On her debut album, ‘Close But Not Too Close’, NIIKA invites listeners to step into her world of multitudes- warmth, intimacy, and tenderness collide effortlessly with experimentation and playfulness in her songwriting. Stimulating and beautiful, this record juxtaposes an inviting, feminine, and real voice with adventurous rhythmic and textural choices.
Nika Nemirovsky was born in Uzbekistan, in a time when the Soviet Union was collapsing and Uzbekistan was yet to reestablish itself as a nation. Politically, it was no-man’s land, but the rich culture and warmth of the place persisted. When Nika was one, her family came to the US as refugees, and settled in Chicago amongst the bustling immigrant community of Rogers Park. Nika’s childhood was infused with Russian films and animation, pantomime and physical theater, and a constant rotation of highly eclectic music. Russian language, family, custom, and folk medicine have remained core fibers of Nika’s world, and her lyrics reflect a deep connection to allegory, superstition, myth, and tradition.
