potential to create experiences and opportunities for so many other artists around you. Bring as many people with you as possible, even if they’re not the best at the moment, as long as you see the drive, you are a part of their story, be the hero, not the villain.
What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond?
I really want to grow my fan base and get some gigs booked. I’m currently looking to work with some bands so keep a look out for upcoming stuff. I’m also working on some new music. I’m looking for some innovative producers to collaborate with.
What have you enjoyed about working with MN2S Label Services?
So far, I’ve enjoyed getting some marketing advice and being invited to events with the MN2S team. The process of joining was really special as well, they have a lot of experience working with artists and I trust my music is in good hands!