Photography: Kate McMahon
Styling and words: Graham Peacock
Set Design: Isabella Atan
Photo Assistants: Mark McKinlay & Luka Windsor

One listen to Nikhita’s catalogue unmistakably denotes a Scottish star on the rise.  In recent months, the Edinburgh-based musician has found herself under the spotlight of BBC Scotland Introducing, and landed a place on BBC Asian Network’s Artist of the Week. With a voice that cooly moves between hypnotic and soulful, Nikhita has been turning heads with a string of single releases and performances in her home city and beyond. 

The musician’s influences are as extensive as her subject matter. R&B, dance, and soul provide the framework in which Nikhita explores family struggles and selfhood, mythology and relationships. It’s authentic and eclectic, moving and deeply reflective. It’s unsurprising, then, that with only a few single releases, Nikhita has managed to capture the attention of Scotland’s music scene, which waits in anticipation for the new music she talks of excitedly and passionately during our shoot. 

Nigh on the release of this material, Nikhita joins us on a walk through the forest. Moving between cavernous rocks and overgrown shrubs, and as the sun sets, the Golden Child singer sinks comfortably into the setting, discussing her practice and teasing what’s to come. After a day spent with her, the appeal is clear. Nikhita embodies the best of the Scottish creative landscape – a love for what she does, and a desire to create with those around her. 

It was so lovely working with you on the shoot, how did you find it?

I loved it! This shoot is definitely one of my favourites I’ve ever taken part in. It was so inspiring to feel the amount of thought that was put into every aspect such as the beautiful pieces I had the honour of being styled in, the location, lighting, set design- and the overall vibe of working with such a lovely team of creatives.

When we were planning this shoot we wanted it to feel very ethereal and otherworldly. That’s how your music sounds to us. How do you describe your music?

Ethereal and otherworldly is a great description. The other day my partner asked me if I had a superpower, what would it be? I told him it would be to be a Siren. That mesmerising, spellbinding, dreamy quality is what I like my music to have sonically, as well as telling a story lyrically.

How much of what you write is based on real life?

A large part of what I write is based on real life. When I first got into writing and making music, it definitely was – and still sometimes is – a form of therapy for me. It allowed me to explore some heavy thoughts in my mind, by writing out my stream of thoughts, turning them into something I saw with an inspiring perspective.

However, inspiration for me comes in many forms, may that be real life situations, nature, literature…and on and on! One of my favourite songs I am working on at the moment is based on the passionate yet destructive relationship of two fictitious characters in a book I just finished called Cleopatra And Frankenstein. It’s a bestseller at the moment, but definitely not overrated – I highly recommend you read it.

Your latest single Golden Child is about a family relationship, and a family struggle. It’s refreshing to hear music about the complexities of familial love, was this something you consciously chose to explore?

Yes, the complexity of familial love is something that’s prominent in my life, so writing Golden Child really felt like getting some weight off my chest. 

The song explores the clash between cultural and queer identities, which can really cause complexities in traditional families.

Seeing how many people have resonated with this song has made me very emotional in the best way. Having conversations with others who have grown up in a similar environment where our identities are not accepted or understood by those we love or are expected to makes us all less isolated in the feeling

You blend so many different influences together in your music, they overlap so beautifully. Other than music, where else do you go to for influence?

Thank you. To me, chords hold such a range of strong emotion, and when messing around on my guitar, I tend to come up with the direction of a track. Other times I will start lyrically, and then piece the music together. The process varies really. And when I have formed the chordal and melodic basis of a track, I will be able to start hearing what other sounds the song needs, to form the arc and tell the story, that’s what music production is, and I’m developing my ear for sure. I’ve worked with some super talented producers who help my demos come together into fully formed ideas.

The sound you create is really soothing. Does writing make you calm, or does it stress you out?

When I’m in the flow, writing brings me so much peace, but something I struggle with are the moments of mental overexertion where I feel like I don’t have the space to be creative. This can be a very stressful thing, but I think it’s important not to hold yourself under the pressure to be constantly creating as an artist, as inspiration and space can be something that fluctuates.

When you perform, what kind of atmosphere are you aiming to create with the audience?

Transporting. I aim to make my audience feel like they are lost in a dream, and create a relaxing, yet thought provoking environment, so they listen lyrically as well as sonically. Music is like meditation to me, and that’s the feeling I aim to create in my shows.

During the shoot you mentioned your upcoming music. What can we expect?

No set dates yet, but the next track I have set to release may be my favourite track I have created so far! I have been working with a close friend (and very talented producer) Leon Morris, to create a track  with influences from nature and struggles with mentality. Working on music with Leon is so great because he is able to materialise exactly what I envision, as well as adding so many other crazy, and powerfully subtle elements. The feel of this track is actually very reminiscent of the visual aspects of what we have created in this shoot. I am very excited to share!

Keep up to date with Nikhita on her Instagram or via Spotify

Photography: Kate McMahon
Styling and words: Graham Peacock
Set Design: Isabella Atan
Photo Assistants: Mark McKinlay & Luka Windsor