Nina Nastasia

Capturing the essence of Nina Nastasia in just a handful of sentences is nearly impossible. Having cut her teeth as a performer in the late ’90s indie scene, her debut album landed in 2000, capturing the attention of everyone from indie rock fans to seasoned singer-songwriters. Now, seven Steve Albini-produced albums, six John Peel sessions and innumerable accolades later, Nastasia has landed back in the studio and onstage after an absence that lasted much of the 2010s. She continues to occupy a space entirely her own, her music as breathtaking, indelible and engrossing as ever: to describe it as shadowy folk and Americana where the traditional flirts with the avant garde is accurate and a gross simplification. Her latest two song single, Too Soon, is a perfect encapsulation of both the unexpected and singular power of her music, with one track (“Too Soon”) performed entirely acapella, and the other (“Whatever You Need To Believe”) showcasing plaintive fragility and stark intimacy. For newcomers to her work and those already devoted to her sound, her re-emergence proves Nastasia is as forceful, moving and uncompromising as ever. Her ability to move from sparse, stark confessionals to songs featuring ambitious arrangements and unique collaborations has earned her a devoted fan base despite (or because of) her unwillingness to fit into a straightforward narrative.