In this captivating interview, we delve into the inspiring journey of London-based, Jakarta-born singer-songwriter Naya Yeira, exploring her unique blend of cultural influences and musical artistry. Get familiar…

What five words define your sound?

Soulful, smooth, catchy, versatile, fresh.

Tell me something unique about your creative process.

I need to start with melodies to write a song, then I can move on to the lyrics. I also can’t think or try to control a music session too much, it’s like I just need to wait for the music to come to me. 

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?

I would like people to listen to my song ‘Peace of Mind’; it’s my newest release. I don’t think anything I’ve released before reflects who I am as an artist today. 

What inspired you to make that song?

I was going through a break up at the time and I decided I wanted to move on 100%. So, I decided to make this song and when I did it, I would never think about it again. I hope the song provides the same release to whoever listens to it, and that they can also find their peace of mind. 

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?

I’ve made music so honest that people have said that it was too honest. 

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?

I’ve experienced really bad moments of stage fright where either my vocals don’t come out as I intended, or they shake, or I go blank and forget the notes or lyrics entirely and have to freestyle the song. One of my best experiences performing was at Ronnie Scott’s, I remember everyone was chatting and no one was near the area where I was playing. But as soon as I started singing everyone came down to watch and the room went silent. I even got tips that day.

What is your favourite song to perform?

It’s a song that hasn’t been released yet but if you go through my socials, I share some snippets of it. It’s so fun to sing because it starts with a Rap flow and then suddenly transitions into really high notes. I think it’s the perfect song to showcase my vocal range. 

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?

There’s one album that I would love to hear for the first time again and it’s Stevie Wonder’s ‘Innervisions’. 

What’s the meaning behind your name?

Naya Yeira is just a name my mum gave me, so it’s not a stage name or anything. ‘Naya’ means new but she told me it also means water nymph. I assume this is because it’s similar to ‘Naiads’ which is water nymphs in greek mythology. ‘Yeira’ means light. So altogether, it either means ‘new light’ or an ‘illuminated water nymph’ and I don’t mind either. 

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?

Actually, I was gonna go to Toronto to study IT if I didn’t pursue music. It’s very different from what I’m doing now and honestly I am really glad that I didn’t choose it. 

What’s success to you?

To me, success is when people connect with my music, when it’s there for them in the moments that matter.

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?

I have changed directions so many times in my life especially when I was younger and deciding what I wanted to do. There was a point when one day I thought I wanted to be doctor, then a scientist, then a marketer, then someone in tech. I was so confused but then I realised that no matter what I did, I was gonna struggle. So, why not struggle with something I’m passionate about? That’s why I chose music. 

Where can people keep in touch with you?

You can find me on all streaming and social platforms as @nayayeira and TikTok as @nayayeira_

Photo by Dara Riandara Pratama