NesKa was featured this week on The Music Network's Emerging Artist section. Here's what TMN had to say:
Sydney
singer/songwriter/producer NesKa (aka Nessa Morgan) returns to the
scene with the lead single, Like it Like That, off upcoming independent
debut, NesKa. The track takes the same raw honesty that brought her
critical acclaim on her major label release, Sex & Poverty and
combines a more urban, beat-based feel, taking sexy to a whole new
level!
The song has been added immediately
across teh board on The Edge 96.ONE and was recently single of the week
on iTunes - we recommend you give it a spin to see what all the fuss is
about!
Featuring the production of BenVo xP,
(aka Benjamin Monroe Jr – son of Ben from Cool & the Gang), “Like
it Like That” should establish NesKa as Australia’s bona fide queen of
R&B/Soul Down Under, a moniker bestowed upon her by Grammy Award
winning producers, Don Was and Shannon Sanders.
It takes one to know one. When US soul star Alicia Keys toured
Australia in October 2004, Alicia, her band, crew and management were
in the wings watching Nessa Morgan tear up the support slot every
night. They liked what they saw - a raw soul singer with real songs and
a real band - and they all demanded a signed copy of her debut album,
Sex & Poverty, to take home to the States. Being the first
Australian ever to work with the legendary Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bob
Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Highwaymen) was an amazing
introduction to the recording process for Nessa.
“I learnt that you can’t force music. It just is. A great song is a
great song. Everything flowed and it set the benchmark for how I want
to work with people. He made everyone feel good.”
When the Sony/BMG merger happened, Nessa found herself having to start
over. She and her manager hopped on a plane to Atlanta to collaborate
for her next album and expose her brand of dirty soul at the Atlantis
Music Festival. There she was only one of three acts from
hundreds selected to perform live on Good Morning Atlanta. While
writing in Nashville with such industry stalwarts as Gary Nicholson, J
Fred Knobloch, Blu Miller and Shannon Sanders, Nessa found herself
headlining the Australia Festival in the Homecoming Concert along with
Catherine Britt.
“Being out there taught me that I could really be proud of where I’m
from. Everyone wanted to know my background and I found myself
constantly talking about Australia and New Zealand. Being a Maori was
incredibly exotic to them and they couldn’t believe there was anyone
that sang soul downunder. My nationality meant that I could cross
genres and those musical barriers that American artists get boxed into.”
Coming back to Sydney, Nessa and Lorda, her manager, set up ProBono
Records – an independent label with a vision to build a
soul/R&B/hip-hop label downunder. Signing herself to Probono, Nessa
set about developing the first project for ProBono, her alter ego,
NesKa.
Probono have recruited US A&R Owen “Tank” Neil, formerly from
Universal Nashville (India Arie, Nappy Roots, October Blue, Shannon
Sanders, Static) to oversee the NesKa album. Working closely with
Nessa, Tank has helped steer the music in a more hip hop/R&B
direction.
With a G4 Protools ministudio set-up and with the help of an Audio
Products Group sponsorship including an AKG mic endorsement, Nessa
has been putting the final touches on the album, wamming files
over to some of the hottest up and coming producers in the U.S.
including Shannon Sanders, Gerald Jenkins and BenVo xP.
“It’s been an empowering process, sometimes overwhelming, because
I’m not just a singer/songwriter anymore. I’m getting my head around
every aspect of production and some days I’m really fried but I have
control of my music. I always go with my gut instinct.”
In addition to putting the NesKa album together, Nessa has just
finished a HOT mixtape which will help promote her on the streets and
in the clubs. She has already started live appearances in support of
the single and upcoming album. “I’m back, and naughtier,” she laughs.
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