The Song She Threw Away Became Her Biggest Release

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What if the best song you’ve ever written was sitting in your trash folder?

DIY alternative artist Nicole Alexis joins OurSpace to discuss her new EP, Mirrors and Smoke, growing up listening to Nirvana, Green Day and Paramore, and why one of her most personal songs was almost never released.

Nicole opens up about living with ADHD as an artist, learning multiple instruments, hearing full arrangements in her head from a young age, and how social media gave her the confidence to share music that didn’t fit into a commercial box.

We also dive into creativity, vulnerability, growing up emo, documenting life’s biggest moments through music, and why sometimes the songs you’re most afraid to share are the ones people connect with the most.

Timestamps

00:00 The song Nicole almost deleted
00:26 Introduction
01:31 Meet Nicole Alexis
03:04 Was emo really “just a phase?”
05:12 Growing up listening to Nirvana, Green Day & Paramore
07:12 Learning music from the age of five
10:19 The story behind Mirrors and Smoke
11:31 Living with ADHD as an artist
13:23 Learning every instrument
14:58 Hearing songs before they’re written
16:07 August Rush, Whiplash & musical inspiration
20:11 Nobody has it as figured out as it looks online
22:03 How social media changed Nicole’s music career
24:29 Is Mirrors and Smoke about healing or documenting life?
25:34 Will Nicole Alexis experiment with her sound?
26:02 The hardest song she’s ever had to finish
26:34 Why she almost deleted Find Another You
28:00 What she hopes listeners take away from her music
29:14 An underrated artist recommendation
30:22 Final thoughts

Have you ever almost given up on something before it became one of the things you’re most proud of? Let me know in the comments.

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