Conversations with Nance

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nance.

Hi Nance, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My passion for music started at a young age; just like everyone, I was a fan first! But I became interested in writing my raps when my older brother introduced me to some of his favorite rappers. Shortly after that, I began writing my raps in middle school, recording myself, and selling my CDs in high school. People seemed to like what I was doing, so I kept doing it. I was having fun making songs and sharing them, but I quickly started to look at music as a career path.

In early college, I became friends with some who owned their studios. They liked my music and were down to record me for free, allowing me to create and release music as often as I wanted. From there, I started creating content around my releases, including music videos, skits, etc. Once I gained enough of a local following, my friends and I decided to start booking our shows in Raleigh. We would bring out all of our friends and family, and those shows were the reason I got opportunities opening up for artists like Waka Flocka, Kyle, Mobb Deep, MGK, and more.

In 2017, I crowdfunded $10,000 for my first album, “No Excuses,” released in 2018! I’ve released many singles since then and just finished recording my next album, ‘ everyday dream,’ which will be released later this year! It feels good getting ready to roll out a new album. I just dropped a new single titled “Inside” feat. Skizzy Mars and its gained 25k streams on Spotify at the time of the interview. It’s gaining some traction, which is incredible.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
My creative journey has had its highs and lows. I couldn’t create the music I wanted if the road was always smooth. One of my recent struggles has been finalizing my second album. After my first album was released in 2018, I started creating what I thought would be my second album. I created a bunch of songs with my friend/producer Fourth Shift, but in 2019 my grandmother and dad passed away, which changed how I felt about the music I was creating. I started to feel like I had more to say, and I didn’t want my next album not to include how I was feeling at that time. I decided to scrap most of the songs and start fresh. Which was tough, but I had to stay true to my feelings. The studio where I record most of my music closed its doors temporarily when the pandemic started, which put a hold on my album. My creative process is very collaborative, so being unable to be in the studio with some of my close collaborators was a struggle. Once the studio opened back up, we locked in again and finalized it. It’s been a time-consuming process, given all the different circumstances, but I created an album that I am pleased with and can’t wait to share. Not everything will go how we want it to, but we have to roll with the punches, and as an artist, those punches usually make for the best songs.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My attention to detail and ability to collaborate well with the people around me separate what I do from others. As an independent artist, you must be good at making music, performing, marketing, and so on. I enjoy making music, but I also love the marketing aspect, which is the most difficult and boring part for most artists. Understanding marketing and how to communicate your brand to people is just as important as having good music. Over the years, many people have told me that I am good at social media and communicating what I do. It’s become something I specialize in and has opened up doors for me recently when it comes to helping brands in the area find ways to market themselves and manage their social media accounts.

Regarding what I am most proud of, it’s hard to pick one specific accomplishment, but I’ve been making music for years. Being able to continue, still loving and passionate about what I do. It makes me so proud.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Learning to be flexible with my goals has been one of the most important lessons that I’ve learned. When I was younger, I always had a specific vision for how I wanted things to turn out. My goals were firm, and sometimes I needed the plan to reach them. Then when I didn’t get those goals, I would be disappointed. I still have goals, but nowadays, I have more of an understanding of planning to reach them, and also I understand things in life may change, and my goals will too. Some things are out of our control and will cause us not to reach our goals, so we have to postpone them, and that’s fine.

Contact Info:

• Website:iamnance.com
• Instagram:instagram.com/nance
• Facebook: facebook.com/nancemusic
• Twitter: twitter.com/nanceraps 

Image Credits
@linusandhiscamera, Linus Johnson