NESSI GOMES
Singer-Songwriter
In our chaotic, divided world, common grounds are holy things, and musicians have the power to bring us back together through soul-deep music. Each time Nessi Gomes steps onto stage anywhere in the world, she pulls threads of light up through dark water, each of her viscerally-crafted songs weaving dark strands of experience into a golden weave of connectivity across cultures, religions, countries, and walks of life. It is my honor to present this British-Portuguese singer-songwriter, poet-traveler, and winner of the 2016 Best UK Unsigned Female Artist in 2016.
Nessi’s music is still water shimmering with fire just beneath the surface. Hers is deep-centered art that channels the inner storm and then unexpectedly bubbles into daybreak after long dark nights of the soul. Her haunting voice is a cauldron of moods inviting us into a world where our human wounds are given a voice and sing themselves into healing; her exquisitely-controlled harmonies on the guitar—framed by live accompaniment of cello, double bass, and violin—create outer and inner space for the unseen and the inaudible; her lyrics are nocturnal, unafraid to look down deep into the subconscious to the crossroads of self and most importantly, the victory that waits for those who do not give up on the journey.
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I hope you savor Nessi’s insightfully-deep interview and mystic’s process, followed by her website, live performance highlights, Facebook page, and official video, All Related, a beautiful testimony to humanity and all that we share as a species. Enjoy!
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Q: As a listener, I am struck by your captivating ability to tell a story through a beautiful variation of emotional prose and vocal textures that almost shimmer in jewel-tones. Did your unique song-crafting emerge from specific study or your own personal journey through life?
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A: My song crafting I guess was a combination. In general, I have always been very intuitive with my music. I never really write things down beforehand. I do, however, like to collect words and put them in a book. But the process of writing songs for me begins once I pick up my guitar. I play around with a riff until something begins to resonate and then I loop it until I go into a bit of a trance. I know when this is happening because I then begin to see images and have visions, and it’s all a bit sporadic, like dreams. It is then from there I begin to put my words down on paper. I listen and pay attention to how the words feel physically in my body. If it resonates then I go from there. But this can only happen if I have created a melody that I connect too, otherwise nothing opens up.
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Q: Your lyrics often speak of deep feminine experience/inner life, of being both lost and found, suggesting to the listener that redemption and resolution lies within. For you, what has been your greatest emotional, spiritual, and creative resources/Source?
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A: Everything lies within. Meditation and silent retreats give me so much. I haven’t been on one for a while and my mind needs a good wash and detox. Eating healthy food, staying away from social media (which is extremely hard for me because I use it for the music and workshops). When I am clean from these things I have so much more clarity.
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Q: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water weave in and out of your songscapes with near-mystical presence and evoke both mystery and solace. Do your lyrics come to life with meticulous crafting or do they arrive unexpectedly in bursts of inspiration or poetry? Do your own inner voices come into play?
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A: It is all of those elements. I need to have certain things in place in order to tap into those realms. For example, if I don’t read for a while then I find this affects my lyric writing. But sometimes my lyrics don’t rely on anything, they literally pop out in front of me. It can be a vision or a colour or a word that triggers the creative inspiration within me.
Q: Your music channels universal emotions from a very concentrated, personal well. Have there been songs that have felt “too personal” to release but you pushed through that initial hesitance and recorded or performed them anyway? If so, what has your listener response been like?
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A: So far, I have never felt that my songs are too personal to release. Naturally I need to build up a relationship with the song first before I am able to present it to the people around me. I like to be raw and share that with people.
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Q: Your music brings the word “duende” to mind—that mysterious spirit that possesses an artist and brings the audience to a precipice of palpable emotion. Observing you live, I can almost detect a moment of demarcation when something “else” comes through you and distills your breathtaking talent into a near-hypnotic audible elixir. Are you aware of this process, and if so, what has your experiences been like on stage?
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A: Absolutely! And I am so happy that you brought this interesting point up. I totally know when this mysterious spirit comes through. It is also one of the reasons I like to wear black. One of the most important things for me as a musician to make this connection is to eliminate as much as possible my own personality. Of course, it is always there, but to be almost like a blank page and to step out of the way and give space to this spirit that comes through. I sometimes say to friends, “Who I am on stage is not who I am in day to day life,” and I think it is because it is connected to this question. It’s hard to explain; it’s a strong energy and it’s interesting to observe it when it’s happening. But certain things need to be in place in order for that magic to happen. Sometimes if I am doing a show and there are many distractions within the venue, it simply does not open. There is no ‘duende’. I am very sensitive on stage, so I can easily be distracted. The slightest thing can throw me but that is also part of the work.
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Q: You are walking through a dreamscape—a strange and irresistible place urging you forward; what and who do you find there? What are the images, the landscape, the sounds? What is most terrifying, most beautiful, and how do you reconcile this dichotomy? What do you bring back with you?
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A: My song ‘Long way Home’ explains this perfectly.
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Q: You speak of love as medicine and the interconnectedness of all beings. How have your travels and touring driven this philosophy home? What is one travel or stage experience that exemplifies this unity in particular?
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A: In the last 5 years I have travelled to some 30 countries with the music. I have had the pleasure to meet so many wonderful people from all different walks of life. From South/Central America to the Middle East. There are different religions, different beliefs, different cultures, different tastes - each person, including myself, may hold a completely different narrative, which is sometimes what also gets us into trouble because we are too busy or too righteous trying to prove the other wrong - but the bottom line, from my humble understanding, underneath all that stuff is love. We all need love. It sounds so obvious and cliched, but we are all the same, trying our best to get on in life.
Q: When did your voice first open—that moment when you knew in your bones that you were a singer and how did it change your life?
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A: I remember it clearly. I was 14. But I never even considered myself a singer. I still have resistance to that word for some reason. Plus I couldn't sing, but I was not even bothered about that. It just made me feel good and that was my focus. I was in a very dark place at that time in my life and had not really discovered a way to express my pain until I opened my mouth. But it was really like that. I opened my mouth and all the toxic dense energy, feelings and demons that seemed to have a grip on my spirit for so long were suddenly coming out through my voice. It was my medicine. Singing for me was more like a ritual; I did this every day for hours and slowly through using my voice I was able to get back to a big part of myself that I thought I had lost.
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Q: Nature, love, and healing bubble up in your darkest lyrics… How do you nurture these three things in your own life when you are not creating and how do you maintain connection to them when you are on the road?
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A: When I am not on the road, I try my best to come home as much as possible. Guernsey is a beautiful and tiny little island located in the English Channel. Everything is super-slow here, which I love. I love to be in nature, so when the weather permits, I take myself to the beach, watch a sunset, or go for a walk on the cliffs. But I do find it very challenging when I am touring. I’ll be honest, I’m not at all good at taking care of myself when I am travelling. It can be very challenging because I am in a new place all the time and this throws me. I love routine and to have my base, but this is impossible when you’re touring and travelling, so everything goes a bit wonky!
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Q: You walk into a room to see yourself as an old woman… What are you singing and what does your present self say to your beautiful Crone self? Is she proud of you?
A: She is very proud, I think more than anything though, she is relieved as she does not need to live the last part of her life in regret. I could have easily taken a very different route, and not because I would have wanted, too; more so because sometimes, it is more convincing to listen to your head and less to your heart, but the payoff is extremely painful. I love the old Crone self. I feel like I am already connected to her in some way. I have met her a few times in ceremony. Her voice has even revealed herself to me and I love it. I know that might sound nuts, but even my husband tells me I am like an old lady but in a loving way. To be honest, I’m excited about getting older, my grey hairs are already appearing, and I love them.
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WEBSITE
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