Nya Jade On ‘Loveday’, Shifting From R&B To Country Music and Multi-Culturalism – Interview

Nya Jade is not your average country music up-and-comer. Born in Ghana and having lived around the world, now settling in San Francisco, she burst onto the scene a few years ago as an R&B/soul artist. Her debut album ‘My Denial’ landed on VH1’s Top 20 Albums list and she was able to perform with the likes of Maroon 5, Evanescence, the Donnas, and Ben Kweller, as well as an electric side-stage performance for Dave Matthews Band. The Stanford University Sociology graduate (a masters degree, too) placed her independently-produced music videos on the likes of VH1-Soul, BET-J, and MTV-U, and she worked with Grammy award-winning engineer ToneDef as well as Grammy award-winning producer Jack Douglas. The list well and truly goes on.

Still, it was her fandom of Hootie and The Blowfish and Darius Rucker that drew her towards country, and after giving birth to her first child in 2013 Nya called up ToneDef, who enlisted a talented band of Nashville musicians to record her debut country EP ‘LoveDay’. I recently contacted Nya to talk about her background growing up on multiple continents, her R&B career, making that shift to country, the African-American placement in the format, Mickey Guyton, women on country radio, the birth of her daughter and the new EP.

Let’s start from the beginning – you were born in Ghana, but you were also part-raised in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Alberta in Canada. Can you tell me a bit about the time-line of that, and also your memories (both musical and personal) from those years?

I left Ghana at a young age, and the first stop was Alberta, Canada. Alberta was my first encounter with snow. I remember thinking it was so beautiful, so exotic, but I ultimately found the cold weather unbearable—borderline traumatic, really! My first exposure to country music was in Alberta. I loved watching country bands perform at the Calgary Stampede! The warmth of island living was also very welcome after Canadian winters. My family spent about 8 years in the Bahamas and then 4 in Puerto Rico. I really enjoyed the laid back island life. I think it’s why I feel at home in California—there’s a similar vibe. And I could go on and on about the cuisine in both countries. To this day, I seek out Puerto Rican food any chance I get. And calypso, reggae, salsa and merengue are among my favourite music genres.

Your father worked for UNAIDS, which helps people suffering with HIV/AIDS. Does that mean that you were exposed to quite a lot of human suffering when you were younger, or were you protected from that? Did some of it still influence you creatively?

I was consciously shielded from most of my father’s work. However, my parents vehemently believed in health education as a form of preventative care. So I learned what was age-appropriate at the time. I do think, as a result of his work, that I was probably more aware at a young age how lucky we were to have family and our collective good health. I definitely grew up with a considerable dose of gratitude for those things. I don’t think his work influenced me creatively.

How did you end up in San Francisco? Was it from attending Stanford University, or were you already in the area?

The Stanford University campus is in Palo Alto, which is a little ways outside of San Francisco. But my friends and I would often take trips to “The City” and I fell in love with it. I knew early on that I wanted to live there after graduation. When the opportunity presented itself, I took it! No regrets on that decision.

You’ve already achieved quite a lot in your career – VH1’s Top 20 Albums list, performing with the likes of Maroon 5, an LA Times cover story, and airing on MTV – how did some of these amazing opportunities come about, and what was the highlight of that more R&B-infused stage of your career?

I appreciate you bringing up those milestones. As artists, we sometimes get so focused on “what’s next” in our careers that we forget to appreciate what we’ve already accomplished. Most of those opportunities occurred at a time when my sound was a mix of rock, pop and soul/R&B. I was bit more experimental back then, at least in terms of production and mixing. If I had to pick, I’d have to say that the highlight was the LA Times cover story. That article, “Guitar Soul Divas,” was written by one of my heroes, pop music journalist Ann Powers—a true powerhouse. It was a great honour to be featured in an article with the likes of India.Arie and Corinne Bailey Rae. And I couldn’t believe that it included my photo! I would have been happy with just a shout-out. I had the article framed.

I know you were inspired by Darius Rucker to make that leap into country – but what was the exact moment that made you go, “this would be perfect for me”?

It was the first time I heard Darius Rucker’s song “Radio.” It came on…well, the radio, haha. And I remember feeling almost immediately that it was a combination of everything I love: storytelling, a sing-along pop chorus with country music instrumentation. It resonated with what I wanted to do, the voice I wanted to have musically.

Do you think it would be fair to say that R&B and soul still influence your new music, even if it’s grounded in country?

I’d say that soul still influences my new music. I think it’s only natural to keep drawing from the musical genres I’ve been playing with for years. As I continue to write and record, my goal is to inhabit my own blend of what I’m calling country-soul. But I’m not out to invent a new subgenre—I’m just playing what’s coming to me naturally. I’m a big fan of the Zac Brown Band; though they don’t identify as a soul band, I think they have a soulful sound. Their song “All Alright” is dripping with soul! At the core of all my sonic layering is a back-to-basics songwriting approach rooted in honest lyrics.

I saw you’ve recorded an acoustic cover video of Mickey Guyton’s ‘Better Than You Left Me’ – how did you feel when you saw a black woman tearing up the country radio charts?

“Better Than You Left Me” is a such a great song! I had to cover it; I almost didn’t have a choice. I’m excited about Mickey Guyton and her success. I’m very much cheering her on. I’m also stoked about Kelsea Ballerini’s recent Top 10 hit, and the new crop of women impacting country radio. It’s a much needed movement. And of course, Mickey being a black woman is certainly not lost on me. She’s an inspiration. She’s also a lovely person. When I posted my cover on Twitter, she even sent me a tweet saying she loved it!

There are a significant number of white rappers now – after all, white appropriation of “black” music has been a thing as long as the music industry has been going. Do you think that now there is a chance for African-Americans and non-whites to cross over into country and make the genre more multi-cultural and cosmopolitan?

I would love to see the genre become more cosmopolitan and global. It’s great to see the genre’s popularity growing in the UK as well as in the US. I’d love to see country appeal to an even broader audience. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see a country music star from Brazil, Jamaica or Japan? People are often fascinated by the fact that I’m originally from Ghana and love country music. My hope is that someday soon, that won’t come as a surprise because there will be big country music festivals all over Africa. Imagine that!

How do you feel about hip hop making its way into mainstream country – is it a great way for genres and people to mesh, or is it still a poor man’s version of what that combination of styles could potentially become?

I was listening to XM The Highway the other day when a song called “Ride” by Chase Rice came on. I had to do double take to make sure I hadn’t switched to an Urban/Top 40 station. I was surprised to hear a country singer cover an Urban/R&B song, but maybe I shouldn’t be; certainly things are headed that way, toward a big melting pot of genres. And I love that The Highway is playing it. That’s absolutely one song that has added to the “What is country music?” debate. The thing is, country artists are not only listening to country music. The internet has changed music consumption forever. We have access to so much now and we’re all becoming fans of multiple genres and diverse artists. So naturally we’re going to see a lot more merging of styles. I think there is room in country music for experimentation and for artists to find their own voice within the genre and even between genres. That said, I think it’s really important that artists remain true to themselves and not chase a trend. Throwing hip hop into your country music only works if that’s authentically who you are. After all, trends fade. At the moment, I feel at home in a rootsy soulful style that incorporates a good sing-along chorus.

Why do you think country radio is currently having a problem with getting women played? Is it for a lack of great female artists or is there a flaw in the system?

There are many outstanding female artists in country music, so it’s unquestionably a flaw in the system. I’ve been reading about this issue. There seems to be a sense, in country radio programming, that women prefer to listen to men and that men don’t relate to what women sing about. Whatever the case, things need to change – especially since women rule Top 40 radio at the moment. Top 40 is showing that female artistry is undeniable. Listeners want to hear all voices and stories. It’s what makes music so great. I love country radio and I’m looking forward to hearing the format embrace more diverse voices.

Have you received any resistance since coming into country music?

So far, listeners seem to be welcoming my music enthusiastically! It’s really encouraging to feel supported, especially so immediately after crossing into a new genre. I have a song called “Blake Shelton” and it’s been fun connecting with other Blake Shelton fans on social media. In general, the country music fans I’ve interacted with have been great.

You have a new EP called ‘Loveday’– can you tell me about the recording process and the songs on there?

I wrote the songs shortly after my daughter was born. Her birth ushered in a surge of creativity. Every time I put her down for a nap, I’d grab my guitar and work through some song ideas. I came up with 6 – 7 songs in a matter of weeks and chose the four that were speaking to me the most for the EP. The actual recording process happened in both Los Angeles and Nashville. I have to say that I had the most fun with this “Blake Shelton,” which is the opening track. I’m obviously a huge fan. And I wanted to use that fact to illustrate how hearing a song by your favourite artist can instantly fix a bad mood or help you through a tough time. “Without You” explores that feedback loop a person can enter during a moment of regret. Like when they realize that they were wrong to let a former love go and the mind just fixates on it. “First Kiss” was inspired by stories I’d heard about former high school loves reconnecting at events like reunions and business conventions and deciding to date again. And then the EP ends with “Empty Picture Frames,” a song about childhood sweethearts from a small town where everyone expects them to go the distance because they’ve been together so long. I was wondering if it’s possible to grow up in love wanting the same things. The theme is love: love of your favourite artist, childhood love, grown up love, old love made new again. #LOVE

You gave birth to your first child in 2013. How did that affect your creativity, and has motherhood given you a different perspective on life?

My daughter opened my heart in ways I didn’t even know were possible. I love getting to experience the novelty and newness of life through her eyes. Watching her discover things for the first time allows me to rediscover them. Often, things we take for granted are miraculous to her, like flowers, animals, or a moving vehicle. There’s always a sense of “Wow, what’s that?” with a child. It’s great energy to be around. And that energy fuels creativity. Watching her learn to walk was a master class in persistence. Every time she fell down, she got right back up and tried again. No tears, no whining. Just pure determination to succeed. That milestone in my daughter’s life reminded me to bring that sense of excitement and wonder to my goals. My approach to making my dreams happen should be like learning to walk—keep at it till you succeed and celebrate every little step forward.

Would you ever consider moving to Nashville or are you firmly rooted in California?

Hey, if an amazing opportunity presents itself, I’d definitely consider moving to Nashville. I love it there. However, because my family life is based in San Francisco, it would most likely be a situation where I split my time between the two cities. Heck, that wouldn’t be a bad life at all!

What’s next for you? Are you touring, promoting your EP, etc? Any cool things coming up?

I’m putting a lot into promoting the Loveday EP at the moment, and I’m having a wonderful time connecting with people as they discover it. A full tour isn’t on the agenda as of yet, but you can catch me in October at the Northern California Women’s Festival—an event I’m truly thrilled to be a part of. I’m also currently writing the sequel to my young adult fantasy novel, Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four, which was published a couple of years ago. It’s about the adventures of a teen shape-shifter spy-in-training and I’m looking forward to getting back into that world. And of course, I’m always jotting down ideas for new songs. As you can see, music, books and an active toddler have me quite busy and happy!