Kat Harlton
The SOCAN Foundation recently announced Nuela Charles as a winner of the second annual Her Music Awards, where she received a grand prize of $5,000 during a virtual event on February 25.
The Her Music Awards celebrate and support female-identifying, mid-career Canadian music creators who are on the verge of taking their creative careers to the next level.
Over the last few years, Nuela shared the stage as direct support for some of Canada’s musical icons including Sam Roberts Band, Jann Arden and Stars. With coverage from American Songwriter, Earmilk, and FADER, plus placements on the hit shows Jane the Virgin and Tiny Pretty Things, Charles is ready to release more of her fiery brand of cinematic soul, and we had the opportunity to chat with her about it.
Kat: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your music journey so far?
Nulea: My name is Nuela (new-ella) Charles. I am a singer-songwriter who was born in Kenya, before moving to Switzerland, and then ultimately settling in Canada, after a 5 year stint in the Bahamas. It was in the Bahamas, during the MTV TRL days where I began to be really inspired by the female acts that were coming up, and as a result started writing my own songs. After moving back to Canada I went to college for music, while at the same time started recording small EP projects. It wasn’t until my family moved to Edmonton, Alberta, that I released my first Nuela Charles project, “Aware” in 2012. Fast forward almost 10 years and I’m still here.
Kat: Can you talk about the SOCAN Foundation’s Her Music Awards and how it feels to be announced as one of the grand prize winners?
Nuela: It feels great to be announced as one of the grand prize winners for the SOCAN Foundation’s HER Music Awards. I think what really hit home, was when they were talking about the attributes they want their winners to have, to represent the foundation. And it really made me reflect on my own journey, and realize that even though I operate in a very closed bubble at times, and don’t really focus on outside opinions, that people have recognized all of the hard work that I’ve put into my career, and that I really do deserve this win. And that’s something to be proud about.
Kat: What are you working on now, and can fans expect new music soon?
Nuela: I am really excited to be releasing a ton of new music this year. Starting with a single coming out pretty quickly. I think I’ve never been more excited for new music, because I truly feel this is my best, most authentic work to date. I spent the majority of last year working on my new project, and it’s now ready to be released!
Kat: What has been a career highlight so far?
Nuela: A career highlight has definitely been being nominated for 3 JUNO Awards back to back from 2018 – 2020. It was pretty crazy. Although the 3rd was disrupted by the pandemic, it’s still a huge honour being recognized at that level. Definitely very encouraging.
Kat: What have you learned along the way that you would like to share with other aspiring artists and creators?
Nuela: Something that I always tell aspiring creators is to take your time, and don’t quit. A lot of people have this idea that if it’s meant to be that it’ll happen overnight, literally. But that’s rarely the case. So take your time, and figure out who you are as an artist, and hone in on that. That’s what is going to resonate with your audience.
Kat: What can we expect from you for the balance of 2022?
Nuela: 2022 is going to be full of new music from Nuela Charles and hopefully a lot more live performances. The last couple of years have been full of uncertainty, but I’m really excited for this new chapter in my career. I’ve never felt more confident in my project than I do now – which makes me really happy.
To connect with Nuela Charles visit: http://www.nuelacharles.com