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IAAS MUSIC: Nicole Allan! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your release week to chat with us at IAAS Music. ‘Goodbye Girl’, coming out 23rd Of January. First, what can you tell us about the release?
This release is a huge milestone for me . It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and to see it finally take shape is like a dream come true.
Everyone who worked on this with me from the studio to the photographer, videographer, posting, everyone put in so much of their time and energy, I’m so thankful and grateful people are connecting with it, enjoying it and playing the tracks!
The EP brings to life four songs that fans and followers of yours would have heard before. How do you feel about these recordings? What can people that have seen you perform acoustically expect from the tracks after your work in the studio?
A) I couldn’t feel more proud of these tracks. Puzzle maker studios brought my songs to life and translated the music in my head and allowed me to bring them out into the world.
No matter how far these songs travel or how old they get, I will always love these songs because of what they mean to me and what they have done for me and my career.
B) People that have heard these songs acoustic always had great feedback for me. No matter where I played them they were always really well received which is why I chose these particular songs. I wanted to give them the justice they deserved by recording them somewhere they would be understood. Puzzle maker studios specialise in Country/Americana and as soon as I played them the songs they knew what direction to take the production. People can expect big sounding, raw songs, big vocals/harmonies and amazing musicians playing on every track . There is an explosion of feeling and story telling that everyone can connect with.
How did you find your unique sound and what drew you to country music?
I’ve always been inspired by strong women, power house vocals and storytelling like Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Bryan Adams, Phil Collins and many more. Artists that wrote songs about overcoming challenging moments and empowering people and encouraging them to chase the dream.
I started writing songs when I was about 6 (normally in maths class). I remember thinking, Who chooses the songs that get out there? Where do they come from? So I started writing my own, for me. It was only when I turned 16 I met my great friend Kasper Viggo Jensen that I was shown that songwriting could be a career path and that there were lots of people like me out there writing songs that wanted to collab and work together.
When Kasper and I started co-writing he pointed out my songs sounded country. I'd never really listened to country music before as no one around me really did either.
He introduced me to Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan etc and I had this overwhelming feeling of belonging, like I had found my home. The Stories, The emotion, everything I was trying to do ,there they were! The songs that I was writing belonged somewhere– It was an amazing feeling.
You have been a full time musician for many years now. How have you balanced the need for financial stability with satisfying your creative outputs?
Do you feel there’s a benefit from a songwriting perspective to playing a diverse set of songs at functions/cover gigs?
Being a musician and a songwriter is like any business. If you’re going to go full time into anything, you need to put the work in and sell yourself as you are providing a service. I’ve been doing it for years but I'm still learning every day on how best to manage the balance. Prioritising music and recording over socialising and [having] fun sounds lonely but I found if you surround yourself with supportive family and friends and career driven, like-minded people, you’re all on the journey together and you get to share your success with people that are genuinely happy to see you thrive, you also get to be around them succeeding and be part of their stories as well.
There are so many benefits to writing your own material and performing at cover gigs/functions. Most of my cover work comes from word of mouth and social media. If people see you're busy and working hard, your credibility as an artist grows and it's attractive to businesses and venues. The more engagement you have the likelihood of their venues getting busy and people attending your performance. Cover songs are a great way to get people's attention and at a cover gig is a brilliant way to introduce new people to your own music.
You never know… One day a cover artist may cover one of my songs. How amazing would that be?
Musically speaking, what are some highlights of your musical career you lookback on so far? Are there any moments that have defined your journey, or helped you become the artist you are today?
You saw me right at the beginning. 18 years old moved to England and became a full-time busker. sounds glamorous but wow that was hard. When I look back on where I started to where I am now, I'm really proud of myself.
I promised myself I would take every opportunity that came my way and try every avenue possible. Busking was a great way to get gigs and meet other artists and venue owners. When busking is your full-time job, you have to go out in all weathers as it rains a lot [in the UK].
Highlights? There are so many… All the travelling music has allowed me to do and meeting some incredible people; introducing me to some of my best friends. If it’s scary and uncomfortable it’s probably worth doing because once you achieve and conquer whatever is scaring you, you will feel stronger and gain a sense of pride that will give you self-belief like nothing else.
With such a massive release set for January, you must have your eyes set on big things for 2026. What’s on the calendar so far, and what do you hope to do before the year ends?
Obviously really looking forward to the 23rd of January for GoodBye Girl EP but this year is looking amazing already! We have the Country Women tour coming up! (First date is at the foundry in Brecon on the 30th of Jan.) I'm also booked for some beautiful festivals this year but they haven't announced yet so can say too much about that. New Merch coming out. Working on some new music and planning more travelling. The goals I have set for this year are big - everything is possible and I will be sharing everything with you all along the way!
As an artist rapidly growing in the Country community, what do you attribute this success to? Are there certain areas you would advise bands focus on to grow their brand?
Trying everything! There is no right way to play the music game. New Ideas come and go, some work some don’t- and that’s ok! There is no such thing as failing in music. The plan always changes and some ideas you work really hard on flop, but the simple idea worked, none of it makes sense but by trying everything, something will click and you will grow.
I’ve had to learn so many different skills like : Marketing, (Social media algorithm which I’m still getting my head round) , Booking agent , Managerial work, photographer, sound engineering, Videographer for content , event organiser- You name it ! and every artist out there has had to do the same . But I can honestly say it’s worth it.
The best thing to Focus on in my opinion is your portfolio i.e;
Quality photos to post, send to venues and festivals wherever you may need to send photos. I book and pay for a photoshoot with my talented friend Lydia King every 3 to 4 months to keep everything fresh. It is a cost, but you have to invest in yourself, what you put in will come back in some shape or form.
Songs and sound: The song can be amazing but if it doesn't sound polished and professional people’s attention will drift and your music is worth listening to too! If you’re just starting out this can be costly, but always research the studio before you pay to record. Find a producer that works on your style of music because they will bring the best out of your music. It’s worth paying a bit extra to get the result you want.
Videos: For social media quality is and isn't important. homemade videos can perform really well but it’s always good to have some professional videos scattered in there as well to show you are serious. Most important, be genuine. There are hundreds of people doing what you’re doing, the only thing that makes you different is your personality, it’s your strength, use it.
Work with as many people as you can, you will gain experience, grow your following, build a community and network so much more than trying to do it on your own.
You’ve had a notable presence online for a long time now, from TikTok trends to COVID Lounge gigs. How important has social media been for your success as a musician?
Social media is SOOO important when you’re an independent artist. Use it as a tool not a way of life. To be able to engage with so many potential followers is magic and is a great way of building a community. Get on every social media platform you can and show the world who you are because you never know who may see it. Take time to see what is working and what’s not and study it. It will benefit you in the long run.
You very graciously allowed us early access to your EP, and I was blown away. It’s anthemic, catchy and powerful. I would love to ask about your writing process. How does an EP like this get created? Do you first focus on the musical elements, knowing when big key changes and dynamic shifts happen? Or lyrics first? How was the experience of crafting these tracks compared to writing them on an acoustic guitar?
So glad you love this EP that means so much. There wasn't a one-way process. Every song was written a different way, really...
Find me started with just that "Find me" and I built off those two words. I knew it was a cry to be found and someone feeling lost in there own mind. I knew everyone had felt like that at some stage of their lives but most of us won't ask to be found. Find me is a way to put into words what someone may want to say to a loved one or family or friend.
Light should stay. That came about from a simple question, Should I stay up and do something or should I just go to bed? which means turning the light off. I started singing "I wouldn’t be deciding, on how the light should stay" walking around the room tidying up, grabbed my guitar and started creating. That song fell out of the guitar; it was effortless and wrote itself. Obviously once I write songs I go back in the day after or whenever and edit little bits etc with fresh ears but the only thing that changed was the middle 8 and that was a long time after I wrote it.
Madness of Money: what can I say ? There's an opinion for everything nowhere days. I went through a period of watching video upon video about investing and how to grow your income and blah blah blah and it gave me a headache. None of it made sense to me. This song started out with a concept. I wanted to write a fun song taking the Michael out of what I’ve heard people say about money. "Money Talks" " Less is More" " Ill take anything if its paid" " You can't take it with you" I wanted to incorporate things we hear a lot in our everyday lives and make it funny.
Like Nobody Else: This one is personal. Everyone has aversion of themselves they wish they could erase but what if you could go back and speak to them?
The message is, even if you are at your lowest or hardest stage of life, the person you are right now at this moment still deserves your love. That doesn't mean give yourself a hug, it means look after them, show up for them, Be there for them, care about them.
You’re the only person that understand what’s going on in your mind and you’re the only one that can be there when no one else can. People show up for their friends and family and work etc- do it for you!
You are literally the centre of your own world, what kind of world do you want to live in? It starts with how you treat yourself.
For my wedding, (you’re probably aware!) I threw a music festival that you headlined. I wanted to ask, if you were hosting a festival and had NO restrictions on money or genre, who would be playing?
Your wedding was beautiful! I was so grateful to be a part of your special day. This is an amazing question !! Wow, there’s so many to choose from…
Chris Stapleton for sure and hopefully we could do a duet.
Nate Smith - His songs are just outstanding, definitely one of my favourites.
Beth Hart and Slash - She is a powerhouse (what a woman and what a voice) - and you gotta love Slash!
Laney Wilson, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert performing "Trailblazer" heck yeah!
PInk and Kelly Clarkson because them duetting is godly!
Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting! "All for one" song, love that song and love those artists! Sir ELTON JOHN has to be the headline for me. I saw him Live in the O2 it was a bucket list moment and wow… I love him.
I REALLY WANT TO GO TO THIS!!!
A lot of people will hear this record and will follow because it’s absolutely incredible. What should people know about you as a person? What are they getting themselves into?!
Me as a person? I’m very loud and can’t sit still but!! I love what I do and I'm constantly pushing to do and be involved in new exciting things. Our community is so special, every single Nick Nack (If you follow me you’re a Nick Nack) Is absolutely beautiful inside and out. We have the most fun on this journey and be prepared to laugh hard, cry , shout and love.
This adventure is just getting going, big things to come!
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