Nina Nesbitt

Nina Nesbitt

Nov 23

SCOTISH SUNSHINE

Where: The Art School
When: 22 November 2017
Support: Goody Grace

NN’s best known song, ‘Stay Out’ was a minor hit four years ago but in the last year she seems to have got a new lease of life after signing with independent label Cooking Vinyl. The new album has not yet arrived but the new songs you can catch online show her new confidence and showcase her developing skill as a writer of strong modern pop songs.

That confidence is also evident on stage where NN, playing keys and guitar, had an immediate connection to her youthful and mostly female audience – were the flowers adorning her keyboard a sign of her new bloom? She was visibly moved by the waves of appreciation and love coming from the audience and by their knowledge of the lyrics of even her most recent songs. Her Scottishness helped but it went beyond that – her approachable and likeable personality was infectious. This was underscored when she came down of the stage to sing one song in the audience and towards the end of the set had several fans on stage singing with her.

The set skilfully mixed old favourites, like the aforementioned ‘Say Out’ and ‘Boy’, with newer songs such as last year’s ‘Chewing Gum’. The best songs were some of the newest: ‘Colder’ with its propulsive tale of heartbreak; the two lovely slices of modern pop that are ‘The Best You Had’ (1 million+ online views) and ‘Is It Really Me You’re Missing’ (which NN originally wrote for someone else to sing – Rihanna you missed a gem); while GG’s favourite was ‘The Moments I’m Missing’ (which featured, as it does online, support act Goody Grace) with its great direct lyrics and classic pop delivery.

The walk to the venue was in the pouring, cold rain but any thoughts of the weather misery outside this was banished when NN came on stage – so much so that it came as a shock at the end to emerge again into pouring, cold rain. Let’s hope her new album gives Nina, both the singer and the songwriter, the big break her talent deserves.

 

Band page

Sample video