New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Nashville-based singer-songwriter Nina de Vitry is set to release her debut full-length album, What You Feel Is Real, independently on August 25, 2023. Soulful, jazz-tinged Americana colors her songs, which lounge on the fence between genres, transcending their bounds and honoring the sheer variety and depth of her musical training and melding multiple inspirations into a cohesive sonic scape. From staccato drum snaps and bright emphatic horns to dreamy piano fills and ethereal pedal steel, de Vitry takes the listener on a journey of the heart. Produced by de Vitry herself, the album was engineered and digitally edited by Shani Gandhi and Sam Leslie, mixed by Mike Newman, and mastered by Alan Silverman.
At its core, the record is a plea to open one's heart: to oneself, to others, and to the world, as well as a lesson in holding dualities without conflict. It brings forward messages of hope, while also affirming that the darkness and hardships that face us are still challenging and painful. "What we feel is real," de Vitry says. "What we love is real. And I think the more we all trust these inner voices, the closer we will get to both knowing ourselves and knowing a more loving and peaceful society."
At the beginning of the album, songs like "Wrong Thing" and "Don't Remind Me" acknowledge the human need to indulge in feelings that may not always completely serve us. The album then softens into themes of self-love and later expands into a series of love songs: one for her lover, one for her mother, and one for music itself. If one's heart has not yet unfurled during the previous tracks, "Open" will coax it to a place of vulnerability with its sorrowful melody and lush strings. The closing song and title track is the icing on the cake, with a sobering story of the writer's betrayal of her own heart. Though she knows trusting one's heart can be a constant battle, de Vitry hopes that the messages these songs carry can inspire self-love, mental health awareness, personal empowerment, and hope.
Several singles have been released in advance of the album, with accompanying videos for each of the songs. The first single, the aforementioned "Open," was released on May 12th, with the song premiering earlier that week at V13, who called it "a delicate song masterfully compiled… [a] breath of fresh air… de Vitry is a storytelling type of musician who also happens to be able to strand together some soulful and beautiful melodies." Says de Vitry, "This song is about not just our need to open ourselves to each other, but a message to open our minds and hearts in the face of all of the misinformation and distrust that our country and world is currently experiencing. It is my hope that we may all strive to open ourselves to our neighbors, open our minds to difficult conversations and new ideas, and open our hearts to ourselves and our planet." The video for the song premiered at The Bluegrass Situation on May 23rd.
The second single, "History," was released June 9th, with the song premiering the day before at Glide Magazine, who called the song "...dynamic and uplifting... a swooning work of soulful folk that is spellbinding in the way it pulls you inside... this talented vocalist lays down some serious vibes as she offers a poignant lyrical comment on our times. Nina de Vitry manages to command the room with this song while still giving us a song that feels warm and approachable, which may come from the gorgeous background harmonies and the brief flourish of horns." The song, written the day after the 2016 general election, is fueled by the divided political moment and de Vitry's feelings of fear and hopelessness. "At its core, the main theme of the song is about turning feelings of despair into action for change, and in doing so, to 'write history,'" says de Vitry. "It is not only a call to stand up for what you believe in, but to do so hand in hand with your neighbors." The video premiered on June 15th at XPN.org, who dubbed it "a pensive but ultimately uplifting song dressed in piano and horns, to remind listeners what it means to take a stand and shape your world."
The third single, "Being with Myself," a mantra and a map for self-care, was released on July 7th, and the song premiered earlier that week at Americana Highways, who called it a "suspenseful, reflective arrangement" and appreciated that "the lovely vocals of Nina de Vitry... crackle with deeply honest vulnerability." The fourth single, "Wrong Thing," was released on August 4th, and it premiered several days prior at Atwood Magazine, who wrote of the song: "...the radiant 'Wrong Thing' captures the Nashville-based singer/songwriter at her most energetic and emotive, singing hot on the mic as she channels a wealth of intense, intimate emotions into a cathartic eruption of groovy, glistening blue-eyed soul... Sultry and stirring... the track blends Americana and soul influences with bits of smooth jazz that serve to elevate an already entrancing experience."
From her first memories of late-night old-time and bluegrass jams around campfires, listening to her dad play with his Django jazz band, and her years of training in classical violin and piano, de Vitry has always been surrounded by song and inspiration. She began pursuing songwriting and production professionally when she wrote, recorded, and produced her first EP at the age of 20 years old. Entitled
Trust a Dream, the EP was a love letter to intuition and its power to change your life for the better. Steeped in the legacy of songwriters like
Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles, de Vitry's early songs reflected her natural inclination to swirl between the worlds of roots and jazz.
De Vitry's songwriting and musicianship have been recognized worldwide; she has twice been named a finalist in the jazz category of the
John Lennon International Songwriting Contest, and in 2023 she was bestowed an Honorable Mention in the Telluride Troubadour Contest. She has performed all over, from the smallest of private house concerts all the way to the stages of Philly Folk Fest and Lancaster
Roots & Blues.
De Vitry plans to tour in support of What You Feel Is Real; confirmed tour dates are listed below, and she will be adding shows to the schedule. Fans are encouraged to check de Vitry's website and social media for additional dates.
Nina de Vitry - 2023 Confirmed Tour Dates
August 24th - Tellus360 | Lancaster, PA
August 25th - World Café Live | Philadelphia, PA
August 26th - Groove | New York, NY
August 27th - Club Passim | Boston, MA
August 31st - Analog | Nashville, TN (album release show)
https://ninadevitry.lnk.to/wyfir
https://www.ninadevitry.com
