Exron Exclusive Interview: Nala

Nala is a multidimensional force in the realm of electronic music. Taking pride in her refusal to confine her style to a single genre, she brings the *spice* like no other to each performance. Her individuality stems from pushing her own limits through her production work, vocal experimentation, and girl-bossing her own record label. We had the opportunity to chat with Nala to delve into her personal DJ journey and see a glimpse of what lies ahead in her future endeavors.

Having graduated college in Miami, Nala now resides in LA with a special rise to stardom in the last few years. Amid the COVID-induced hiatus, Nala crossed paths with a member of Claude VonStroke’s team, who expressed an interest in working with more female artists for Dirtybird Records.

Initially hesitant that she wouldn’t fit the bill, she ultimately decided to take the opportunity to enhance her skills and cultivate more of a dedicated fanbase. She explained, “When the pandemic hit and [Claude] was like, “let’s write as much music as humanly possible and take advantage of the fact that we have all this downtime”. I basically started a Dirtybird Boot Camp of production and I wrote “Sun Is Hot”, which was the halfway point from what I had released in 2019. Then a couple of months later I wrote “Psychic Attack” which was definitely my most Dirtybird sounding track”.

Her time with Claude Vonstroke was a cherished one. When asked about one of the most valuable lessons she learned, Nala pointed to the significance of songwriting for the club environment and the critical elements that contribute to making good dance music. She laughed and added, “He used to make fun of me because I would be making all these mid-range songs because I came from an Indie background. If you listen to indie music, there is no low end.”

Emphasizing the rarity of the mentorship, she expressed gratitude for how her time with Claude VonStroke essentially broke her out of local DJ status. She explained “I would go to New York and Miami for a week to only make maybe $500-1000 during that time. I was stuck in the local circuit and COVID caused a break in that. By the time that I started touring again, they were like she’s not doing those types of gigs anymore. It’s really hard to go from being a $100 DJ to a $1000 DJ to a $3,000 and upwards but that initial jump is nearly impossible.”

The breaking of this threshold could be seen coinciding in her personal fashion choices this year. When asked about her interest in fashion she noted, “I went with the theme of wearing all white as kind of a metaphor for blank slate. It’s the first year that I’ve departed from Dirtybird as part of my release schedule. For next year I want to push this further and do more drama.”

Nala’s label, Mi Domina, is a play on dominatrix culture, embodying a spirit of confidence and attitude. Gearing up for a relaunch, possibly in November, this label serves as a personal platform for Nala to cultivate and release music that falls outside of the electronic mainstream. When questioned about how she would characterize her style, Nala said, I add this kind of rock element to dance music, that’s how I view myself. I’m doing things that are loud and explosive but in a more sassy way. I have this repulsion, I guess to things that are commercially oriented.”

We asked her advice to women aiming to succeed in an industry predominantly led by males to which she responded, “You have to be fueled by your own anger. The unfair systems in place aren’t easy to pass, and you need to be prepared to fight. Many of the headlining female artists are coming from Australia, Europe, and Canada, so from my perspective, you’re essentially going against the current of American culture and the industry. So you got to be fueled by some anger because otherwise you’ll just give up it’s just too easy.”

Nala’s commitment to originality and her unapologetic nature serves as an inspiration to others. It’s this spirit that led her to what she considers her most significant accomplishment of 2023 – the release of her EP ‘Me Me Me’ with Catz ‘n Dogz. She shared, “It was my first major step outside of the American dance music cycle. I got to meet Solomon and hang out with Catz ‘n Dogz and felt like I had found my community. I was able to push that indie sound harder which was cool because I felt I was getting sucked into the American dance vortex. It was different from my other EPs where I felt like the message of being indie was there, but not totally understood. So, for this year, I felt like I started chipping away at that in a way that is becoming more palatable for people.”

We eagerly anticipate experiencing more of Nala’s talents in 2024. As she continues to evolve her unique sound, we can expect a flow of new releases on her label and others, along with an more headlining shows featuring new wardrobe choices that tell us a story with this new chapter of her career.