Nakamarra is a soulful powerhouse indie pop/electro band hailing from the Isle of Wight. Since forming in mid-2016, they’ve found themselves riding an unexpected wave of success on the Isle of Wight music scene, including their successful debut EP ‘Zacapa’. In the summer of 2017, they played several festivals including performing on the Main Stage at the Isle of Wight Festival, Common People, and Bestival festivals. They’ve recently released their new EP, ‘Glittery & Mess’.
In our November 2017 interview, Nakamarra talks about their beginnings, their festival tour, future plans, and much more.
Did you take your band name from the song Nakamarra by Hiatus Kaiyote (on their Tawk Tomahawk album)? What is the meaning or origin of Nakamarra?
We did indeed – but the reason for choosing the names is because of the many meanings of the word itself – one, in particular, was: harmony – this is shown in love for the arts and beautiful aesthetics. When faced with creative works of art all that is felt is admiration. It’s also an Australian tribal skin name hence our following being called #NakaTribe.
How did you meet and decide to form a band?
We all met at uni. Jamie and Joe (the guitarists) started writing together a few months before getting the rest of us involved – it was far more electronic then, but deciding to incorporate raw instrumentation, caused the formation of the band.
What degrees did you complete at Platform One College of Music in 2017?
Four of the five of us have just graduated in Commercial Music – Silas is in his final year now!
You sound like a band who have been playing professionally together for years, yet you only formed in mid-2016. Has your success been a surprise? Why or why not?
It has come as a bit of a shock, most definitely – the amount of people who support us and really believe in what we’re doing is incredible – and I suppose because of that support, it has pushed us more to write and rehearse and make our performances and music releases better each time.
Tell me about your experience getting to play on the Mainstage at the Isle of Wight Festival in June of this year. How did it feel to be supporting Arcade Fire, Catfish and The Bottlemen & The Kooks?
It was honestly one of the most surreal moments of our lives – the entire experience was incredible, getting a taste of what it’s all about. It was also interesting to see the other side of it – a couple of us have actually worked as artist liaison for the same stage a few years prior. I definitely know which one I prefer! Opening the stage for the likes of those artists was an absolute honor.
IMW: Are you all involved in writing your songs? What inspires your songwriting?
Yes! It usually starts with a guitar line or riff, and each of us builds on that. The guys focus on the music and I (Charlie) then fit a vocal melody and lyrics to suite. We all have vast music tastes and our individual styles seem to compliment each other’s quite well. I’d say musical inspiration, as a whole, would be Bonobo with old soul and newer indie vibe thrown in for good measure.
IMW: You played a lot of big summer festivals in 2017. What your plans are for 2018?
We love the festival circuit so definitely more festivals, gigging with similar bands and meeting more like-minded musicians, people and fans. We enjoy seeing new places too – so perhaps a tour may be on the cards!
IMW: Where (cities or countries) would you like to play/tour in the future?
I think realistically extending your gig radius by 20-40 miles at a time is reasonable at our current stage, so each gig will be a litter further afield, Brighton, London, Bristol. Saying that, we would love to tour Europe – earlier this summer as part of our degree course – some of us got the opportunity to gig in Amsterdam and was a great insight to how they consume music as a city. Very honest! Seeing and performing to different cultures would only benefit us as a band.
IMW: When did each of you get interested in a music career?
Charlie: I’ve grown up with a musical family so going to countless festivals and gigs were commonplace, and I kind of love the chaotic musician life, but after our main-stage slot at the Isle of Wight festival this year I realised that it could potentially be a career.
Jamie: Music had always been the priority for me, however, it was during my second year of uni I began to think it could actually lead to a career. Focusing on the band and investing more in music production has been a natural progression for me, both as a musician and towards Nakamarra’s maturing sound.
Joe: I started becoming interested in music when my parents use to play Northern Soul records all the time. I then found an old guitar my sister had and couldn’t stop playing it.
Jacob: I started learning bass at age 16 and from then it became an obsession and a passion, so it just made sense for me to pursue music as a career.
Silas: Attending my first festival in 2006 when I was 12, fell in love with how music brought people together, ever since then been hooked.
Any of you self-taught musicians in regards to instruments or singing – if so, how did you learn?
Charlie: I went straight into vocal lessons, but actually learnt more from rehearsing with different bands.
Jamie: I started guitar self-taught through some people my mum knew. My granddad then encouraged me to learn piano which has translated to using other instruments such as synths and bass. I think it’s been a combination of both self- taught and tutor-led learning which has allowed me to explore different instrumentation and writing styles.
Joe: Before getting lessons at college I used to just play tracks at home and try to work out what they were playing on the guitar.
Jacob: When I first started I learnt just by continuously listening to Muse, Green Day and RHCP albums and learning all the bass lines via chord charts, tab and eventually by ear. After I had learnt the basics (no pun intended) I began taking instrumental lessons. After about a year of playing, I joined a music college, which pushed me, taking my playing to the next level.
Silas: N/A
IMW: What band/solo artist experience have you had individually prior to Nakamarra?
Charlie: I was in a handful of projects before Naka – a blues-rock band, a funk and soul function band and a featuring vocalist for an electronic act who I performed with on the main stage at Bestival in 2015.
Jamie: I’d been involved with a couple of projects with other musicians but they were never really my projects and were always over pretty fast. Nakamarra was the first project that I felt was a ‘real’ band
Joe: Played in a couple of bands before Nakamarra. All of them being with other people I met at college.
Jacob: I have been a member of many bands and a fair few other short-time projects along with countless session work. I’m also currently a member of punk/rock band which formed in 2015 and cover band Rhythm Valley.
Silas: Played in a shitty Indie punk band with some best mates, we were so so bad! But you gotta start somewhere!
IMW: The Isle of Wight is known for its fantastic live music scene and great local talent. Do you feel musicians have to eventually base themselves on the mainland (as Level 42 did before the advent of the internet) to be successful or has YouTube and social media changed that?
We all have completely different opinions on this, so it’s hard to say but I think it is unarguably easier to promote yourself as a band now, and really don’t think if we were based on the mainland our success would have progressed any quicker.Saying that, the ferries are most definitely an extra expense when we do gig off island and they do limit us from certain things – due to the timetables etc. But if that is the only thing preventing us from succeeding we will cross that bridge when we come to it… if they ever build one.
IMW: Are there any artists you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Uh, acts like Bonobo or Kevin Parker would be amazing, perhaps as a producer or co-writer role. I think there’d be too many people to list if we had the choice though.
IMW: Are there any particular charities, organizations, or causes you support?
We have supported a few charities in the past playing special concerts for Homeless shelters and Cancer Hospices, if we believe strongly about the charity there is no doubt we will do our best to support it. Music ultimately brings people together and that’s seriously power help spread awareness for charity organizations. Obviously, it goes without saying that PRS and The Musicians Union are also fantastic organizations that have done incredible and game-changing for things for the industry too.
Their new EP Glitter & Mess is available on iTunes
Be sure to follow Nakamarra on Twitter @nakamarramusic and on Instagram: @nakamarramusic
