Buzz Magazine Interviews Nicole Thompson of Nikky T

My name is Nikky T, I am a singer, songwriter and dancer from San Diego, CA. My story begins onstage, where my passion was first developed. My love for the arts started when I was put in my first dance class at the age of three. My passion for dance continuously grew and I threw myself into every style there was including: ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, modern, lyrical, and pointe. I always found myself on stage either through recitals, auditions, plays, or showcases. I was addicted to the entertainment realm, and It was all I wanted to do. Since my love for the stage was so strong, I always found myself crossing over into the music world. I would always sign myself up for talent shows, showcases and open mics around San Diego. I did not have many resources to further my passion in music until I was about seventeen years old. A family friend had brought me into the studio to record my first ever cover song. I was a bit shy about my vocals because I had never had any sort of vocal lessons or training, like I had with dance. This studio session became a defining moment for me not only in life, but as an artist, the reason being – I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do in life. Being in a recording studio was like no feeling I had ever felt before, it was fun, exciting, new, and scary, however, It felt like it was where I belong. For my first studio session I recorded a cover to Ella Mai’s song “She Don’t.” However, the next studio session I had was different because this time I went straight into writing and recording my own original song. I was in love with the process of creating, writing, and recording in the studio and I kept coming back for more and more and kept wanting to grow and develop myself as an artist. In the meantime, I was transferring from High School to San Diego State University for Marketing, as well as working part-time, dancing on a semi-pro Football Team called “The Enforcers,” working the scholarship program at “Culture Shock Dance Center” as well as trying to market and brand myself as an artist and find myself as a young adult. After I released my first EP “Phases” many opportunities started to flood in either through working with talented artists, producers, Dj’s, engineers, podcasts/radios, or shows. I got many incredible performance opportunities including headlining for Quartyard’s R&B block party, Oceanside Brewing Company, one of Queen Bee’s Showcases, as well as being one of the three San Diego artist’s selected to perform at San Diego’s Sunday Funday’s Summer Pool Party at The Lafayette Hotel. I have perfomed at many shows from San Diego to Los Angeles, as well as Sweden, which has been so incredibly amazing for me, since the stage is my favorite place to be. As I grew older I realized that music was all I wanted to focus on and in order to follow my passion I needed to make a change in my life. I didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t able to put my all into my music because my energy was being spread into so many different places.I decided to put my faith into my music and I moved to Los Angeles to further my career in music, as well as transfer my studies to the Los Angeles Film School for Music Production. This life change has been the best decision I have ever made, as I have been able to put all my focus and energy into my music, and as a result, it has brought so many great opportunities. In the past 7 months of moving to LA: I have released my new EP called “Only In a Dream” on all platforms, organized my own EP release party including a live performance of the whole EP at Quartyard San Diego in collaboration with their R&B block party, created my own merchandise line, as well as released new music videos. What I am most proud to share with you all, is that my next single is being produced by Brice Bates, and Sheldon Reynolds – who was one of the band members from “Earth, Wind and Fire.” I grew up listening to this legendary group, so the fact that Sheldon Reynolds is helping me create and further my music is mind-blowing to me. I have more singles, music videos, and collaborations on the way, but I am forever grateful for how far I have gotten, and to see what the next opportunity brings.

I have discovered that the music industry is fun and exciting, but it can also be difficult and painful. As a young woman in the industry I have had my fair share of being taken advantage of. As I have gained more experience I have understood how to represent myself and my brand, but at first I struggled with how to be confident in myself and to know my worth in the industry itself. The greatest battle I have experienced has been believing in myself, and having faith in the process. I was seventeen years old when I started, so many engineers, producers, or people in general took a lot of money from me, didn’t pay me, took advantage of my contacts, my time, and my lack of knowledge of the industry, as well as my kindness. It took a lot of time and experience for me to develop a strong backbone and build enough confidence in myself to where I would not let people affect me or my feelings anymore. With the platform and spotlight artists get, we are constantly being criticized for not being good enough; either though our appearance, voice, who we surround ourselves with, the decisions we make and so much more. With this being said, I stand strong on my values and morals, as I would like to be a role model for young women to look up to. I am continuously learning to focus on what is right for myself and my journey, as opposed to listening to outside influences or people, unless it is constructive criticism to help promote my growth. No matter what people tell me, I will always remember to keep reaching for the stars and go for my dreams.

I am a singer, songwriter and dancer, as well as businesswoman. As far as what I do and what I specialize in, I am best known as a performer. I love the stage and I always try to bring a new set to the stage every time. I love performing my original songs because I think it is important for upcoming artists to have the opportunity to share their craft and messages with the world. As my efforts and following grow, so does my company and I am proud to say, I do more than just release music: I have my own Nikky T merchandise line, I get opportunities to perform worldwide, I get to help create visuals for my music videos, I have been able to put on multiple showcases, I am currently building my producing/ songwriting credentials from The Los Angeles Film School, as well as I market, build, and promote my brand. I cannot be more proud of the opportunity and growth that has been coming my way as an artist. Everyday my dreams push me forward in a new direction and I cannot wait to see where my journey takes me next.

I think what sets me apart from other artists is my European background. I have a mother from Sweden and a father from London; so growing up I would always spend my summer breaks in either Sweden or London. I have lived in London for a short period of my life, so these experiences have given me a very different outlook and perspective on life. I easily adapt to any environment, I am very open to new people, places, culture and ideas and I accept change with open arms. I work off of diversity, and energy, so I think my ability to work with anyone and learn from new people is what sets me apart from other artists. I am grateful to any new experiences or learning lessons that come my way and I am blessed to have grown up with such diverse culture around me.

I think there are many levels to success. I think there is personal success which, to me, means feeling confident in my own body, reaching happiness, and waking up everyday with a passion. I think there can also be success in my career, meaning, consistently working on achieving my better self, my goals, and making the best decisions for me and my team. My favorite saying is, “There is no limit to your success” because I perceive this as always working my hardest to achieve my goals as well as it reminds me to never give up, no matter how difficult the journey can be. There are always going to be new ways I can evolve, learn, create, and change for the better. So, personally, I think success comes from within; as long as I believe I am striving to achieve my best, and I never give up, I know I have succeeded.