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Molek FMInterview: Nadhira
From a metal growler to a classy rnb singer, Nadhira has come a long way since her early days of being in rock bands with the need to scream her emotions out. These days, she’s since broken away from her groove-deprived shackles and revealed the inner workings of her tender heart. The result is the very personal, rnb-driven EP From Malaysia With Love.
Growing up around the world as a young kid exposed this beautiful, soft-spoken young lady to the harsh realities of life. “I was a good student, but I also bullied people,” says Nadhira. “I wasn’t that mean y’know, but I wasn’t that nice either.” But while the outside world would occasionally come into contact with this side of Nadhira, she admits that when it comes to family, nothing else matters and the bond that they share amongst each other has always remained strong. This includes a close relationship with baby brother Naqib aka Qbe from hip hop duo Dose Two and The 8TV Quickie‘s new host.
Nadhira grew up with rock music permeating her home, so joining a rock band was seemingly a natural progression. But after she and her boyfriend of 6 years parted ways, she decided to channel the pain and anger she felt into poetically charged rnb songs. “Before the 1st Too Phat album came out, I was in a relationship with the ‘third member’, Dr. K,” she reveals. “So when we broke up, I just wrote all those stuff and I also wanted to use something that was meaningful to me to release.” As a result, “all those stuff” amassed into her 1st single ‘Do It Again’.
Writing and singing about issues that are close to her heart didn’t come easy for Nadhira, especially when the songs exposed a certain vulnerability to her identity as an individual. But she admits that they have become a therapeutic way to channel her emotions. “I knew that if I wanted to come out with the music that I write, I needed to be honest,” she explains. “When I was with my band, I never wrote the music. So when I started writing my own music, it was always about love. I think it’s just part of growing up.”
This EP of 6 tracks and 2 remixes took about 8 months to finish, with up-and-coming producer Tatsuro Miller from Global City Music taking charge of most of the production duties. When Nadhira’s friends from around the world found out that she was working on an EP, they requested for a copy. For this reason, she named it From Malaysia With Love. The name is also an acknowledgement to her country of origin.
Fast forward to a new chapter in Nadhira’s life and she’s currently the main squeeze of The Movemint’s MC Vandal. As her supportive other half and one who understands the industry inside and out, Vandal has definitely played a big part in making inroads into her success locally and overseas. The couple recently flew to Vandal’s home city of Toronto, Canada shortly after the launch of Nadhira’s EP at The Movemint’s 2nd anniversary party where they played a few gigs and was amazed by the support.
That experience has since opened new doors for Nadhira as an artist, subsequently leading to bookings for a number of shows in the coming months. It’s just proof of the symbiosis in these 2 talents’ personal and professional relationship dynamic. “Vandal is my manager, but he was my boyfriend way before he became my manager. We met through business dealings so no, we don’t have a cheesy, romantic story to tell,” she chuckles.
Check Nadhira out at nadhiranishaa.blogspot.com.
Image Aqmal Hadi Shapee
