Nina Nesbitt on playing TRNSMT, fans in the US and finding a sound she’s happy with

SHE may be just 23, but Scots star Nina Nesbitt has packed a lot into her musical career so far.

From singing the national anthem at Hampden ahead of a Scotland match to supporting Justin Bieber, the Edinburgh-born singer has been evolving her style along the way.

And the culmination of her evolution so far is the release of her second album later this year.

Before that though, she gets the chance to shine in front of a Scots audience at Glasgow’s TRNSMT.

Speaking to The Sunday Post, Nina said she’s ‘very excited’ to take to The King Tut’s Stage at this year’s expanded festival on July 8.

She says: “It’ll be my first year playing it, and I haven’t been before so I’m excited to see what it’s all about and to play a Scottish festival which is my favourite.

“I love playing Glasgow headline shows but I’ve never played a festival here so I’m looking forward to it.”

Nina has spent much of 2018 touring across the US, playing South by Southwest in March and then a number of shows both as a headliner and support.

“It was an amazing experience,” she says. “I was there for almost three months, doing a tour with Jake Bugg and a headline tour on the back of that.

“It’s a completely different experience to anything here, it’s so big and the travelling’s insane but getting to meet people that have been listening for six or seven years and have waited that long is amazing.”

A music obsessive since her early years and first signed to a label aged 17, Nina has kept up with and grown a fanbase online.

Her presence on social media and working with streaming platform Spotify has played a big part in her popularity outwith her homeland.

“It’s crazy, I think the internet gives that opportunity to artists,” she says. “I looked at my Spotify insights and America’s the biggest streaming territory for me so we thought, why not go there!”

On her return to the UK, Nina has been playing dates across the country including some Scottish gigs.

“I did a UK tour which just ended last week, playing Aberdeen and Edinburgh which was great,” she says.

“It’s different to anywhere else playing in your home country because it’s people that have been listening and coming along since I was a kid essentially.”

As she says, many fans have been with her from the early days.

As a teenager, her talents were spotted by Ed Sheeran, who was so impressed that he invited her on his European tour.

Catapulted into the limelight, Nina then released debut album Peroxide in 2014.

Her musical style has evolved in the following years, partly due to relocating down south and involving others in the creative process.

She’s also turned her hand to producing, having been dropped by a previous label and deciding to go it alone.

“I think moving to London opened my ears to lots of sounds,” she admits. 

“When I first started off I’d never written with anyone else so working with loads of other people, collaborating, learning what I’m good at and what I’m not so good at has allowed me to create a sound I’m happy with.”

Nina’s second album is due for release this year, and the tracks unveiled so far have proved a hit worldwide.

Last summer’s single The Moments I’m Missing was followed by The Best You Had, which became her top streamed song on Spotify.

A third single from the album, Somebody Special, was released early this year, and new track The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change has been featured in US comedy drama Life Sentence.

Nina also joined Sasha Sloan and Charlotte Lawrence for the first Spotify Single collaboration to mark Women’s History Month.

And if that wasn’t enough as part of a packed 2018 schedule for the star, she joins fellow TRNSMT performer Lewis Capaldi on tour later this year.

“It’s busy that’s for sure!” she laughs.

“There’ll be new music over the summer and the album will be out by the end of the year.”

Nina was speaking at a TRNSMT media event to showcase acts performing on the King Tut’s Stage, as well as launching Platform On Tour, this year’s street food offering at the festival

Nina will perform on the July 8 date, visit trnsmtfest.com for tickets and information