We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nickola Magnolia. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nickola below.

Nickola, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always known I wanted to be on stage. My earliest memories were of making gowns out of bathroom curtains and singing on tables. But as a grew older I was very bullied, and I retreated into my little protective shell, and eventually I stopped singing, but I never stopped writing. I wrote for years, dozens of songs and poems and never showed a soul. Once fateful day around a camp fire I decided to sing my own song, and everything changed after that. It turns out the people around that fire were professional musicians, and asked me if I’d be interested in recording an album. I hadn’t even played a live show at the time! The rest is history…

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I first fell in love with Country Music when I was living in London. I went to a wedding of two country singers; during the ceremony they sang “If I Needed You” by Townes Van Zandt, right in the church, a cappella. That was it for me, I never stopped searching for country music. I was hooked. Right then and there.

I write music so that people don’t feel alone; so that we can connect with and relate to one another. I’m also a tattooer, and through that art form I try to heal people. I had a non-profit where I would tattoo people’s scars: self-harm, surgery, accidents, to allow them space to heal and reclaim their bodies. Music to me is in the same vein; a way for people to connect, and reclaim space; a way to heal.

I’m most proud of just getting on a stage, putting myself out there. It took me a long time to get to that point. I wrote songs for many years before ever sharing them with anybody. For me, the hardest part was just trying, putting it out there.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is connecting with people. Connecting with the audience and the energy that you feel in a room with people that know your songs.

I went to see Jack White and he said “the more you feed me, the more I feed you.” Referring to the the energy at a show, that connection between the audience and artist; I really crave that, that connection, those moments.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn was listening to other people’s negativity and internalizing it. Listening to other people’s negative opinions about me. I had to unlearn taking other peoples opinions of me to heart. Doing what you love can invoke fear in others, especially those who aren’t doing that for themselves. They’ll want to tear you down. You can’t take it to heart.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nickolamagnolia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickolamagnolia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicmagnolia/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nickolamagnolia
• Other: https://linktr.ee/nickolamagnolia http://www.nicks.studio