Rob Cavallo has produced the who’s who of generational, turn-of-the-millennium rock albums: American Fool, The Black Parade, and Model New Eyes, to call just a few. However when he first met and recorded with Los Angeles-via-Pittsburgh vocalist Keyawna Nikole, an artist who grew up idolizing the tasks Cavallo produced, it was a revitalization of his earlier work’s punk spirit and led Nikole to search out her self-proclaimed “hood alt” sound. These kinds of full-circle moments have been the throughline of Nikole’s blossoming profession, whether or not it’s been extensively recording with Cavallo, working with Kellin Quinn on her 2023 single “Secrets and techniques,” or collaborating with Pierce The Veil’s Vic Fuentes, who informed her in passing that she’d be a rock star when she was 10 yr -old.
Now outfitted with a challenge’s price of fabric produced by Cavallo, Nikole is able to inform her story. From sleeping in her automotive in a Denny’s car parking zone after driving throughout the nation to working with Wiz Khalifa-producer Ricky P and ascending the business ranks, she’s met adversity in her adolescent and younger grownup years with an plain fervor.
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One of many standout moments from Nikole’s recordings with Cavallo is “Bleed,” a much-teased pop-punk triumph that marries an everlasting refrain and heart-on-sleeve poetics with a function from alt-rock experimenter and hip-hop legend Lil Wayne. The collaboration between the 2 got here from an opportunity assembly over Instagram DMs and led to a single and video that crystallizes Nikole’s charisma as a nascent voice teeming with potential.
Mac Marshall
After weeks of hinting at “Bleed” by quite a lot of viral social media posts (which arrives this summer season), Nikole’s first order of enterprise is to disclose “Bury Me,” an earworm of a lead single that solidifies her inventive evolution since coming into the studio with Cavallo. There’s an unmistakable various grit underlying the observe, whereas Nikole’s vocals have a melodic sheen that peaks on the one’s snappy refrain.
Earlier than the discharge of “Bury Me” and “Bleed,” Nikole and Cavallo sat down with Various Press to debate their lightning-fast recording course of, balancing the previous’s fiery ardour for music with the latter’s knowledge and expertise, and Nikole’s distinctive perspective as a Black girl carving a path by the choice scene for others to comply with.
Who have been a few of your earliest musical influences? What impressed you to pursue various music as a solo artist?
KEYAWNA NIKOLE: My first live performance ever, that was alternative-rock music, was My Chemical Romance. I bear in mind being there and being like, “That is simply probably the most unbelievable factor I’ve ever seen.” After that, in eighth grade for my thirteenth birthday, I bought tickets to Pierce the Veil for the Collide With The Sky tour… I bear in mind standing there and being like, “Oh, my God.” My entire life modified. At that second, I used to be like, “That is precisely what I need to do.” Pierce the Veil, My Chemical Romance, Inexperienced Day, and Paramore [were my influences]. And satirically sufficient, Rob did nearly all of them.
Rob, what’s it like producing these data that have been impacting younger individuals on such a deep degree?
ROB CAVALLO: It hit me in phases. Once I was actually younger and I had completed these data, we’d get these letters from individuals. Again within the ’90s, there was America On-line, and I had an e-mail. That is at first — there have been barely cellphones. It might say, “You’ve bought mail,” and hastily I had 700,000 letters, they usually have been all principally the identical. It was like, “Is that this the Rob Cavallo that produced Inexperienced Day’s Dookie? As a result of we will’t discover [you] wherever else. So I simply need you to know you made it so I bought by highschool,” or, “You saved my life. I used to be going to commit suicide.” I child you not. There have been so many of those. It simply actually warms your coronary heart to know that you just’ve had some form of useful or constructive affect, within the sense that you realize these data contact individuals’s hearts and minds. Nonetheless to at the present time, I pinch myself. It’s superb.
Mac Marshall
Keyawna, I noticed in a earlier interview at that Pierce the Veil present, you bumped into Vic, who you’ve now collaborated with. I think about that was a full-circle second.
NIKOLE: It’s so loopy that I’ve a scrapbook from that live performance. That was the defining second from once I was 12 that my life was going to vary. At that present, we have been so little. We have been getting knocked over. The safety guard observed as individuals have been exiting the constructing [and said], “Why don’t you guys stroll out of the backstage door?” We bought ran into by Vic, and he’s like, “You’re gonna be a rock star someday.” As a result of all I might say was, “I’m gonna make music, too.” I used to be in shock. And it’s so humorous to me that just about 10 years to that precise date of that present, I used to be doing a session with Vic, and we’re pals. We’re real pals.
What was it like for you transferring to Los Angeles and diving into the business?
NIKOLE: I used to be a freshman in school in Pennsylvania. I awakened someday, and I stated, “I don’t need to reside right here anymore, and I need to make music.” There had been plenty of loss. My little sister, she’s going by a extremely uncommon genetic illness referred to as Eagle-Barrett syndrome, so I used to be making an attempt to be very shut, simply in case one thing occurred. [But] I awakened someday, I bought in my automotive, and I drove myself from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles in 74 hours. I bought right here and realized I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know the place to go. I had $1,203 to my title. I lived within the Denny’s car parking zone in my Kia for the primary week. I bought on Instagram as a result of Denny’s has Wi-Fi, [and] I ended up discovering a place to be a studio runner and private assistant for Ricky P, one in every of Wiz Khalifa’s producers and engineers. That’s how I used to be like, “OK, effectively, I’m gonna get into the business. That is what I needed to do. That is what I got here right here for.”
How was it making that soar from popping out to Los Angeles and dwelling in your automotive to creating these connections and integrating your self into the scene?
NIKOLE: The primary yr, it was all taking place concurrently. I used to be within the worst place I’ve ever been in my life, however I used to be [also] in the very best conditions. I used to be at the very best occasions. I used to be working with actually nice individuals. I used to be making my manner into the business. I might have relatively lived in my automotive and been pursuing my dream than waking up in a fairly good townhouse in Pennsylvania and taking a look at a cornfield. I began assembly individuals within the studio. I used to be taking cheaper funds in settlement to who I used to be working for, Ricky P, to supply and engineer for me on the finish of my shift. It ended up going very well, [but] it was tough. Homelessness sucks. That’s most likely the worst expertise ever… however it’s truthfully what made the story and made these data and made these connections occur. If I didn’t reside that, I wouldn’t have the story to inform by the music we make.
Rob, when did you first meet Keyawana, and what have been your first impressions of her and her music?
CAVALLO: We met at this little rock ’n’ roll home, just like the proverbial rock ’n’ roll home, a bunch of dudes dwelling collectively within the Valley. We go in there, and, for me, due to my punk-rock roots, I instantly really feel snug. I am going, “Fuck yeah, that is actual rock ’n’ roll. It’s not some fancy schmancy, million-dollar studio, proper?” I truthfully can’t let you know what occurred, apart from I met Keyawna. She’s telling me all the data that she likes. I’m like, “OK, I feel she’s superior.” Then actually quarter-hour later, we had the primary tune. We made it, bang, it’s referred to as “Bury Me,” which is definitely the primary single that’s going to come back out. Then half an hour later, growth, we did “Bleed,” which is the tune that’s now bought Lil Wayne on it… subsequent factor you realize, we had a physique of labor: 18 songs. Most of them have been written inside half an hour. It was a type of clicking, magicky form of issues.
NIKOLE: I’m honored that Rob took the time to breathe on my report. He’s turn out to be some of the essential individuals in my life. It’s a full-circle second for me, too. I had these CD books, and I used to be highlighting who was making the music. Rob’s title was on 99% of the music. To truly turn out to be shut with this individual, then make a physique of labor that’s my most weak physique of labor… as a result of I’m actually telling some darkish shit. I’m speaking about the place I began. I’m speaking about actually deep loss… Rob was in a position to assist me format that into an precise physique of labor that I’m pleased with.
What classes have you ever taken away from working with Rob?
NIKOLE: I’ve turn out to be a completely completely different artist within the strategy of working with Rob. I discovered a confidence that I didn’t have earlier than. I went from making data within the closet of resort rooms that I used to be renting as a result of I didn’t know the place to reside to creating data with Rob Cavallo and simply projecting my voice otherwise. The surroundings is completely different. My emotions and the place I’m at in life are so completely different from the place I used to be once I was releasing my first data. I discovered the way to be assured… I’m so pleased with these data that when persons are like, “Oh, what’s your Spotify?” I’m like, “Nah, simply wait until subsequent month.” That was solely taught by Rob, and being round Rob, and simply seeing Rob’s power within the room and the way excited he’s for my data.
Mac Marshall
I’d love to speak about “Bleed” particularly and getting Lil Wayne on this observe. Can you’re taking me by the artistic strategy of this one and what it was like getting Wayne concerned?
NIKOLE: Every single day I get up, and I’m like, “How did I try this?” The entire time in “Bleed,” I’m actually speaking about surviving a pair intense conditions. I used to be actually particularly speaking a few relationship I had survived that was very violent and unsafe for me to be in, and the way you would love any person a lot that it makes you cease loving your self, and it makes you get to a degree the place you’ll be OK with not being right here. “Bury Me” and “Bleed” each have a theme of not desirous to be alive anymore, however on the finish, discovering a option to cope. They each comply with that very same kind of theme, as a result of the day I got here in to try this session, I used to be genuinely at my breaking level mentally.
Once I bought to the session with Rob, I used to be at a degree the place I used to be like, “All proper, we’re gonna see how this goes.” However I had already checked out mentally. After doing each of these data, however particularly “Bleed,” I noticed that I had a objective, and I nonetheless had a motive to be right here… When individuals have been listening to the music they usually’ve been messaging me [that] I’m their motive to reside… It’s now turn out to be a report of triumph, as a result of Wayne had heard that and associated to it. It’s actually proof that your work will repay.
CAVALLO: How did you get it to him?
NIKOLE: I had simply completed a present on the Viper Room, and I had been posting the movies from it. I posted the video, and I noticed at, like, 5 within the morning, Lil Wayne posted 5 seconds in the past. I used to be like, “Wouldn’t it’s hilarious if I simply DM him the footage of our band taking part in? He’s by no means gonna see it.” So I simply despatched it to him. I don’t even say something. I fall asleep, I get up. He replied. I began freaking out. He messaged me, “I like your shit.” I assumed that’s all it was going to turn out to be — only a praise.
I got here to the studio. We’re sitting there recording, [and I] get one other message: “We should always work on one thing. I’ve been listening to your music. What’s your quantity?” Over the subsequent few weeks, I ended up introducing him to his latest Younger Cash signee, Lucifena, which is superb. All of us simply began speaking and dealing, and he had requested for some music. I texted him a pair data, like three or 4, and he messaged me again: “‘Bleed’’s superb.” I really feel prefer it was only a very relatable factor. That man’s a rock star. I don’t care what anybody says. He loves, appreciates, and needs to grasp rock music for actual. There’s no motive he ought to have ever even given me the time of day. Truthfully, I’ve no ego by any means. I really feel the identical manner with Rob. Rob had no motive to offer me the time of day.
CAVALLO: Yeah, I did. [Laughs.] You’re good.
Mac Marshall
What do each of you hope individuals take away from listening to “Bleed” for the primary time?
NIKOLE: I hope “Bleed” means as a lot to somebody because it does to me… I hope any person simply is aware of they’re not by themselves off of that report, as a result of I felt simply as alone as you. Simply know once I made that tune, I didn’t even need to reside that lengthy to shoot that video. So if you happen to can hear this tune and listen to what I’m saying and perceive it, I’m the place you might be. Irrespective of the place you might be mentally in life, I’ve been there.
CAVALLO: Working with Keyawna and Rooster has been superb. One of many issues that I cherished, proper from the start, is that once I requested, “What sort of music do you make, Keyawna?” And he or she goes, “I make hood alt.” And I’m like, “Oh, man, that’s the coolest factor I’ve ever heard in my life.” These are the earliest days of a motion. I see that as a extremely cool and essential factor, to interrupt into one thing doubtlessly new.
NIKOLE: “Hood alt” goes to be the most important factor ever! There’s lots of people like me who’re slightly bit quiet, shy, emo, misfit children. I need to be that instance for these ladies. I’m certain everybody says this, however I bought bullied badly. I wasn’t Black sufficient to be white, and I wasn’t white sufficient to be Black… so I didn’t slot in a demographic. Being emo, all these children have been like, “Lady, why aren’t you listening to Future?” That was one thing I couldn’t relate to lots of people on. And I need to be that voice for [them] now.
