We have a stunning video premiere today from Nive & The Deer Children, a forerunner to her new album Feet First which is released in the UK on 5th Feb 2016 via Glitterhouse Records. Raised in an Inuit community Nive sings Tulugaq in her native Greenlandic tongue. The song, like the the beautiful Greenland scenery is beautifully mesmerising as the children dance amongst the snow-covered land dressed as crows, a bird which according to folklore Old Crow brought the Inuit people the gift of daylight.
Feet First is an album inspired by travel and shifting environments. It was recorded between 2012 and 2015 in various countries all over the world, namely Greenland, Denmark, Belgium and England in Europe, as well as various locations across the USA (including Tucson, Arizona; Athens, Georgia; Lexington, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; and Asheville, North Carolina). Nive herself says
“I wanted these songs to grow with me on my travels and they did just that. The first track on the album Still The Same for example would have never had that lazy, warm feel without going to southern Arizona and playing with Howe Gelb (Giant Sand) and his Tucson crew in the comfort of their own homes. Also, the same goes for songs like Tulugaq, track four. I wrote that song along with a set of twelve year old twin girls from a foster care far up north in Uummannaq, Greenland. It was the very last song recorded for the album and would have never happened if I recorded this album traditionally in one place.”
Growing up in an Inuit community, and having collaborated with so many incredible musicians around the world, has provided a wealth of musical and life experiences for Nive to draw on to create a rich sonic tapestry. Her songs range in style from the aforementioned Tulugaq, a poignant folk ballad sung in Nive’s native Greenlandic tongue, to the jazzy big band feel of Slip and the haunting melodicism of Grandma Marie. At times bearing resemblances to the likes of First Aid Kit and Emmy The Great, elsewhere closer to Scandinavian folk-pop artists such as José González and even the cosmic ambience of Icelandic experimental collective Mùm, Feet First captures the experiences of a musician riding the crest of a massive wave of creative inspiration, and presents, in a series of musical chapters, more than a little about the life and times of one of northern Europe’s most unique and talented musicians.
On the subject of her being an ambassador of Greenlandic tradition and culture, Nive states: “it’s an honour – always surprising to see how much interest people have for Greenland and the North Pole – culture, climate, nature – and always great to be able and represent the part of the world and culture I am from in a positive and fun way.” The first concert Nive ever played was for the Queen of Denmark on national television, the second was at Green Man Festival in the UK, and the third at Eurosonic festival. Since then she has performed at SXSW 2011–2012, Iceland Airwaves (featured in the top 10 bands to watch), NXNE, Pop Montreal, Roskilde Festival (DK), Autumn Falls (B), Open air st Gallen etc… She has also toured South Korea, Japan and several times around the USA and Canada. A high point of Nive’s acting career was landing a role in Terrence Malick’s movie The New World, starring Colin Farrell. She won an IMA independent music award in the USA and worked on Feet First with acclaimed musicians Howe Gelb and John Parish. On Nive Sings she worked in many places around the world, including in Montreal with friends from such indie royalty outfits as The Black Keys and Wolf Parade.
Feet First is 12 tracks long and is to be released in the UK on 5th Feb 2016 via Glitterhouse Records.