Triple threat singer/songwriter, dancer and actor, Nella Cole, is excited to release her brand new EP in the beginning of the New Year, and just recently released her new music video for her latest single, “All Out.” Besides music, Nella recently worked alongside Natalie Portman in feature film, “Vox Lux" and just made her off-Broadway debut in the anticipated show, “This Ain’t No Disco.” There is so much this artist is doing, Nella Cole is a firecracker to watch out for!
Unheard Gems: Welcome to Unheard Gems! So excited to get the chance to talk with you about your music!
Nella Cole: Hey there! Yes thanks so much for having me!
Unheard Gems: Just for our readers to get a little bit of background on you, when did you first know you wanted to pursue music and what was your journey like?
Nella Cole: I knew I wanted to pursue music and performing at a really young age. I was super shy at first but had TONS of energy at home and would spend all day acting out plays, singing in my toy microphone and drawing fashion designs. The journey of being a professional performer really didn’t begin until graduating high school. Since then its been a lot of ups and downs, but ultimately a path to find my truest self. Through everything I’ve learned I’ve been able to get more in touch with myself and realize the kind of music I want to make and the things I want to say. I feel like what I am doing now really reflects who I am.
Unheard Gems: How would you describe Nella Cole in 5 words and why? (sentence or just a combination of words)
Nella Cole: Ready to rule the world. ;)
Unheard Gems: Your song “All Out” is a girls night out anthem. What is the story behind this song and was the process like for you working on this single as the first single for your EP?
Nella Cole: All Out is definitely a girls night out anthem. It could be a guys night out anthem too haha. It's kind of an ode to all of the crazy adventures I’ve had in NYC with some of my favorite people. I love stepping out into the streets and seeing where the night takes me. It makes me feel alive in the moment and I always have the best memories and stories to tell. The process of working on this song was super fun. I was working with female production duo, Lyre, out in LA and I was telling them I wanted to write a party anthem that captured this feeling. A lot of the lyrics you hear in the song are actually inspired by true events! Also the main lyric is a reference to the work hard, play hard attitude that a lot of up and comers have living in NYC.
Unheard Gems: I loved the music video. The rosey colors, kaleidoscopic elements, and partying makes it seem like a lot of fun to film. What was the shooting of this video like from start to finish, did you have a favorite part?
Nella Cole: Thank you so much! I was so happy with how the video came out. I worked with the incredible Hana Haley and she made all of our visions come to life so effortlessly. Shooting was a total blast with Hana. The two girls you see featured in the video are my real life friends so the day was nothing but fun. The only thing that was difficult that day was the fact that it was about 150 degrees outside, but we worked with the sweat haha. Overall I’ve never had a more enjoyable and easy process while working on a video. I think we did only one edit after the initial first draft because Hana just nailed it straight away. It's such a great feeling to get a video back and see exactly what you were envisioning in your mind and more! I will be working with Hana again on the video for my upcoming single so I'm super excited!
Unheard Gems: In terms of new music from you, listeners can expect your new EP in the new year! What can you tell us about the EP? Will we have more bops like “All Out” or will we get a mix from you?
Nella Cole: The EP is definitely a range of different feelings and emotions, but they are all bops in their own way! Just kind of depends on your mood. It’s a really fearless and empowered EP and I think its the perfect introduction to who I am as an artist. The music really speaks for itself and I am so excited to share the rest of the songs. We will be releasing a second single in February so stay tuned!
Unheard Gems: Besides music, you also are a dancer and an actress! How do you balance all these parts of your career and why are you drawn to each?
Nella Cole: Dance was my first love and acting is my newest love haha. I make time for each because I truly love doing it all. I am the happiest in a rehearsal room or a studio, collaborating with other artists, pushing myself and working to create something I feel proud of. Sometimes the pop world can feel different from musical theater or acting etc., but in reality they all feed one another. I’ve grown a lot from working in different settings with different types of artists. I carry little pieces of what I’ve learned with me wherever I go and I feel like it kind of makes me a creative chameleon haha.
Unheard Gems: In terms of acting you recently worked alongside Natalie Portman in feature film, “Vox Lux" that released in theaters in early December, and just made your off-Broadway debut in the anticipated show, “This Ain’t No Disco.” What were those two experiences like?
Nella Cole: Being a part of the cast for This Aint No Disco was truly a life changing experience. Since then, doors in the musical theatre world have been opening up that I never would’ve expected. I’ll also be joining the cast of Cruel Intentions the musical for the first national tour in the Spring so I am excited to see where this takes me! Seeing Vox Lux in theaters was something I will never forget. Despite the movie being pretty intense I was hysterically laughing when I saw myself on the big screen. It was such a surreal experience and for some reason that was my reaction! It was such a joy to see all the hard work transformed into a beautiful masterpiece.
Unheard Gems: This is always one of the most evil questions I ask. If you could recommend to us one emerging artist or Unheard Gem that you think deserves more recognition in the music industry right now, who would you recommend and why?
Nella Cole: I would recommend my girl Elli Moore! She is 1/2 of Lyre, and an incredible songwriter and vocalist. Watch out for her because she’s about to kill it in 2019!! @Ellimoore
Unheard Gems: Lastly, for all of our readers, where can they find you and your music and is there anything else you want to leave us with that we didn’t talk about in our questions?
Nella Cole: I mostly use instagram to connect with my fans @ThatGurlNella. You can find my music on Spotify, iTunes and everywhere music is sold! Watch the "All Out" video now on the new NellaColeVEVO channel! Thanks so much and stay tuned because I'm just getting started ;)
Photo Credit: Hana Haley
Interview by Hannah Schneider