Nieve Ella Rips Her Heart Open In Latest EP “Watch It Ache And Bleed”
Photo via Nieve Ella.
It’s been a liberating and empowering season for female musicians in the industry, and Nieve Ella is joining in on the fun. Where female rage meets rich and raw electric chords, you’ll find the 21-year-old singer leading the charge toward redefining what girls behind guitars should represent– powerhouse rock stars that ought to be respected. She’s over being boxed into the “cutesy indie girl” label. Now, she’s vowed only to make music that feels true to herself– music that doesn’t need to be polished and wrapped up in a bow. In fact, her discography moving forward should make you want to get wine-drunk with your closest friends and dance around the room with messy hair. Where her previous collection of singles and EPs floated on romantic motifs, her new project “Watch It Ache And Bleed” rips off the bandaid to let all the blood from her recent heartbreak gush out. “It’s the story of what happened, how I felt, and what I wanted to say. I’ve never done something like this before, because I was always so scared of saying the wrong thing or hurting someone’s feelings,” Nieve shares in her interview with Dork.
Without looking back, Nieve dives right into the EP’s opener “Anything” offering her full-fledged devotion. Despite knowing it might end in heartache, the swelling desire explodes into her pleading refrains of "I would die right here for you.” A familiar honesty allows the track to fit perfectly into the Nieve Ella universe while hinting at a shift in the singer’s writing. She’s become unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, even if it means cutting right to the chase. Bright and jangly guitar chords trail behind her yearning for the other person’s commitment: “I’ve been trying to figure out when you want me / Rip my heart open / Watch it ache and bleed.”
Pausing for a moment of reflection, Nieve confides with the listener about navigating the balance between imposter syndrome and relishing the success she’s garnered thus far in “Sugarcoated.” Inspired by a conversation with an old friend, she finds herself sugarcoating her life in the limelight to reassure them that she’s still the same person they knew. “The loneliest place is a crowded room / Where everyone wants a piece of you / What’s left for myself?” she sings atop grainy strings, addressing the inner chatter plaguing her brain. “The Things We Say” is a cathartic anthem fueled by anger and empathy that pulls from another page of Nieve’s personal experiences. After an argument with a close friend, the track highlights how puncturing words can be when you know someone like the back of your hand. “I thought calling you a liar was the easiest way to end it / Now I can’t take it back” she cries out in horror at the daggers she chose to throw in the situation, despite knowing they would hit the target’s bullseye from the very beginning.
Photo via Nieve Ella. BTS from the “Sweet Nothings” visualizer.
“The Reason” is a short, sorrowful confessional that zooms into the root cause of the bullet hole. It’s an emotionally charged piece that executes itself in a mighty whisper, with Nieve’s candid lyricism being the driving force. Disguised by the comfort of warm piano keys, she grieves the relationship she decided to walk away from. Her words are more piercing and illustrative than ever, painting heart-wrenching visuals of its push and pull nature with lines like “We fight like it’s survival / And it’s breaking our hearts” and “You’re trying to plead me / You get down on your knees / My foot’s in the doorway / When you’re begging to leave.”
Nieve uses the middle of the EP to break the tension and wipe the slate clean by inserting her well-known single “Ganni Top.” Her electric guitar is slung across her body again, and she’s ready to thrash around the stage and tell you what she needs. Fueled by pure adrenaline and wit, the 90s indie-inspired track is draped in a newfound confidence, embodying a spirit of femininity and fun.
“Sweet Nothings” starts with Nieve singing, “I would like to wake with you / Every single morning” with readily open arms. Immortalizing the feeling of fixating on a new crush, she pines after the routines that come with a new relationship. Her elongated notes in the chorus lines “You can bury me in sweet nothings” swirl with eager desire, establishing a dreamlike tone for the track. “Stop Me!” continues to throw caution to the wind in the form of sweeping vocals and drum kicks that serve as the pounding heartbeat of the track. Crisp and quick guitar licks coat the song with sweet nostalgia as Nieve creates something clearly made for the stage.
“Meet You In The Middle” seals the end of the EP with a stamp of finality. We’re left with what we know Nieve does best– spilling her guts out over an accelerating guitar riff. Its negative space compliments the subject matter as if making way for the civil conversation she desires to have with the other person. “Look at me when you’re talking / It’s time to hear me speak” she demands with her fists hammering down on the table. Its explosive ending feels as grand as ever as she repeatedly shouts “You and I / A thousand times”, invoking a feeling of hope despite how the story might have ended.
Things are about to change for the English singer-songwriter, and it’s an exhilarating journey to follow. It’s about time the world experiences a Nieve Ella takeover!
You can listen to her full 8-track EP “Watch It Ache And Bleed” on all of your favorite streaming platforms. Make sure to catch her at one of her headline tour dates next year, which you can buy tickets for here.
