Music Bugle Exclusive – Q & A – Nilka

By Nicholas Jason Lopez

Florida-native and singer/songwriter Nilka has been a music lover since a young girl when she wrote her own lyrics at age nine and learned guitar by age 14.

She then turned her focus in school to music, as she participated in different choirs and bands and studied both Classical and Commercial Voice while in college. Nowadays, she uses her smooth vocals and bedroom pop-style production to stand out in her own way.

Her music has been played on Hulu series “Light As A Feather” and “Love Island Australia” and released by EDM labels like NoCopyrightSounds and Magic Records.

Most recently this past March, she dropped her EP ‘Sacred,’ which spawned five singles, one of them being the bilingual, reggaeton-infused “Luna,” where she dove into her Latin roots and explored just where her impatience with life and its instabilities arose from.

The Music Bugle had the chance to talk with her about what her proudest accomplishment has been, where she goes when she needs a mental health break and much more, which you can check out below.

Music Bugle – What excites you the most about your style of music? 

Nilka – I like to call my style dreamy soul pop. I’ve always been inspired by orchestral music, so although my style is pop-forward, I love adding cinematic elements to add depth and layers while sonically painting the story being told in the lyrics. It’s so exciting to explore different sounds and textures that I feel can help spark the listeners imagination to enter the world I’m in for each song.

Music Bugle – How would you describe your mindset around the creation of your latest material? 

Nilka – Over the last few years, I have had a wake-up call to the kind of person I want to be. Community outside of my immediate family has become very important to me and the friendships I’ve made have led to spiritual and personal growth. Part of building these relationships means helping to carry the burdens in my community and being a source for encouragement and love. The creation for my new EP ‘Sacred’ began introspectively as all of my projects do, but they really began taking life from sharing and speaking into the hearts of the people I love.

Music Bugle – What was the moment that made you want to pursue music? 

Nilka – I’m not sure there was one defining moment. I knew I wanted to pursue music as a little girl. I’ve always written songs and loved to sing. Maybe in middle school, finding the joy and sense of belonging during band classes solidified the choice for me.

Music Bugle – What makes you the most proud about where you come from? 

Nilka – I love culture – not just the ones I come from, but in general, it is both unique and unifying to the people within it. The things that make up one’s culture give a sense of peace and belonging to something bigger than ourselves, just like spiritual faith or religion. I’m proud of my culture and the history it tells of how far my family has come.

Music Bugle – What would you say is the overall theme of ‘Sacred’? 

Nilka – I would say the overall theme for ‘Sacred’ is spiritual growth and the personal growth I’ve been pursuing through community. I hope when others hear these songs, they can feel a deeper connection to the ones they love and maybe a deeper understanding of themselves. 

Music Bugle – What’s a quote that motivates you to keep going? 

Nilka – “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will,” from Suzy Kassem. It reminds me my self-doubt or fears are probably controlling my decisions when I’m losing motivation, but I would rather fail a million times than always wonder what could have been if I kept going.

Music Bugle – What has been your proudest accomplishment so far?

Nilka – Definitely producing this entire album project on my own. I taught myself to track and edit vocals when the pandemic shut down the states in order to pick up work as a session vocalist/topliner while at home and from there, began dabbling in the realm of production. Before learning how to produce music, I thought it was a level of musicianship I could never reach. It can be so intricate and easy to get lost in. I only know a fraction of what my peers know, but it’s exciting to continue sharpening my skills in it. This is my first self-produced project and I look forward to releasing my next. 

Music Bugle – Who are you listening to right now, music-wise?

Nilka – Right now, I’m listening to everything Camilo – the ‘Mis Manos’ album is so good! Also, Tori Kelly’s ‘Hiding Place’ – it’s so centering. 

Music Bugle – Does social media help or hurt musicians?

Nilka – Social media is a great opportunity for musicians to broaden their reach in ways that didn’t exist even 10 years ago. I’ve seen it help a lot of musician friends reach a new audience through their content creativity and it’s really amazing! The only way I see it hurting musicians is through the expectation labels and other reps have for us as our social following is how they determine our likability. It’s a different type of entertainment and with how quickly technology and content absorption is changing, if you’re not keeping up, you are quickly ions behind. If you want your music to be heard, you can’t just be a musician anymore, you have to be a visual producer and content artist as well. Some musicians are really good at both!

Music Bugle – Where do you go when you need a mental health break?

Nilka – Speaking of social media, breaks are super important! I make an effort to limit my time on socials because they do not help my mental health. I love being outside, especially on a sunny day. My favorite place is my porch swing, but when I’m feeling adventurous, a walk does wonders for my mental health. I know the same is true for many. Something about being surrounded by nature mentally immerses me in the present reality and helps me shepherd my thoughts to a peaceful meditation of thankfulness.