Nive Nielsen is an Inuit singer/songwriter from Greenland. Yup, North Pole! She is currently mixing her debut album "Nive Sings – as played by Nive Nielsen & The Deer Children." The result is nothing short of amazing, both in scope and vision. It's not every day we hear a record from the High North, let alone one with an all-star cast of indie music contributors including John Parish (who also produced the majority of the album), Howe Gelb & Giant Sand, Ralph Carney, and musicians from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Evangelista, Clues/Unicorns, Black Keys, Eric Matthews and many others. Influences are as broad as Bessie Smith, Arthur Russell, Americana, old dusty 78s, Cat Power and Townes Van Zandt. Arctic folk? Snow songs? Ukulele-wielding Eskimos? All of that and more. Do check it out!
Nive:
"I never aimed at making a record, let alone having other people hear my songs. I just got bored, my boyfriend gave me a uke, and songs started spilling out. They're very personal songs, heartfelt and simple and honest and basically just me. To actually record them, that was just a game, nothing serious at first. Just fun, yknow. Then we got into it, into the actual recording process. Jan started to focus on arranging what I was playing and singing -and things started to move, it became actual songs. And now, all of sudden, people are writing to me, asking for a record, wanting me to perform… it's real cool, but also kinda surreal. I 'm really really happy with the record – it took a while, cause we did everything ourselves, with no financial support -but it's here, and it's really good!
Overall my mum might be my biggest influence -she's not had an easy life but always made sure I was doing good, and she shares with me this positive life view that focuses on little happinesses and that it's ok to dream. For Jan, it's his grandfather, and it also has to do with attitude towards life, experiencing things, wondering, being amazed, challenge yourself…
Musically, my biggest influences are rather diverse -and perhaps not so clear when hearing my own songs. I'm hugely influenced by old blues musicians like Washington Phillips, Geechie Wiley, Skip James, Bessie Smith – and by dusty old 78s with ethnic recordings, mountain ballads, stuff like the Harry Smith anthology – those are the mean reason that I picked up a guitar. Another big influence is Townes Van Zandt, for the lyrics and utter sadness. Arthur Russell, for the songwriting structures. I completely love Giant Sand, for the feel and excitement. Early Cat Power, for the mood. The first three BeeGees records, 'cause they have really big really beautiful arrangements. Cardinal, my favorite band of the 90s. The guitar sound of 70s Ry Cooder. JJ Cale is yet another main influence, for the feel and roll. The Chills. The Clean, and everything that's playful and simple but never simplistic. The Pixies. And of today's bands: Clues, M Ward, Shearwater, Bill Calahan, Serafina Steer…
It's really hard, still, to get new sounds in Greenland – there's no record stores, no underground, no DIY, and internet was so slow that one couldn't even download stuff. I discovered most of the music that would influence me through traveling. Same goes for our band, The Deer Children. It's like one big family, there's always someone around wherever we go, some can't come on certain occasions, but then others join in, so instead of having this anonymous backing band I wanted to emphasize that it's really a group, even though never quite the same. We met most of them while traveling, or on the internet, or through friends. Some of the guys who play on my songs are people I looked up to a lot, I am a fan – and at a certain point, we just ended up playing together, sending each other parts, writing letters (god I love letters, with actual stamps on 'em!).
People often ask me what my biggest achievement is. For me, being able to make the record I wanted to make, with people who are absolutely amazing, and all of that while traveling, seeing the world, living adventures… that's it, really! When I was a kid I wanted to become an adventurer – I thought that was a real job. Turned out that's not so – but this comes pretty close!
We're soon starting to tour. I just played in Nuuk on the day we got self-government, which is a huge thing for us. I got to meet the Queen of Denmark, also, and play a couple songs for her. Very weird, very fun, hihi… Later this summer, in August, I 'm playing some concerts and festivals in the UK (green man festival ao), and a whole bunch of gigs here and there in Europe. I actually start touring in autumn – September/October in Canada & USA; November & December in Europe. Really looking forward to that! And then there's the actual record of course: there's a 7" coming out in August; the full CD & LP in autumn, hopefully. And there's a preview EP of "Nive Sings" released through iTunes earlier this summer! Yup, pretty exciting, all this!!
You can hear Nive Nielsen & the Deer Children on www.myspace.com/nivenielsen or on iTunes.
Song Samples:
Good For You
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My Coffee Boy
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Aqqusernit
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Winter Song
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