Enigmatic Korean-American singer Namira started as a music prodigy but then travelled and spread her wings before returning to her love of music. As we chat to her about her music and upbringing, it’s clear that she loves the industry and wants to use music to make a change in the world.
Growing up as a music prodigy, it might have been easy for Namira to pursue music her whole life. Yet she chose a different pathway, going into education before working in the consulting and tech industry. Some might have regrets, and Namira is no exception, but she doesn’t view her journey in a bad way. While she regrets taking so long to return to music, she didn’t regret the detour. In particular, as a teenager, she thought she didn’t have anything to say as an artist. It was after returning to music as a grown woman that she felt she had a “deep well of life experience” to use in her music.
Although there wasn’t a specific moment that Namira’s desire to return became clear, she voiced that her mother’s passing was a turning point.
“I felt like the values she stood for, embodied in the music of the counterculture movement, were slipping away around me. That certainly influenced the desire to hear music that revived the spirit of the counterculture era while updating the sound for the 21st century.”
Namira has always had her mother close to her, and the EP California Fever was written in her memory. While Namira’s mother came from a privileged family in Korea, she fell in love with the counterculture movement sweeping the world, which embraced “peace, love, freedom, and equality,” leading her to move to New York. Yet, while Namira’s mother was full of love and passion, like many others, her move to America wasn’t easy, but a tale of two halves. It was her stories that showed that while the 60s and 70s weren’t easy, it was a time when people “dared to dream and to love each other.”
“Her stories from that era are conflicted. On one hand, there was extreme disappointment. As a nurse, she was horrified by what she saw in the American healthcare system. She experienced racism that she was unprepared for as the daughter of privilege in Korea. But on the other hand, she was full of tales of epic house parties, road trips around the country, and good times with good people. In all the photos from the 70s, she’s smiling along with everyone else.”
The message of California Fever follows the same emotional rollercoaster Namira’s mother experienced in America, but it is a message that is unique to each listener.
“For me personally, I listen to this EP when I want to remember the emotional rollercoaster of deciding to follow my dreams. There’s anxiety, resistance, surrender, and finally, change. I hope that it inspires the listener to feel the tug of their own dreams and make the leap for themselves.”
One of the unique things about Namira has been blending different genres together, stemming from her upbringing and those around her. Growing up in North Andover, Massachusetts, she was one of the few Asians, but it was more complex than that. Geographically, Namira explained that they lived between Andover, an affluent white neighborhood, and Lawrence, an industrial city with a significant Dominican diaspora. As a result, she was exposed to every genre, which shaped how she writes music by taking in all the influences without losing their essence.
Taking those inspirations to influence tracks starts with the melody for Namira as she adds, “The melody will inevitably have some elements of different genres and cultures.”
Although Namira’s music is seamless, she explains that it isn’t always right the first time. Looking back to the last track on her EP Come with Me, it was the first single she released, but it changed a lot. It started as a European-style progressive house track with Afro house influences. But when she looked back on the track, she thought that American folk rock EDM would be better in terms of production. To Namira, it made sense, as she explained that she isn’t European or African, but American. However, it doesn’t stop the places Namira has travelled and worked in from influencing her.
“These days, there’s a celebration of niche and fragmentation. But when you travel, you realize how much music is a universal language. This definitely influences my musical style, toward the melodies and rhythms that bind us together.”
The music industry is always under scrutiny for its treatment of women and people of colour. Namira has witnessed it all as she is not only a singer but also the founder of the music label Stereo Embassy, making her both an artist and CEO. Mentioning Lady Gaga’s GRAMMYs speech, Namira explained how she thinks it reflects the harsh reality of female artists.
“You not only have to worry about sexual harassment or worse, but you are often the only woman in the room advocating for your artistic vision. I was shocked by the way male producers or managers will belittle the female artist, even though she’s quite literally the boss. When it comes to promoting music, you are consistently denied by male gatekeepers who are resistant to women making what they perceive to be male genres of folk, rock, and EDM.”
If the industry wasn’t hard enough, Namira added that the complications of AI have made it even harder for female artists. She pointed out that Timbaland’s AI artist is an Asian woman, and Higgsfield AI launched a label with the slogan, “You don’t need talent anymore. Your face is enough.” Namira explained that it meant Asian women who look like K-Pop idols, fitting the strict beauty standards. For Namira, these setbacks make it important to carry on fighting in the industry.
“But these setbacks are precisely why I think it’s so important to stay persistent. People don’t think it’s possible for Asian women to make a certain kind of music. But if we continue to chip away at these barriers, we slowly pave the way for bigger change.”
When it comes to the future, Namira’s dreams aren’t selfish but align with the wider political issues in America, as well as the issues women and POC face. Acknowledging the “tragic past” and that the US is a “deeply flawed country,” she explains that when the citizens come together, politically and culturally, they are undefeatable.
“Right now, my dream is that America remembers her best self and ushers in a new era of counterculture. As a resident of Los Angeles, I would love to see this city rise as a beacon of change with a new vision for America.”
Namira also hopes that as she works on her new album, which she has tentatively titled “The Return of the Mod Girl,” it will be music that serves as a reminder to love and connect with each other to “make a comeback in the face of AI.”
While most artists have hopes for their own future alone, Namira cements that her art is something she wants to benefit everyone, especially in times of hardship.
Namira is on Instagram. You can listen to “California Fever:” here.Â
