TALENT SCOUT - Nina Nesbitt

Our TALENT SCOUT Artist of the Week is Scottish singer/songwriter Nina Nesbitt. Her international debut album The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change is out now. Stream/Download it HERE.NAME: Nina NesbittHOMETOWN: Livingston, Scotland, but I say Balerno (near Edinburgh) because it's where I consciously remember growing up. MUSICAL TRAINING: None, but I grew up with a Swedish Mum who loved pop music so I think that counts. I spent a lot of time singing along to her Britney, Mariah, Whitney and Celine records as a kid. Pop melodies have always been ingrained into my head from a young age.FIRST GIGS: My first gig was at Electric Circus in Edinburgh in 2010. It's a quirky little venue that's also a karaoke club. The backstage had these neon-lit doors and each room was themed differently. It was an open mic night and there were about five people there, including my parents. MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Any women who write their own music. I'm a big fan of Dolly Parton, Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift, Stevie Nicks and more. When I first discovered that women didn't just sing songs written for them, I realized exactly what I wanted to do in life.WHAT I'M LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW: While We Wait by Kehlani. I was a huge fan of her first mixtape, You Should Be Here and her album SWEETSEXYSAVAGE. I love how she has such a classic '90s R&B feel, but she keeps her lyrics modern and relatable. MY BIG BREAK: Starting a YouTube channel at age 15, then receiving support from BBC Radio in the UK and having other artists taking me on tour. It hasn't really been one thing for me, it's been a gradual process from 2011.LATEST PROJECTS: My debut international album, The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change. I'm so excited to finally have the album out and the reaction so far has been beyond anything I'd dreamt of!FAVORITE KEYBOARDS AND WHY? The Nord Stage 3. It's the staple 'musician-on-tour' keyboard and the best I've found, because I can recreate the sounds from the record and bring them into a live setting. It's got some great built-in sounds in it too, and it's generally nice to play.WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? Touring the US, UK, Asia and Australia, playing festivals and making some more music.ADVICE TO THE NEXT GENERATION: Focus on building your artistic craft more than your online status.Catch Nina Nesbitt on her North American headline tour. Info and tickets at www.ninanesbittmusic.com