Nashville-based singer-songwriter Nina de Vitry, who makes jazz-tinged, soulful Americana music, has just released a very personal and lyrically deep album, “What You Feel Is Real.” She sat down recently with @skopemag to talk about this gorgeous record.
@skopemag: Tell us about your new album.
Nina: It’s a collection of songs I wrote throughout my early- to mid-20s. Many of the songs deal with different types of emotions and acknowledging and trusting them. I started recording it just over two years ago, and it’s been an absolute labor of love. Learning how to create and release a full-length album independently has simultaneously been a beautiful, overwhelming, and humbling experience.
@skopemag: What inspired the song “Bright Star”?
Nina: I wrote “Bright Star” very early in the pandemic. As many people experienced at that time, I was having a particularly difficult time dealing with some mental health struggles. This song is about being able to lift your internal burdens by finding a listening ear. The star is a metaphor for someone who shines brightly and steadily for you and who listens unconditionally without a need to reply.
@skopemag: What is your favorite song on the album?
Nina: It’s “Life You Could Be Living.” It grew into something new once I produced it with a full band. I wrote it on guitar, and it used to have a more rootsy, acoustic sound. At one point in the production process, I was going to sleep and the idea of a slow, 6/8 drum groove popped into my mind. This transformed the song completely and led to having a New Orleans-inspired horn section. It was fun to record, too: it was the last full band track we did in the studio, and we all took a shot of whiskey beforehand. We wanted it to encompass a sort of pickup, bar-gig vibe, and I love what we captured.
@skopemag: How would you describe your music to people who haven’t heard it before?
Nina: My music is a synthesis of Americana and jazz, that, depending on the song, might make you cry or might make you dance.
