Sometimes it’s really all about taking the plunge towards success. Making a conscious decision to venture outside of anyone’s expectation and strive for something you’re really passionate about. Nina Las Vegas is no exception.

Striving for a passionate place in the music industry with her record label NLV Records and associated endeavours, Nina did just that. And honestly… she’s killing it. So it’s only right that Nina and her crew take the time to celebrate, and what better way to celebrate than to throw not one, but three parties throughout the country in celebration of a very successful year – kicking off with a show in Melbourne on Saturday with Swick, Lewis Cancut, Airmax 97 and more.

Thankfully, in the wake of what will be a string of incredible shows, Nina took the time to chat with Tone Deaf about the very foundation of her label, talking the talk, and what we can expect from the NLV parties.

“I was winding up at Triple J and I felt like there was a lot of music coming out of Australia that wasn’t getting represented in the way that it deserved”, Nina commented when asked about why she decided to begin her label NLV Records.

“Here in Australia, success often means getting played on the radio – that’s just not my background. I ended up on radio, but it’s not really where I came from. I just wanted to go back to putting out music that was meant for the clubs or for your jogging soundtrack or dancing at home or whatever. Because it doesn’t necessarily mean you need a vocalist or pretty chords, or stuff like that. Sometimes you have to push people to listen to different stuff”.

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In terms of what she looks for in welcoming an artist over to the NLV family, “I like challenging music and interesting stuff, sometimes tough sounds and dark club music, and I felt like that was getting lost”.

Taking a stance towards the mainstream, Nina is incredibly clear about her agenda for both her own music and the sound of her label, especially in terms of really prioritising the music. “It’s really easy to play it safe if you want to be popular… it’s really easy to mix something that generally might please everybody, but it might not please you, and that’s what I’m starting to notice.

“I kind of didn’t want to please everyone, I wanted to set up a little community that had a niche. Of course, I still want people to like the music we’re putting out – I definitely don’t want to isolate people”.

Talking more about the music she’s focusing on at the moment, as both an artist and with her label, Nina comments, “everything comes from a progression of something else… Pop music right now is getting weirder, and that’s because of the evolution of dance music. What I want to do with the label is push things even further to incorporate great pop elements and cool EDM elements to make something new and that’s what I’ve really always wanted to do”.

We definitely live in a world where people are often striving for that immediacy, and those newer to the industry will often excel at talking the talk, so to speak, but there are very few who are actually intent on putting these words into action. Always the exception to the rule, Nina believes, “in a world where so many people are talkers, it’s kind of nice to know and realise ‘hey, I actually did it’. I stuck to my guns and put out music and made a label. That alone is something that I’m really happy with”.

With this in mind, what are her current ambitions for 2017? “See, I’m a pretty impatient person, I wanted the label to be where it might be in ten years from now. But I think one year is great, we had a really busy first year, we put out seven or eight different releases and almost twenty tracks. When I look back at that and think ‘wow, half my set now is music I’ve released’ – that makes me so happy”.

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Looking more at measurable goals and projected trajectories, Nina muses further about 2017. “Songs come and go so quick, you have to give them life. I think in the next year I really want to make some sort of physical releases. Eventually it would be nice to have a print or a vinyl, so people can enjoy the music and that it can have a longer life”.

Back to the parties as Nina draws us back into the upcoming gigs. “I’m doing my first parties this year, and that’s the best thing. It’s acknowledging ‘yep, this is our end of year celebration for everyone involved”. The lineup includes the heavy hitters from NLV records such as Air Max ’97, Lewis Cancut, Swick, Strict Face and of course Nina herself as they head to Brisbane this Saturday followed by Melbourne and Sydney.

But, as Nina reveals, there’s more than just celebration on her mind as she comments, “I want to make sure we’re a physical presence as well.” Nina is so passionate about not only her brand but the music and artists that she gets to champion through her label, adding that “the best thing about music is that you want to be able to do what you love. Playing shows is such a gift and you want to be able to experience that”.

These parties are a chance for Nina and her crew to take the opportunity to really acknowledge their achievements, and there’s no better way than to charge through to 2017 than with a red hot bang.

Photo by: @w_i_l_k – Styling: @monoffeepie – Hair + Makeup: @desiree_wise – Production: @networkagency

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