Nisa has announced her debut album Shapeshifting – due out April 26 via Tender Loving Empire Records – with lead singles “Smokescreen” “Vertigo” + Currents” garnering immediate acclaim from Gorilla vs Bear, Rolling Stone, Bob Boilen Favorites Now, FLOOD, Under The Radar, BrooklynVegan, Northern Transmissions and much more. The solo project of Brooklyn-based Nisa Lumaj, also earned accolades for early singles from The New York Times, Pitchfork and Gorilla vs Bear.
New single “Dreamspeak” is a powerful statement of taking back one’s power and voice while in a twilight state. The irresistibly catchy piano-lead, synth-soaked indie pop track is released today alongside an official video. Nisa shares, “I once heard from someone that not being able to communicate in your dreams is a reflection of your waking life’s sense of not being heard. I thought about writing “Dreamspeak” as an undoing of this feeling, where my dream-self could confront me and give me my voice back.”
Watch / Share: “Dreamspeak” Video
Fittingly opening with a track titled “Ready… Set!,” the new collection is a journey towards self-acceptance, self-actualization and a coherent sense of identity. As a daughter of Albanian immigrants, Nisa grew up listening to traditional folk music. As a young person living in New York City and studying in London, she was introduced to the world of English-speaking pop music and enamored by artists like Björk, Peter Gabriel and PJ Harvey. Shapeshifting is a reflection of this interest in forward-thinking sounds—encircled by disorienting processed electronics, chunky guitars, gauzy vocals and unusual melodic choices.
While her previous output was buoyed by sparse indie rock, Nisa worked closely with frequent collaborator Ronnie DiSimone (aka Torna), who produced, mixed and co-engineered the new collection. Nisa’s transformative debut album Shapeshifting delivers a more lush and dynamic version of Nisa’s unique brand of off-kilter electro-pop and experimental punk, while always keeping her towering vocal prowess front and center.
Shapeshifting Tracklist:
1. Ready… Set!
2. Pressure Principle
3. Currents
4. Dreamspeak
5. Dance Alone
6. Smokescreen
7. Vertigo
8. Breach
9. Crossing
10. Trance Form
11. Sea Glass
Catch Her LIVE On Tour This Spring!
Tour dates + tickets below and here
5/7: Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
5/8: Washington, DC @ Pie Shop
5/11: Boston, MA @ Lilypad
5/12: Philadelphia, PA @ MilkBoy
Debut Album Shapeshifting due out April 26
on Tender Loving Empire Records