Nina Nastasia | Artist

Nina Nastasia is an American folk singer-songwriter born 1966 in Los Angeles, California. She first came to prominence in New York City in 2000 after Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel began giving her self-released debut album Dogs airplay. The album earned the artist a cult following, and was re-released in 2004. As a child, she studied piano and often wrote short stories, but has said she had no aspirations of becoming a professional musician. She began writing songs in 1993 and released Dogs in 2000. Only 1,500 copies of the album were initially pressed, with Nastasia putting together the album packaging herself in her apartment. Selling them at her shows, the album was quickly out of print. Famed DJ John Peel took notice of the album, calling it "astonishing", after having been given a copy by Steve Albini. Nastasia's music has been described as blending elements of folk and Americana with Gothic overtones, and has been likened to that of Tom Waits, Devendra Banhart, Neko Case and Cat Power. Her songs prominently feature acoustic guitar, often with various string arrangements accompanying, including cello, violin, and viola. To-date Nastasia has released seven studio albums. The most recent, 2022's Riderless Horse, is a harrowing collection on the subject of the recent suicide of her partner, which was released 12 years after her previous album and produced by Steve Albini. Standout albums include Dogs (2000), The Blackened Air (2002), On Leaving (2006), You Follow Me (2007) which was is a collaboration with Dirty Three drummer Jim White, and Riderless Horse (2022).

Artist Website: ninanastasia.bandcamp.com

Featured Albums: Nina Nastasia

Related Artists: Jim White, Steve Albini

Video Clips: Live in Minneapolis, Cry Cry Baby, A Dog's Life