Ahmet Yatğın
Nilüfer Yanya, the daughter of an English mother and a Turkish father, captured everyone’s attention with her album “Miss Universe.” Now, she presents the first song from her new EP, titled “Crash,” following her successful album. Personally, I discovered and became a fan of her through the song “Keep on Calling,” always excited when encountering new artists who sing without shouting.
Hey, how are you?
Hi, I’m good! The winter months don’t excite me much, but yes, I’m good!
You released a new single called “Crash,” which is the precursor to your new EP. Can you tell us how it all came about?
I think I went through stressful times and allowed what was happening inside me to come out. Writing songs felt good, especially writing them as they were happening. It wasn’t about struggling to make a great song.
Your first album, “Miss Universe,” received great acclaim. Now, you’ve released the first song from your new EP, “Crash.” Are there pressures from the success of your first album on your new songs?
Thank you for thinking that way! Actually, the new EP is quite small, consisting of just a few songs, as it’s all I have to finish the year! So, I feel fortunate to be able to release the EP.
How was it working with another musician, Nick Hakim, on this project? What were the best and worst parts?
There were many good aspects, but I guess the worst was that Nick lives in the USA. A bit far away…
He mentioned that flying started to make you quite anxious during your travels for the tour. Looking at the video for the song, we can understand this feeling, but the lyrics don’t seem related to a plane crash. It seems more about concerns in a relationship. Is there a connection between these two situations?
I wanted to use the plane as a symbol, a tool to convey emotions and fears.
In your opinion, which is more important, lyrics or music?
I think both are important. Maybe my music would be a bit boring without lyrics, but lyrics alone don’t resemble a poem.
When I first heard the song “Keep on Calling,” I noticed that it belonged to a Turkish artist, and I felt somewhat like a strong nationalist for a while. It was quite an unusual moment for me. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you lived in Turkey?
Haha! Well, I think I would still be the same person but more Turkish, perhaps…
Just to get to know you better, what’s your favorite feeling?
I love waking up to sunny weather.
Considering the state the world has taken with the pandemic, what are your thoughts on concerts? Do you think the music industry can overcome this?
I think the music industry can overcome it, but there really needs to be support and investment from the government. Otherwise, it’s impossible for individuals to create enough technical infrastructure to hold concerts on their own. On the other hand, if we don’t continue to inspire these people to make music, soon we might struggle to find anyone making music. Diversity will decrease… Music and art have always needed a physical space to create something. We should strive to make this space as open as possible and continue working to make it accessible to everyone.
You can read this interview on Back on Stage Mag
