Yael Naim: An Interview
Originally Published April 1, 2020
Yael Naim has a beautiful and lyrical voice. I find myself looking introspectively while listening to her music. She tells the stories we all think in our heads and watch on Netflix. With her new album Shine now over a million views on YouTube you tell me what you think in the comments. The music video itself is hauntingly powerful with just the focus on her in a simple black dress in a dark room. Her new album “Nighsongs” is out now.
Check more of her work out HERE
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm a singer songwriter and producer and I simply make music .
What do you love about performing?
It allows you to be connected to yourself , to the present time, to the people around you ... it’s a strong reminder of 3 connections all at once ... inside you , beyond you , outside you ... and everything is connected .
The feeling you reach when you find the balance between these connections is just limitless ....!
Where did your latest album come to be? Where were you inspired from?
I wanted to dive ... to slow down and get immersed Into one true action without all the mess around , I wanted silence in order to hear the inner voice ... When I started to listen to this voice... I was scared of what I was discovering ....but it was too late to ignore it ... then the diving started ... and from here everything came , the music , the words , the path...
Where's the best place you have performed your music? Brazil.... I felt like I was a rock band even playing ballads in Hebrew :)
Your music is beautiful and so lyrical. What was your motivation to create such an intimate story through your music?
It’s just something I do since I’m a child
It became my way of expression
This time I wanted to dive even more Into knowing about myself , into a meditation state , it’s like ... we live in a world with lots of distractions and I felt the need to close the door to outside expectations or imaginary pressure that we all put on ourselves ...
Finally, I started this journey and discovered it was much more than music , it was a call for personal transformation ... during those 3 years lots of important things happened in my life and the music was my "healing place" ...and much more , something I needed to date doing in my life ... to see what will come out if I do it all by myself without judging what comes out .
What's next for your album? I love playing those songs in many different ways ... to speak with people about their stories ...(even if only by phone )
Play live when it will be possible (I'm stuck at home, like a lot of people around the world right now)... play and experience new ways of sharing music and creativity .
What's your advice for singers out there still looking to produce a record?
Don’t be afraid! to do the maximum or what you can do by yourself before you look for any help... you have something unique that makes it interesting and original ... that makes it being you and not somebody else ... go with it ... enjoy the path and not only the results ... stay open to positive or negative events on the way and simply continue .... continue ....and slowly invite people who understand you to join you ....
Have any fun road trip stories to share?Brazil was incredible .... we used to go out to dance samba with people from the public after the show ... and felt like we could live here ...there was something very natural about their approach to music and to people on stage , so the relationship after the show would naturally feel comfortable and make us all ways to hang out around together .... I loved it so much .
Fun questions
If you were stuck in your house for two weeks what five would you definitely want to have?
Music instruments and my studio , my family, coffee, books , nature around
If you could perform on any stage anywhere where would it be?
In the middle of the desert , full darkness with Only the sky full of stars , people laying on the sand looking at the sky and the sound
