Enter Nina Fay. Half-Norwegian, half-Russian, and entirely unpredictable in her sonic journey. With tracks like “Only We Know” and “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up,” Nina Fay has managed to land herself in the upper echelon of Nordic media, and now, with her latest release “People Pleaser,” she’s stepping into a new chapter. And it’s a chapter that hits close to home, a vulnerable anthem about shaking off the crushing weight of expectations—especially the ones we place on ourselves. When she speaks, there’s a disarming honesty. Nina’s not the kind to sugarcoat her experience, and why should she? In her words, “People Pleaser” wasn’t some grand artistic statement she set out to make. It was born out of a terrible day in the studio, fighting off a wave of anxiety that just wouldn’t quit. And yet, out of that frustration, something real emerged. “People Pleaser” is a snapshot of an artist confronting her own insecurities and turning them into art. There’s a certain fearlessness to that. Fay’s voice? It’s ethereal, sure, but it’s also that voice in your head—the one that’s tired of bending to everyone else’s expectations. So, what do you get when you combine unfiltered vulnerability with slick, futuristic pop? What happens when you stop apologizing for taking up space? Nina Fay’s about to show us.

Photo by Aleksandra Macadam

Nina, your new single “People Pleaser” feels like a deeply personal exploration of anxiety and the weight of expectations. I have to ask, when did you first realize that this theme of being a people pleaser was something you needed to address through your music? Was there a moment that made you say, “I have to confront this now“?

Interestingly, I never really saw myself as a people pleaser until I started writing this song. It was through the process of putting the lyrics together that it became clear to me – these were thoughts and feelings I had been carrying deep down, subconsciously. In writing the song, I had to face these thoughts and feelings as they were brought to light. Music is how I come to understand what I’m feeling when I find it hard to articulate in words, and it’s the truest way I know how to express myself. I feel like I’m in my own world where I can say and do anything I want. With music I don’t need to please anyone, and that’s the kind of freedom I’m trying to bring into every part of my life. It’s funny, because what made me actually write this song, was the fact that I was working in the studio and projecting expectations onto myself, overthinking and second guessing everything I made. Then, when I managed to let that go, I wrote how I actually felt, and that’s how I wrote  “People Pleaser”.

You’ve mentioned that “People Pleaser” wasn’t planned—it sort of just happened during one of your studio sessions. How do you normally approach songwriting? Do you usually start with a theme or a feeling, or do you let the music guide you, like it did this time?

Being free and not really believing that there are any rules are very important to how I make music. I’m a chaotic person, and my process can feel random at times, but some point order arises out of the chaos. I’ve learnt to trust the process. I usually work in my own studio and always record while making music, and my process is very much based on improvisation. I’ll often start with a soundscape or playing something on my synthesizer, maybe program some drums, and then I let my creativity run free, improvising melodies and lyrics, back and forth between writing and sound design. I try to not think too much, and when I let everything go I get in “the zone”, and hours fly by. I often end up in a completely different place than where I started.  It also happens that I’ve written some lyrics on the bus, or that I have some voice memo that I wanna bring into life (ahh the one million voice memos ;_;)

A lot of artists talk about the pressures of being watched, especially in the age of social media. You said that feeling of being observed was stifling your creativity. How do you wanting to connect with your audience while also protecting your creative space and staying authentic to yourself?

At this point I love to connect with my fans personally, as much as I can. I love to have the ability to connect with people over music and nerd out about stuff together. I’ve gotten many new friends because of this which makes me so grateful. It’s become really important for me not to think about others’ perception of what I’m doing  in the creative process, so I try not to bring any of the social media stuff with me in the studio. Sometimes I film or document something, but ideally I’ll post that later.

You describe the lyrics of “People Pleaser” as your anxiety speaking directly. That’s such a raw and vulnerable thing to share with your listeners. Were you ever hesitant about putting that out there, or did you feel like this was a necessary part of your healing process?

I’ve definitely felt uncomfortable showing it to people I know. Especially the second verse. I’ve been compelled to just talk over some parts of the lyrics so they won’t hear it, haha.. it’s a really honest lyric, but that is the point. I mean, music is something that’s accompanied humans for all of our history, it is, at its core, an honest expression of our being. I have to be honest in my music, because that’s the only way I can give my listeners something real, even if it means putting the raw and vulnerable sides of myself out there. So it’s been a little bit uncomfortable, but I didn’t hesitate in putting it out there. That authentic experience is something that I cannot gamify. (And I’m happy that I’ve put it out there. So many people have shared that they connect with those feelings.  It turns out a lot of people can relate to the lyrics. Who knows, maybe through sharing we can all participate in some kind of collective healing.)

Photo by Aleksandra Macadam

Your music is self-produced, which is a huge feat in itself. What’s your favorite part of the production process? Do you ever feel like producing your own work gives you more freedom to fully express your vision?

To be in control of all the aspects of the production gives me an immense feeling of freedom, like there’s no barriers. Also, it’s really nice to not have to try to explain to anyone what kind of sound I want, I can just execute my own vision directly. I always go through different phases obsessing over one thing at a time; drum programming, mixing, synthesizing, vocal production etc. It’s never boring, and there are so many things I can improve and level up; kinda like a game, where I have to choose where to allocate my talent points, haha. And then there’s so much to obsess over when it comes to songwriting and composition as well — harmonies, melodies, lyrics. Honestly, I’ll be doing this until I’m 99.

You’ve built a strong identity as an experimental pop artist, blending hyperpop, electronic sounds, and ethereal vocals. Do you ever feel pressure to stick to a particular style, or are you excited to keep experimenting with new sounds in the future?

It’s not so much about sticking to a particular style as it is about letting the music flow. My sound is a constant reflection of everything I love, everything I’m learning, and everything I’m feeling at the moment, and I’m experimenting with new stuff all the time and don’t feel any pressure to stick to a particular style. As I learn more, and my skills and taste evolves, so will the music I make. So my sound will probably change as I change, but it’ll happen gradually. 

When you look at your earlier singles like “Only We Know” and “In a Dream,” how do you feel your sound has evolved leading up to “People Pleaser”?

I think the biggest change from “Only we know” till “People Pleaser” is that I’ve started to experiment with incorporating more live instruments, like bass and guitar. My musical background is from playing guitar in rock bands so it feels natural to bring some of that back. When I started producing 3 ish years ago, I was so obsessed with sound design that everything else just flew out the window. All my music was only soundscapes and weird sounds, there was no conventional structure, and the songwriting was secondary. 

I still love to make music that way, but over the past couple of years, (also with “Only We Know,”) I’ve come back to a more harmonic and melodic  approach with songwriting at its core. Experimentation is still a big part of the process, and it’s definitely laid the groundwork for the musical universe and sound I’m exploring at the moment. I have so many demos that are really experimental and not based around vocals, so who knows, maybe I’ll put out an album like that at some point.

You have Norwegian and Russian roots, which is such a unique cultural combination. Do you ever feel like these influences come through in your music? Are there any traditional sounds or styles from your background that inspire your work?

In a way, speaking different languages feels like different souls speaking. I communicate in three different languages every single day, and I think it’s natural, given that I’ve grown up in a mix of cultures, that it affects how I perceive the world, and to some extent, my approach to music. My love for playing instruments definitely comes from my dad who’s an amazing guitarist and has been part of the Norwegian music scene for years. My first bands were rock bands, and I definitely wanted to be just like him, shredding on stage.

As a child I listened to a lot of Russian classical music— one of my favorite movies was this old Soviet cartoon adaptation of The Nutcracker, a classical ballet by Tchaikovsky, which my grandmother used to put on. The music is very deeply emotional and nostalgic, which really stuck with me. Given this musical duality when growing up, I think my current musical influences sit somewhere between the mystical and ethereal elements of North, and the melancholic, dramatic flair of the east.

With an EP on the way, how does it feel to be gearing up for a bigger project? Is there a central theme running through the EP, or does each song explore a different facet of who you are?

Now is probably a good time to reveal that the EP is actually a lead-up to my debut album (!!), which I’m really excited for! The theme in the EP and the album revolve around the journey of growing up and navigating young adulthood.  It’s all about love, escapism, and the messy, beautiful process of getting to know yourself. I can’t wait to share this with my listeners, I think there are a couple of tracks there that are going to be a bit unexpected in regards to what I’ve put out before, but I’m excited to see how people connect with it.

What has been the most rewarding part of your journey as an artist so far? Is there something that stands out to you as a defining moment?

What stands out to me as a defining moment, was when I downloaded Ableton and freed myself creatively. I became completely obsessed, and didn’t go outside for a whole year. That was the beginning of a journey which I’m still on, only now I actually go outside.

One of the most rewarding parts of this journey is connecting with other people through music. I’ve connected with many people that I would never have known if it wasn’t for this and I’m grateful for that. The listeners I have really seem to stick around, and I’m so happy to be able to share my music with them. Also – I’m really stoked that many of my listeners are actual nerds and just such cool people. I can’t wait to go on tour and meet my fans one day.

*This article was made possible by BTD Sounds PR