Neu Get To Know… Nadia Kadek
Atmospheric indie-pop that speaks to universal truths.
Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.
In the age of digital domination and AI everywhere you look, Nadia Kadek is a true breath of fresh air, her heartfelt accounts of coming of age anxieties delivered with genuine heart and a desire for connection beyond engagement and algorithms. She writes with the same irresistible, coming-of-age charm as early beabadoobee or, more recently, Nell Mescal, and has been a firm fixture on the festival circuit of late, having already played Glastonbury (after being named runner-up in the festival’s Emerging Talent Competition last year), Latitude, and BST Hyde Park. To mark the milestone of her debut EP release, we caught up with Nadia to hear more about her musical upbringing, get some nuggets of wisdom, and discover her ultimate comfort foods…
You grew up in Norfolk, and have British-Indonesian heritage. How did your background and hometown influence your musical education? Did you take on the tastes of your family? Were there venues nearby, or much of a ‘scene’ to speak of?
I was very lucky to be taken along to shows and festivals growing up. My earliest memory was going to Camp Bestival when I was six. We listened to Florence + The Machine all the way there, and then I was on a random lady’s shoulders watching her sing right in front of me that same weekend. I think that exciting upbringing pushed me to see live music any way I could as I grew up, despite there not being much of a scene or any venues in my hometown.
What’s the story behind your first instrument?
I had guitar lessons until I was 11, but then got really into classical singing so stuck with that instead. Then at 15, I found I couldn’t express myself enough with just that, so I picked the guitar back up and learnt how to play as I started writing my own songs. I still don’t really know what I’m doing on the guitar… but I write very instinctively, so I kind of like the magic of just feeling what I’m playing.
Your debut EP, ‘Green Car’, centres around the bittersweet experience of coming of age and starting to navigate the adult world. Are there any particular albums, books, or films that you still return to, to help you reconnect with your child/teenhood?
Coraline has been my favourite film for as long as I can remember; it’s so clever that I don’t think I could ever grow out of it. All of Phoebe Bridger’s discography was the soundtrack of my life from 16 to 18, and comforted me so much as a sad teenage girl - if I catch myself listening to her now, it’s usually a sign that something is wrong. It makes me so emotional that I’ve had to put myself on a Phoebe ban!
“The best advice I’ve been given is to ‘take up space’. Sometimes you just need permission to be your whole self.”
Tell us the best and worst advice you’ve ever been given.
The best advice I’ve been given is to ‘take up space’. It’s very simple, but something I often write on my setlist before a show and tell myself before I write a song; sometimes you just need permission to be your whole self. The worst advice is ‘you don’t owe anyone anything’ - you can’t really have connection or community without owing each other.
You played Glastonbury last year, after being named runner-up in the festival’s Emerging Talent Competition! Musically or otherwise, what are you most looking forward to next year?
I’m excited to play Eurosonic in January as I’ve never played a festival outside the UK. I can’t wait to play all the new songs I’ve been writing - it’s the best way to feel which of them connect the most. I’m also really looking forward to hopefully going on some sort of holiday!
If you could collaborate with one artist from the past two decades, who would you pick (and why)?
I would love to write with Glen Hansard; he’s such an incredible performer and storyteller, and I’d love to just have a cup of tea with him to be honest.
Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you making?
I think I’d just make a comforting lemon and courgette orzo, and then I’d finish with my homemade cookies that have white chocolate, dark chocolate and Crunchie bar in them.
‘Green Car’ is out now via Transgressive.
Records, etc at
Featuring Yard Act, Death Cab For Cutie, Graham Coxon, Maisie Peters and more.