Featured Artists

Nicki Naden is a singer-songwriter based in Liverpool. Being born and bread in a city with a royal musical bloodline (the Beatles of course) she has a passion for music that goes back to before she could talk, let alone pick up a guitar.

“I was always around music,” she says, “I was brought up on Simon and Garfunkel, Patsy Cline, Rod Stewart and 60’s rock n’ roll. But playing music, understanding and performing it live, that was something completely new and intriguing to me.”

As she was very much involved in sports, Nicki kept her passion for music hidden, spending her school years taking part in 100 metres, long jump and high jump events.

Not your typical pop princess.

“All through school I was completely wrapped up in sports, but I always had my bedroom and that’s where my music slowly started taking over. I’d spend hours up there, thinking, scribbling things down on paper and figuring out the guitar.”

As a result of her passion for music, Nicki gained a grade A at music GCSE. From then on Nicki threw herself fully into her music, choosing to study it intensively at A-level and winning a place at LIPA (the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts).

Nicki admits to not being the biggest fan of the whole fickleness of the performing arts, “I just don’t fit the criteria,” she laughs. “I’m not your ideal pop princess. That would just cost too much money in plastic surgery.”

Itching for success

Over the past year or so, Nicki has been developing her writing. She is a regular and respected performer on the acoustic open mic scene in Liverpool. “I love performing at open mic nights. It’s fun and I’ve gained a lot of experience, met some amazingly talented people and had fantastic responses.”

Nicki has had some success around Liverpool, being invited to play and be interviewed on BBC Radio Merseyside. She also performed at WIMFEST (Women’s International Music Festival) 2004 and 2005 at the Liverpool Everyman theatre.

Nicki has strong ambitions when it comes to music: “I’m itching and I just feel ready now. I want people to listen, form their own opinions and see what happens from there” she says. “Let’s hope it’s good and if not - c’est la vie! I gave it a go.”

For more music, visit her website:

http://www.myspace.com/nickinaden

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