Nature, Love, and Celestial Bodies

Photographs and Interview by Rose Di Nardo

Los Angeles musician Nailah Hunter talks about exploring curiosity, emotional self-awareness, and how playing the harp keeps her humble and hopeful.

Los Angeles, USA

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO PLAYING THE HARP? WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT PLAYING IT?

I fell in deep, committed love with the instrument 10 years ago and have been playing it ever since. When I am feeling lost in sadness or indifference, I play my harp and it brings me back to center. Usually, I feel like I'm tapping into an energy that is very old while also exploring new territory. Playing the instrument well requires high levels of technical and energetic focus. The instrument demands hard work and gives back to you what you put into it, and that keeps me humble and hopeful. Over the years, playing harp has brought me to new levels of emotional self awareness. It has encouraged me to engage in daily routines that nurture my mind, body, and spirit. Strengthening my technical and spiritual relationship with the harp is a lifelong journey that I am so excited to take!

YOU RECENTLY RELEASED YOUR LATEST ALBUM, “SLEEPING SEA”. WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE MAKING IT?

I created “Sleeping Sea” in collaboration with Artificial Intelligence, so it was definitely a first for me! I recorded and sent over some sounds from the forest, along with my favorite voicings and textures on harp and synth to Endel Sounds. Then their AI gathered and arranged the parts into a sonic landscape. From there we developed the songs into the forms you hear on the record. I was surprised to find that I mostly enjoyed the initial decisions that the tech made with the sounds I provided, which got me thinking about the value of resynthesis and what it means to have AI involved in such a human thing as artmaking.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SOUND OF YOUR MUSIC?

I think it sounds nostalgic, exploratory, and generally chill - in vibe and temperature! Genre wise - maybe ambient / experimental? But the sound is ever changing.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROCESS WHEN CREATING NEW SONGS.

Recently, I've been writing a lot more standalone melodies with my bamboo flute. Flute of any kind holds an ancient, human quality of tone - deeply moving, the sound of home. Since I'm very new at playing this instrument, I find it easy to explore with curiosity and playfulness. Whatever bits that really shine in the dark, I engage and develop further on other instruments.