Tag Archives: Nadja

Interview: Nadja

Nadja is a Canadian duo of Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff. Nadja started as a solo project of Aidan back in 2003 and later on 2005, Leah joined on board, making the band more active and performing live. The duo plays a lot of styles like shoegaze, dark drone, dark ambient and rock. As they were booked to Bucharest, I decided to attend the show and was no regret: it was amazing. But before the show, I had an interview with both Aidan and Leah which answered to my questions.

Hello to both of you Aidan and Leah, welcome here in Bucharest, how are you guys?
Aidan: We’re good, thanx having us here, is nice to be back!
Leah: We almost didn’t make it, but we did it!
Aidan: Yeah, there were some travel challanges getting here from Sofia.

I have discovered your music a few months ago when I was looking for new dark ambient bands, I checked on Nadja aswell and I have to say that you do a great music! You are a duo band from Canada and also from Germany, a band with a lot of elements: shoegaze, dark ambient, drone, what actually inspires you to do much music?
Aidan: We listen to a lot kinds of music, we try to take a little bit from different styles and make our own style.


You released around 20 albums, EP’s, Aidan you have your solo albums too which are a lot, I think Dagdrom is your best release so far, actually each album evolves and going through different directions, what makes you go on different music direction and not just one?
Aidan: Is our own interest in keeping ourselves interested…
Leah: We can’t do the same thing, are 10 years since we are playing and we can’t go the same way.
Aidan: Yeah, so we want to experiment to keep ourselves challanged.

As Sv album that is more into the rock direction and more groovy, that’s a nice album too! You collaborated with many people, one of those are Mac McNeilly (The Jesus Lizard) and Dorian Williamson, how was it to collaborate with them?
Aidan: There are two different extremes that we worked out. We never met Mac in person before, we did files sharing and talking online about working on the project and Dorian I’ve known for many years, we did everything in the studio and experimenting just playing in the studio.

What can you tell me about naming the band ”Nadja’’?
Aidan: When I started the project it was just me doing it in the studio, my name backwards spelled with a `j`, so it was kinda the idea that it was the opposite of me, but there are other refferences too.

I read an interview where you said “Set up a show and we will come“ . Is it difficult for you to get shows booked?
Aidan: No!
Leah: I think that is an old quote!
Aidan: But is still true I mean people were saying on facebook “Oh, come here, come there’’ and this is not a practical suggestion so when I say “Set up a show and we will come“ it’s more telling people that talk to your local promoters and maybe we can talk and make it happen, we also travelled a lot of different places, some places are not usual for touring bands, but is great we can do that.

But do you prefer the indoors shows or outdoors ones, like festivals.
Aidan: Indoors are usually better for us. We’ve played festivals but the sound is too difused so it can be lost in the open air.

Are you in the making of a new album?
Aidan: Yes, we just finished up a new album and we are ready for the production the fall of this year.


I’m looking forward to it! Do you consider newcomers to your music can find it difficult to listen to your music for the 1st time?
Aidan: That’s hard to say! Depends where they’re coming from, some people are used with this style of music and is not surprising and some find it completely tough.

Where will you be playing further after Bucharest?
Aidan: Tomorrow we’ll play in Timisoara and then the next day in Cluj Napoca, then we are home for a few weeks, then we’ll have a short tour in Spain and by summer we’ll be in Canada for a few shows, we don’t generate to play a lot in the summer.

That’s interesting! Can’t wait to see you on stage! Since discovered your music and seeing you will come and play here I was “Nice, I have to attend this show“. It was my pleasure taking with you. Thank you!
Aidan: Hope you’ll enjoy! Thank you!