Photo // Edward H. Hernandez
Atlanta native Nadia Vaeh is an artist you will be drawn to as a multi-talented survivor who has done much with her life. From songwriting to singing and modelling, Vaeh has deep roots in the creative universe and continues to showcase her talents with each and every release. Ever since she was two years old, Vaeh has been in love with music and singing. When she was in middle school, her parents placed her in a travelling choir group, where her passion for music only grew. Tragedy struck her life when Vaeh lost her mother to suicide when she was only 17. After this tragic loss, Vaeh strayed from music altogether and fell down a dark path. Her resilience and undeniable talent were her weapons to fight back and return to music. She is now back and ready to take the world by storm.
Vaeh loves to pull inspiration for her music through many genres and sounds from all over the world and has been heavily influenced by island sounds from her time spent in the Netherland Antilles island, Curaçao. She also draws from the roots of her father’s homeland of Lebanon and has an affinity for middle eastern music.
Tell us about the story of your act:
So I’ve always been very drawn to music, poetry and anything artsy from a very young age. I was in choirs as a kid and formed my first band in high-school. My band was very emo, pop/rock style and I got so into writing song of my own after years of sitting in my bedroom dissecting the lyrics and melodies of artists I admired. About a year into my band, my mom began to have some pretty serious mental health issues. It was the summer before my senior year of high school and she was in and out of hospitals. Music fell to the back burner when she lost her battle with depression. I went on a pretty destructive path and really lost myself after this event for several years. It wasn’t until many years later that I had an awakening that I needed to take back my life from the grips of grief and I decided to quit many of the things that were keeping me from finding myself again. I quit my relationship, my job and school to try and explore life as an artist. It was a chance meeting with a circus ringmaster while in process of moving out of the apartment that I had shared with my ex that really kickstarted my journey back into music and creating. I was super lost and entered a vicious industry knowing nothing about who I was. I got into a ton of sticky situations and had a hard time finding my way to the best path for me. After enough misadventures, I uncovered a direction that felt right with my sound and my people and I went full-speed ahead in that direction. Only trouble with that is that sometimes when you move too fast, you can get lost again. Lol. Now I’m back to enjoying creating and having fun doing what I love and this song “Leap of Faith” I feel like really reflects where I’m at within my journey.
What is the message behind your art?
I want my listeners to know it’s okay to be vulnerable and to not have your shit together all the time. It’s okay to have off days and chapters in life that “don’t make sense”. Trust me, it all comes together! I want my music to be a reminder to trust in the journey and in your resilience. I also hope to inspire people to make time for their passions and to always create! Creating can be anything!! Making a meal, a routine/schedule, a song…we are made to create and cultivate our lives.
What are some sources of inspiration for your lyrics and storytelling?
I definitely pull inspiration from my own life experiences and things we as a collective society may be witnessing or experiencing. I am often drawn to write a lot in the realm of mental health and well-being.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today? I’ve been really on a Selena Gomez kick lately. She just seems so down to earth. She seems to truly empathize, is aware of the world around her and really uses her platform and wealth to make positive shifts in the world and within various communities.
All time favorite record?
Enema of the State by Blink-182 or Riot! by Paramore
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
I wrote “Leap of Faith” in almost a state of desperation. I remember feeling just fed up with myself, with the way I had structured my life. I built this cushy situation for myself but I was so suffocated by it. This song and everything that followed upon writing it was very “do or die”. My mind was made up to either jump in a different direction, hopefully catch some air or stick around until I was completely crushed by the weight of indecision.
You seem to be fusing several musical genres. What inspires your sound?
I definitely pull sonic inspirations from many different spaces. I grew up listening to many different genres and cultures. I love genre-bending more than anything. It’s one of the many reasons that im drawn to pop
What excites you the most about what you do?
The moment when we place the finishing touches on a song that began as just four words in my phone notes!!! Lol. The spiritual transformation that occurs for me with each song and the process it takes to “complete” them, and then finally sharing them with my listeners and people and having them take what they need from the songs. The best is when you share the music live and people feel something they needed to feel or hear something that helped them understand themselves or someone in their life just a little better
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself touring with incredible artists, collaborators who become my friends and music fam. I see my music lending to others stories in art forms in film and TV and just enjoying traveling and seeing the world.
Your style is very original and elaborate. How do you take care of your aesthetics?
Thank you! I love to thrift and put together looks off of odds and ends and I loveeee accessories probably too much. Haha give me all the chains and rings lol. As far as aesthetics/face care go, I just use a really gentle cleanser, a nice cucumber witch hazel toner, some sort of retinol serum a few times a week and a deep moisturizer at night. I also rock SPF on the daily!! And I like to do a sheet mask at least once a week or so as well 🙂
What was the most daunting moment in your career so far?
Putting myself out there at all. When I first began, I had no idea what I was doing and the art I was making was not exactly what I wanted to put out there, but it was SOMETHING. Some of it is actually super embarrassing and I’ve tried to scrub the internet, but hahahah it’s the World Wide Web soooo… but I always tell artists who are just getting started, the best way to attract and find the RIGHT team is to just put yourself out there. Someone will see the hustle and the effort and appreciate it enough to pour into you just the same!
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
When you’re faced with no response or a no or any sort of rejection, do not allow it to impact your moving forward. Take any applicable (CONSTRUCTIVE) criticisms and allow it to help you grow, but don’t let it stop you!! To do anything of impact, you’re going to be faced with adversities and you will be tested!
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
I honestly think the music industry is going back to grass roots, which I am not mad at!! I would much rather connect with people and listeners in the real world. The algorithms are forever changing and artists can reach people one day and it’s all syphoned the next!
