New Artist Nikita Lev Talks About Her Music Upbringing And Her Debut Single ‘Elegance’

What a debut!

Singer-Songwriter Nikita Lev just showed us that she is and will continue to be an absolute delight to the music scene. Yesterday, she released her debut single ‘Elegance’. And spoiler alert: we are obsessed!

We had the amazing honor of talking with Nikita about her upcoming music, songwriting, and more!

When did you first realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

N: “I always grew up around music, my mom was in a band in the 90s and when we got together all the cousins would play chamber music. It was really just about realizing the possibility of turning it into a career. I’m very lucky to have such supportive people around me to help me be able to do this.”

Tell us more about your amazing debut single ‘Elegance’.

N: “There’s a quote by Tom Waits that goes: “I want a beautiful melody telling me terrible things” and I think that’s a theme with a lot of the songs I write. Elegance specifically is about the discomfort of being in the in-between of adulthood and childhood. Missing the playfulness and the promises you made yourself as a kid, and then breaking them as you get older in an attempt to rebel against the uniformity of being an adult and what’s expected of you.”

What is your songwriting process usually like?

N: “It really varies. I take notes of lyrics and thoughts that I have throughout the day and then I sit down and map it all together. Lyrics usually come first because there’s a reason why I’m writing the song right? If I don’t have a guitar in front of me sometimes I’ll write out all the lyrics like a poem and alter them when I piece a melody together with an instrument. But if I’m there with a guitar it’ll most likely happen all at once.”

Do you play any instruments? Which instruments do you tend to use the most?

N: “I play guitar and piano. I try to mix ‘em up. Right now I’m more guitar-centric because I don’t have a piano at my house currently.”

If you could collab on a single with any music artist, who would it be and why?

N: “Fiona Apple. She’s brilliant and innovative and I love her lyrics, they’re so blunt and dripping with irony. I love her.”

Can we expect more music from you this year?

N: “Yes! I have three more songs ready to go after Elegance is released. Hopefully, they’ll be more after that, we’ll see.”

What are some of your biggest goals for your music career?

N: “Honestly, I just want to be able to make the music and be surrounded by inspiring fun people. See the world. All that groovy stuff. I think touring is going to be amazing. I’m really excited to tour.”

Where can we follow your amazing journey?

N: “You can follow me on instagram if you like @nikital3v. I have twitter as well, very unserious over there. Also tiktok, under the same handle, I gotta get used to posting on there more.”

Stream ‘Elegance’, available now on all music platforms!

Photo Credit: Jaci Judelson (IG @jaciparis).