Nia Nadurata’s ascent feels almost unreal, the kind of trajectory that sneaks up on you before you realize everyone’s talking about her. In 2023, she introduced herself with “Drive Faster,” a heartbreakingly raw breakup song wrapped in acoustic simplicity and lush orchestral flourishes. It’s the kind of late-night confession that hits like a gut punch. A few months later, she followed it up with “i think i like your girlfriend,” a winking, self-assured pop number that amassed over 1.4 million Spotify streams and firmly planted her in the indie-pop conversation. Barely a year later, she’s delivered her debut EP, Still Living With My Parents, a project that feels less like a calculated career move and more like an intimate reckoning with herself. For most artists starting out, this would be unheard of. For Nadurata, it feels like a natural progression.
When Nadurata joined our Zoom call from her childhood bedroom in Toronto, she seemed at ease—effortlessly cool in a black crewneck and black-rimmed glasses. Behind her, a row of guitars hung like trophies, surrounded by bookshelves and softly glowing string lights. It’s a scene that mirrors the EP’s central motif: a collision of nostalgia and self-discovery.
“I’m in my childhood bedroom right now,” she said with a smile. “All my little trinkets are still here, which is wild. It’s something I talk about in the EP. The focus track, ‘Souvenirs,’ is about being surrounded by all these reminders of who I was while trying to figure out how to grow up. It’s kind of ghostly, living here, like all the different versions of me are in the room at once.”
Nadurata is equal parts candid and thoughtful. She laughs easily when discussing her high school heartbreak, her Grade 12 breakup, or the quirks of living at home, but she’s just as comfortable with quiet reflection. When asked about her musical beginnings, Nadurata, now 24, traced her love of storytelling back to her roots in musical theatre.
“When I was younger, I thought I’d end up on Broadway,” she said. “I went to a musical theatre school, but then I went through a really bad breakup around the same time I graduated. I started teaching myself piano by Googling things like, ‘songs about breakups’ or ‘songs about being mad at your mom but knowing it’s kind of your fault.’” She paused, smiling. “But sometimes those songs didn’t capture exactly what I was feeling, so I decided to write my own.”
Her love of songwriting began to evolve from there. Before stepping into the spotlight as an artist, Nadurata wrote songs for others, including Nonso Amadi, Amaal, Boslen, and Isaiah Peck.
“I didn’t know if I wanted to focus solely on writing or become an artist,” she admitted. “But deep down, I always knew I had to perform. Songwriting lets me connect with people—whether it’s bringing someone else’s story to life or telling my own. One of the first artists I wrote for was Nonso Amadi, and that experience showed me how powerful stories can be.”
That same ethos of connection lies at the heart of Still Living With My Parents. The EP feels like an intimate conversation between Nadurata and her listeners, its indie-pop sound grounded in emotional honesty and unvarnished self-expression.
“This project was a collaborative effort—it’s me and my friends coming together to create something meaningful,” Nadurata said. “Indie-pop is such a vast genre, and while I’m still experimenting, I think this EP captures something unique.”
For someone so new to the scene, Nadurata carries herself with the kind of groundedness that usually comes after years of industry chaos. But she’s quick to remind you that she’s still figuring it out. And maybe that’s the magic—she’s not pretending to have it all together.
Let’s rewind to the beginning. Before the music, before the stage—who was Nia?
Well, I pretty much grew up on stage. A lot of who I am now is shaped by who I was then. That’s why, I hope, my music feels so natural—it’s always been a part of my upbringing. I grew up surrounded by music. My mom sings, and my grandmother was actually a piano teacher. She would always play the piano, and from a young age, we were taught that as soon as my Lola started playing, everyone had to gather around and sing in three-part harmony. It was like a scene from a movie—very Sound of Music. My cousins and I all sang together, performed, and even made up dances during Christmas, forcing everyone to sit down and watch us for what felt like forever—sometimes an hour, sometimes more! I think that performing has always been part of my life. I was also a dancer for a long time, so being on stage has always been natural to me.
One of the most striking things about your artistry is how deeply intertwined it is with your upbringing and coming-of-age experiences. How has your past shaped the kind of stories you tell?
Great question. I think there are always going to be parts of your past in whatever you create. For me, a lot of it comes from how supportive my parents were of my performing from a very young age. I remember being in a Grade 3 talent show. I was watching Glee at the time, and they did a number where they sang “True Colors” while sitting on benches. I told my mom, “I want to sing that for the talent show, but I’ll do it solo.” My parents sat me down, put a stool in the middle of the living room, and had me rehearse the song a million times. They gave me feedback like, “Don’t look at the ground when you’re singing,” or, “Use your hands to express yourself.” Even though it was just a small talent show, their belief in me and their support for every dream I’ve ever had gave me confidence. That foundation has been crucial as I pursue music today.
Your debut single, “Drive Faster,” arrived in 2023 with a raw emotional resonance. Take us back to that moment—where were you emotionally when you wrote it, and how did it establish the foundation for the music you’ve created since?
That song is very special for many reasons—partly because it was the first song I ever shared with the world, and also because of how it came together. I remember the day we made it. It was actually one of the last songs we wrote before deciding to release it. We wanted to create a full project of songs first, and “Drive Faster” wasn’t even initially going to be part of it. My friend, who engineered the song, and my friend TJ, my executive producer, were playing around with some chords. It was late—around 11 pm—and I was exhausted. I’d been out in the sun all day, and I was in a bad mood, just wanting to go home.
TJ said he’d drive me home but needed to help my friend who engineered the song. They told me, “Why don’t you write something while you wait? It might make you feel better.” At first, I was like, “I’m not upset about anything—I’m just tired and hungry!” But then I started singing, “Burnt out from stalling/Dodging disaster” and the rest of the verse came naturally. We built on it from there. My executive producer, Harper Gordon, helped refine the chords, and the outro was actually from a different song we’d been working on. It all came together like a team effort, with everyone contributing something unique. When the song came out, it felt surreal. It happened so fast. Even now, every time I tell the story, I remember something new about the process.
Your new EP, Still Living With My Parents, marks a significant step in your career, especially after releasing just a handful of singles. What inspired this project and how does it feel to share it with the world, given that many artists often choose to release several singles before committing to a full project?
It’s funny you mention that. Usually, people release several singles before putting out a project, but this EP came together really quickly. It almost felt more like a mixtape than an EP because these songs were all written over the past year, which was a turbulent time for me living at home with my parents. For example, I’d go out with friends, and my parents would ask me what time I’d be back and how I’d get back home, and I’d say, “I don’t know, I’ll probably take an Uber or the train.” It was frustrating balancing my independence with their concern. Even as I was trying to navigate the professional world—going to meetings with labels in a blazer and my “big girl pants”—my mom would ask if I wanted her to pack me lunch. And I’d just be like, “No, Mom, I’ve got this.” It felt like a tug-of-war between where I am now and where I want to be.
The songs on this EP reflect my personal experience, but I hope there’s something relatable in it for everyone. The title itself, Still Living With My Parents, resonates with people because it taps into those feelings of societal pressure—seeing your friends moving out in their 20s , traveling, or hitting milestones that make you wonder if you’re behind. Everyone’s path is different, though, and this EP is my way of exploring and embracing that.
With Still Living With My Parents, how do you see your sound fitting into—or standing apart from—the current indie pop and R&B landscape?
That’s an interesting question because music is so diverse now, especially with streaming platforms and TikTok. With this EP, I wasn’t necessarily trying to fit into a genre. I just wanted to give people something authentic—something they hadn’t heard from me before. Since I’m at the very beginning of my career, I don’t think I’ve fully found my sound yet, but I have a good sense of what it is right now. My influences come from a mix of storytelling, like Taylor Swift, the musicality of Amy Winehouse, and even some elements of musical theatre. Many of the songs started on guitar, even though I play piano, thanks to my good friend TJ, who is an incredible guitarist and co-executive producer of the EP.
Navigating the music industry is never easy. What’s been your biggest struggle, and how have you worked through it?
Honestly, I’m so new to the music industry that I still don’t entirely understand how it works sometimes. What surprises me most is how normal it is—it’s just people running a business. My dad works in tech, and we’ve laughed about how similar it is. We’re all sending emails, signing contracts, and doing the same office stuff. The challenge for me has been defining my sound. At the start of my career, as a woman of colour, people assumed I was making R&B music. And I get it—if I looked at myself, I might think the same. My voice naturally fits an R&B style, and I am inspired by it, but the music I want to make isn’t R&B.
At first, with just “Drive Faster” and “carSick” out, it was easy for people to box me into R&B because there wasn’t enough music to show otherwise. That pressure to prove I was making pop sometimes clouded the way I told my stories. Eventually, I realized the right people would find my music, connect with it, and see me for who I am as an artist. My goal is to share my music and let people find what resonates with them.
