BY IRVIN RIVERA

American Singer songwriter COURTNEY PAIGE NELSON is confidently singing about her inner thoughts, internal conflicts and relatable social anxieties in her latest single, SELF MEDICATE. The pop-rock, alternative single not only packs a lot of punch and emotions, but also allows the audience to take a peek at Nelson’s world- a world that’s not afraid to experiment. She’s unapologetic and more than willing to push the envelope further to develop and evolve her sound.

Being part of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 23 ushered her to the spotlight that allowed her to develop a platform for music and songwriting.

She’s been writing all her life, but it was only the past couple of years that she is fully able to create and express herself through music. In 2019, Courtney entered the music scene as a full-fledged singer songwriter, further expanding her horizons, acquiring more musical knowledge and experience throughout the process.  

Courtney she writes for Sync, along with multiple features and cuts for and alongside otherartists. Including a remix of her song Saved Myself by the DJ trio Brohug which charted at1 in Denmark! Her single ‘Sick For You’ with WolfPlayer and Creek racked up 150,000 playsin less than a week of release.

In this exclusive interview, read on and discover Courtney Paige Nelson’s fluid pop music, her diverse taste in music, how much she miss physical interactions, expanding her musical knowledge and experiences, on working hard and her dream to win a Grammy.

Hi Courtney, how are you?

I’m great! I’m happy to be here being interviewed by your magazine. I’ve always loved this publication.

As a creative artist, how are you navigating this crazy world right now?

Right now I feel like where I live, it’s not as crazy so it feels a bit like it did pre-pandemic (minus the masks). I think the only thing that is different is touring, and doing sessions in person. A lot of my sessions are still on Zoom which I’ve gotten used to. I do however miss being in a room with a bunch of people. There’s something about being in person that you can’t recreate through a virtual writing session. I miss human connection a lot.

What’s the story behind your song “Self Medicate?”

I wrote Self Medicate about having social anxiety going out, especially when really you want to just stay at home and ‘sleep all day.’ After the pandemic, I’ve become a lot less inclined to put on makeup and dress myself up to make an impression. The pressure of that and wanting to just stay at home was amplified. I think people’s social anxiety got amplified post-pandemic (At least for me, it did) and I wanted to capture that in my writing. There’s a line in the song that says ‘my TV is asking if I’m still watching’ and that completely captures everything about the pandemic- the stress of going out after, and the depression that happened or maybe is still there. I know everyone at least once, has had Netflix on for too long and it asks you if you’re still watching because you’ve been unresponsive.

What’s your process whenever you write songs and create music?

I get asked this a lot. What my process is… and truth be told, I don’t have one haha. I call myself a wordsmith because I can write lyrics quickly. It’s the one thing I can truly say I’m good at. I have this thing called Hyperphantasia and it basically means I see very vivid imagery in my head. So when I write songs, I create whole movies and bring a story to life in my head which helps me build songs. It’s really cool haha.

How would you describe your music and sound?

I think my sound is very fluid. It’s Pop for sure, but it Dark Pop, it’s Electro-Pop, it’s Rock-Pop. I want to be able to be fluid with my sound because my music taste is very broad. I plan on releasing an EP down the road, that’s completely different from anything I’ve done/what people would expect of me. I’m just not sure if I’ll do it under an alias name or not.

Which artists/band/music influences your sound?

My taste in music is EXTREMELY broad. I listen to everything- I listen to a lot of music that doesn’t represent what I make at all. I think musically, with what I make, I like artists that use a lot of different sounds in their songs. Hidden Easter eggs- I call them. The artist Au/Ra does that a lot. There’s also the artist Carlie Hansen that I listen to a lot. I got into her music because of the songwriting and the production she uses. Obviously I’m a pop artist, but I want to push the envelope a bit whether its Easter egg sounds in the production, or songwriting that is dark or unusual.

Where do you get your inspirations from?

I find inspirations a lot from my own life experiences. Since I have Hyperphantasia I can create movies, ideas, in my head and build off of that. I also like to push the boundaries and make lyrics out of a personal perspective that isn’t my own. Maybe a stranger, a friend, etc... You can build a story off of anything if you can connect emotionally to what you’re building.

How did your music journey begin?

I have an extremely unconventional route with music. I spent my whole life not knowing what I was supposed to do in this world. Prior to music, I was a very lost person who felt like I didn’t have purpose. I’ve been on my own since 17; no siblings, no family support. I didn’t have a ‘structure’ to help me know what I could provide the world and accomplish. So when music found me, everything clicked for the first time in my life. I finally felt purpose and everything made sense. The path I was given to get to where I am made sense. If I had found my gift early on, I wouldn’t have the life experience to help pave the way for my writing. I wouldn’t be ‘seasoned’ enough to appreciate how amazing it is to find purpose in what you do. Music saved my life, that might sound cliché but it’s the honest truth. I tried to take my own life in 2018 after going through a terrible breakup and having that bring up a lot of childhood trauma I never dealt with. When I was in treatment for a month, I made a promise to myself that I would start my music journey. Fast forward to now and look where I am? It’s kind of remarkable honestly.

What do you think is the best lyric/song that you’ve made so far and why?

I think the best song I’ve made so far is ‘Senses’ because of the lyrical content. I wrote it about the 5 senses and how they get triggered when you’re in the process of losing someone. So I tried to fit things like sight, sound, taste, touch, into each section of the song. I have a lot of new music coming out and that has some of my best lyrics to date, but I don’t want to give that away just yet haha.

What are the highs and the lows of your career so far?

I think something recent that was a very big high for me, was about the song I wrote and top lined for some Brazilian DJs that hit over half a million in less than a month! That was a pretty big milestone for me as an independent artist. I’ve been able to connect with a lot of people over the pandemic and wrote so many good songs that I can’t wait to have more come out. Some are for other artists that I can’t talk about. Overall, I’ve had a lot of great things musically happen to me this year that I’m grateful for. In terms of lows, I don’t know if I have many because I think everything happens for the reason it’s supposed to. Whether it is opportunity that fell through, or songs that never made it out, everything happens for a reason, so I try not to question it.

How were you able to rise up to the challenges?

When something comes up as challenging, I try to remember how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time. People forget I’ve only been in this industry since 2019, and released my first song January 2020 which is wild, to think about. I’ve been a writer all my life but not in this industry. So everything happened VERY fast which is why I believe in fate because it doesn’t make sense how I got here.

Aside from music, what else keeps you busy?

I’m a workaholic so working on music or anything that progresses me is what I like to do. I love experiencing new things, whether it’s a restaurant, going to a museum, or traveling somewhere new. I am very much a spontaneous person in the sense. I’ll wake up deciding I want to book a flight somewhere and go on vacation for 48 hours lol. I’ll buy random concert tickets and call a friend to let them know they have to be ready in an hour. So my interests are very broad. I like hiking and camping a lot. I’m a big fan of arts and crafts as well.

How do you keep your music fresh?

I like to make sure I listen to a lot of different music and I pay close attention to the production so I can take that sound and build off of an idea with the producer. EDM has been a big part of my life for 13 years so it’s a genre that I listen to a lot. I like looking at those sounds and bringing it into my music even if it’s subtle. I think in order to expand yourself as an artist you have to expand your taste in music- listing to all genres and using it to your advantage.

What’s the big goal for Courtney Paige Nelson?

My big goal is to win a Grammy, whether for my artist project or writing for someone. I want to have a Grammy in my possession more than anything else. A smaller goal is to play Outside Lands music festival. It’s the music festival in San Francisco where I’m from. It’s also the first music festival I ever attended and I want to be up on that stage looking out at people with the same excitement I had watching back then. To have that experience come full circle sounds like a dream. Also working with James Blake, and singing live for a major DJ at a festival like EDC on a track I wrote for them.

Is there any advice that you can provide to any aspiring creative individual who wants to break into the industry and establish themselves as a business?

Work harder. If you aren’t working as hard as your team, you’re holding yourself back. It’s not an easy business and you can’t get discouraged because hard work does pay off. It just takes time a discipline to accomplish. Also, don’t be afraid of working a normal job while you make your dreams come true. Too many artists are ‘embarrassed’ to work at a restaurant or any 9-5 because they think it’s below them. There’s nothing wrong with making money, I personally don’t want to be a starving artist so I work a restaurant job as well as work on my music career. You have to fund it somehow.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

I would be my favorite poetry book ‘Pillow Thoughts’ if you haven’t read it, check it out!