Overview

Hi, my name is Nire Nah. I'm a singer-songwriter from Chicago and this is my Plaid Dog Crowdfunding Campaign for my upcoming studio album.

I started singing and performing in early childhood - I had some incredibly enthusiastic supporters in my family and at school, and performing became a major part of my identity very rapidly.

Offstage, though, I struggled tremendously with my mental health, all throughout my youth. Those issues really started to take over in high school, and just completely swallowed me up in college. At that point I stopped performing - it just wasn’t part of who I was. I was a person in pain, and there really wasn’t room for anything else.

HOWEVER - I never stopped creating. The more lost I felt, the more I turned to art as a way of picking up the pieces and putting them back together into something I could find safety in.

My older brother had given me this big blue acoustic guitar when I first started college, and once I’d learned a decent handful of chords on it, I started writing songs.

Before that point, I didn’t really have a voice of my own. I could sing like a lot of different people, but I couldn’t sing like ME. But songwriting gave me a direct channel to my own voice, which turned out to be very honest and vulnerable and real. I think my songs know me better than I do. Now when I’m performing, it’s always as myself

Music has held my hand through every challenge I’ve faced in life - from depression, addiction, and self-harm through seven years of sobriety, recovery, and self-acceptance. It’s been a way to connect with other people and stay connected with myself. But the pandemic really rocked that foundation and I’m once again going through a process of picking up the pieces. Thankfully, that process has changed quite a bit - less helpless, more hopeful.

This campaign is raising funds for a concept album called Filly’s Nest, which contains some of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written. It’s my first attempt at a concept album - a collection of songs that connect together to from a cohesive narrative.

This campaign is raising funds to turn Filly’s Nest into a professionally recorded album with Ryan Gallagher in Boston, MA. Ryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Over the past year, I’ve been developing the arrangements here in Chicago with pianist James Allen. Now, Ryan, James and I are digging into those arrangements as a team, enriching them with new elements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life.

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Sisyphean Strategy,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Sisyphean Strategy" on my own, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Ryan, James, and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

It's hard to express how much this project would change my life.

Like many artists, I’ve faced some big internal obstacles since 2020 tornadoed through our lives. I’ve found myself stuck and stifled behind barriers I don’t fully understand, for so much longer than I expected. In a sense, I’m still trying to break through the wall that COVID built and feel like a musician again. Filly’s Nest would be my first major creative accomplishment since before the pandemic, and I really feel that these songs reflect how significant and hard-won that milestone feels.

My previous two releases, Coeur Age and Everything Stands Back Up, were both reflections of a very urgent battle to reverse my self-destructive trajectory and find the strength to start building a life. Over time, that life-building has evolved into life-living. This album is about the challenges of life-living.

For me, that challenge is mostly about working to heal an inner narrative that still skews negative by default. It’s a manageable load, but it grows heavier as the losses, fears, and disappointments of living - and aging - in this troubled world continue to add up. This album is about the quest for optimism and a deeper acceptance of what is, what has been, and what will be.

As a concept album, Filly’s Nest is my opportunity to share a very personal deep-dive in a new way. Together, these songs and their themes make a story, which I want to tell not just musically, but visually and narratively. Music and visual art are always competing priorities in my life - with your help, I’ll be able to merge the sights and sounds into one project and explore a new mode of expression.

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.