3. What does a wonderful festival look, feel and sound like to you?
Diverse in people. Diverse in music. Warm and welcoming - great manaakitanga. Colourful. People coming together for the love of art and storytelling. Ideally set in nature. Even better if it’s coastal near a surf break...
4. What can audiences expect from your Womad performance?
We are currently working on our third release for 2023, an EP called ‘Love Lives Here’. Over the last two years, we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Grammy-award winning producer in Milan, Tommaso Colliva, with our previous EP ‘Try to Find a Way’ and our self-titled debut album. We will be bringing some of these time capsules from the lockdown for sure, as well as breathing some new energy into our sets with songs from our upcoming EP. What do we hope for the people who come see us? To be moved, and left with a feeling of connectedness, and overall goodness.
5. What is your top festival tip/hack?
Nikita: Figure out where your basic necessities are - food (whether it’s your own or you’re buying), recycling bins, water, toilets. Allow yourself to float around a bit on your own. Giving yourself some time to be a solo voyeur at a festival is the best. Try not to sweat the small stuff - you don’t want to spend your time flustered trying to find people, you want to spend your time absorbing the art and all else that is on offer! And there are people around all the time!
Ed: Acknowledging my current energy levels and engaging in ways which match that. There are so many ways to engage with a festival space between being front-left on the dance floor and sleeping - so, finding what’s comfortable and not pushing myself. Added to this, as a performing artist at a festival, I prioritise my performance times, as I’m there to be part of facilitating people’s experiences. All other times support these times, whether it’s choosing my eating times, checking in at the stage well ahead of time, or having a good boogie to some other artists that will really juice me up.
Rick: Get in the water, often. Sunscreen and bug spray.
6. Top five songs on your playlist?
Nikita: I can’t do single tracks, I’m sorry! Currently on shuffle between these albums: Joan as a Policewoman - The Solution is Restless; BOY - Mutual Friends; Jon Hopkins - Music for Psychedelic Therapy (that’s been my morning soundtrack for a while); Jefferson Airplane (I’m currently revisiting their whole discography); and Ishmael Ensemble - A State of Flow.
Ed: Djrum - Watermark; Vril - Riese; Alex Banks - Tephra; Kutiman - Surface Currents; Tipper - Sayonara.
Rick: That’s a hard one, so many: Louis Armstrong and Leon Thomas - The Creator Has A Master Plan; Eddie Vedder - Society; Grace Slaughter - Violets; Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes - Tidal Wave; Immanuel Wilkins - Grace and Mercy.
7. What does success as an artist mean to you?
Nikita: That I get to make art every day. And that I live in a way that sustains me to do so. It’s very important to me that I make art in a way that isn’t creating more waste (i.e. if I’m making theatre, sourcing items sustainably), and if something should come out of balance, I do my best to recalibrate that, say, by planting some trees. To me, there is art for myself, and art for the people - and sometimes they cross the border of, ‘I’ve made something for myself and other people resonate and connect with this’ - that’s really special. Other times, it’s just a private experience not meant for sharing. This is really vital. Other times may be making something in response to what is happening, and specifically for the people. I think all of these ways of [creating] are important in keeping me healthy, as well. The ultimate scenario for me would be art that was accessible and free to all and not just people who can afford it, yet the artists themselves are somehow sustained by their art... haven’t quite figured that one out yet!
Ed: Success as an artist, to me, means making art that is genuine, but also managing to find the right audience and conveying the intended message.
Rick: Being free enough to create art with purely that intent only, and to evolve and develop over a lifetime of practice in that art. But as a result, gain enough interest from audiences to sustain a basic living from your art through performing or recordings.
8. What does keeping healthy as an artist mean to you?
Nikita: It might sound simple, but covering basics. Fresh healthy food, sleep, and movement for the body. As a person who has suffered from mental illness, these are staple in my every day nutrition! Yoga and surfing has been a tremendous help - getting dirt under my nails has been, too. Outside of looking after myself, connection to nature and [the] people around is just so important! Also, never go to your art like it owes you something - do you know what I mean? It’s a relationship between you and making that needs to be cultivated - if you don’t look after it, say, like a garden, you won’t be bringing anything new into season. Also, being in a community of artists that look out for each other, collaborate and celebrate each other’s projects, genuinely. I could talk about this all day to be honest - I’ll stop there.
Ed: Putting energy into the right spots at the right times. Framing dissatisfaction or stagnation as a tool to innovate. Creating a perspective which makes me feel satisfied yet ambitious.
Rick: Absolute balance in all things. Playing a variety of musical genres so there’s always something new to discover and hone. Having a good life balance. A balanced diet of good food, daily exercise and time in nature. Regular focused listening sessions to a good variety of music. Spending time just creating. Dedicate some time to meditation, yoga, or breathwork.
9. What tips would you give upcoming artists?
Nikita: When I started out, there weren’t so many seminars or groups to learn how to release an EP or [navigate the] music business side of things; it was a learn-as-you-go experience. The best thing that worked for me was taking on any opportunity in the arts. For me, telling stories and connecting people is the most important bit - cross-pollination between different mediums gives back so much to your main medium, also. Now, I am lucky enough to have a constant ebb and flow between music, theatre and film.
When I started out, if the opportunities I wanted to participate in weren’t interested in collaborating with me, I would create my own opportunities. Dream big, and even if you make 50, 60, 65 per cent of your vision, you’re still out there making it. And next time, you’ll move closer to the level of expression you’re aiming for.
Ed: Spend lots of time in the artistic areas that excite you, working on your craft. Create a concise concept and vision for a show/performance and create with this in mind. Believe that it’s possible! This will help you follow opportunities that lead you closer to your goal. Find your people and work together to create the best thing you can imagine and manage. Align yourself with events which represent your values, and get involved in any way you can - just to be there, be a part of it, see how it works and breathe in all it has to offer, get inspired and turn that inspiration into creation. Go back to them and pitch your ideas to them.
10. What is your dream New Zealand holiday destination?
Nikita: Most surf breaks that are slightly out of a main city...
Ed: I couldn’t think of a favourite NZ holiday destination. If I get time off travelling to beautiful places for music, I’d just like to be in my room with my music equipment.
Rick: Some Northland surf spot like Ahipara in a caravan and tents for weeks, with no internet, with my family. Spend the days surfing, eating kaimoana, reading books...
- Womad 2023 celebrates its 20th anniversary at the Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Park in New Plymouth from March 17-19, featuring artists hailing from Afghanistan to Zambia.
