I saw Nia Wyn perform various open mics over a decade ago now, her unmistakable voice with a powerful rasp, always stood out. Since then she has grown as an artist, working with Paul Weller and developing her sound on stage and in the studio and across a string of releases. Her songs are scorched with personal experiences and framed in a soul-inspired sound anchored in her love of Northern Soul, and the releases coming out of Philadelphia, Memphis and Detroit in the 60s and 70s. Growing up in a small town in North Wales, Nia struggled with mental illness, isolation and confusion around her identity, taking solace in old records she found and playing guitar in her room.
Her brilliant debut album Pleasure To Have In Class showcases Nia’s strong influences of mid-century soul, but shot through with a modern twist. Wyn’s vivid storytelling and reflective lyricism is framed in Motown and Stax-inspired arrangements dashed with bountiful brass and soul melodies, her unmistakable vocals, are laced with emotive power and a cry for understanding. Nia writes, produces and sings songs about modern issues: being queer, the hard times young people face in the UK, mental health and neurodivergence.
She says: I am so proud to have my debut LP coming out – it’s a record of self-reflection and discovery, written after being diagnosed as autistic later in life. I hope the album touches people in some way. Inspired by the music I’ve been obsessed with since childhood, ‘A Pleasure To Have In Class’ really feels like coming full circle back to those influences that got me making music in the first place, and a true showing of who I am as an artist and human being. ” We sent Nia some questions to find out more about her work, life and inspirations:
Hi Nia, how are you today?
Very well thank you! Hope you are too.
I remember seeing you play years ago acoustically how do you think your work has grown and changed since you played solo acoustic sets?
To be honest I think it’s come full circle – when I first started out I was so influenced by music of the 50s, 60s and 70s, storytelling focused songs. I think my style has evolved over the years and landed back to the roots of my influence which feels great. I still play some solo acoustic sets but I do enjoy a full band performance as it brings the songs to life in the best way.
How would you describe your music in five words?
Soulful, honest, mid-century but modern
A few years ago you worked with Paul Weller and at his studio what was that like?
Ah, it was fantastic. Paul is lovely, down to earth guy and it was an incredible experience to work with him. We’ve spoken recently about getting back into the studio together this year if there’s time.
Can you tell us when you recorded your new album ‘A Pleasure To Have In Class’ and where? The brass is particularly lovely. Who played it?
I recorded it across the past year really, a lot of it was recorded at my home studio, a few other home studios and Hackney Road Studios too. A few people played brass across the album – Joseph Oti played trumpet on Your Team, Nothing Good (Ever Comes From Dreaming) and Loves Me Not, then on Paranoid and Bring The Rain Arran Kent played sax, Mike Soper on trumpet. I was thrilled to have instruments like brass and strings on the record, to give rich, layered instrumentation that is so apt for the sound I was aiming for.
Your new single ‘It’s My Business’ features Grammy-nominated The Harlem Gospel Travelers, how did that collaboration happen? What inspired the track?
Edbl and I had co-wrote the song off the back of a breakbeat sample we didn’t end up using for a totally different track. The lyrics were inspired by the senseless and tragic loss of young trans lives to hate crime and suicide.
I contacted the Harlem Gospel Travelers (I was already a fan after their ‘Look Up’ album), and the message of the song really resonated with them – they were keen to work with a fellow queer artist. They recorded their part in Hive Mind in New York. It’s been a collaboration that turned into a transatlantic friendship.
Your press release mentions that you were diagnosed with autism as an adult. How do you think this shapes you and your creativity as a person?
I think it helps me focus more intensely on things I’m heavily interested in – music has always been a special interest of mine. Once I’m stuck into something though, I can lose track of time (and other tasks) which can be a challenge. Whilst I do struggle with sensory overload, there’s a lot to be said for how stimulating it can be, in a beautiful way.
A lot of autistic people are, contrary to stereotypes, hyper empathetic (particularly women and nb people). I do think my empathy helps me to connect to other people’s stories and experiences, and that does influence my songwriting.
I hear echoes of Northern Soul through the record, especially on a record like ‘Bring the Rain’ and ‘Loves me Not’, what is it about that sound and period that inspires you? Do you have five favourite records from that period?
My dad is a big Northern Soul fan, so I grew up hearing those records in the house. We send each other songs all the time now, and I always feel accomplished when I manage to find something he hasn’t heard!
I love the obscurity of some of the US records – how they didn’t get their due at the time, then got a second wind from an audience that hadn’t been the initial target market necessarily but became absolutely obsessed with it. I like the uptempo tracks but I’m also a big fan of slower songs too.
Forever changing, but here’s a few current ones in rotation
I Don’t Wanna Cry – The After Hours
Take Up The Slack – The Soul Children
I Believe In Miracles – Mark Capanni
Put Your Hands Together – The Ojays
When You Call Me Baby – Joey Hetherington
‘Nothing Good ever comes from dreaming’ is excellent, I love the sway and how it captures that bittersweet feeling of reaching for your dreams despite the barriers placed in the way of being creative or artistic
Thank you. That’s a really interesting interpretation and is so true in the music industry. I was having a lot of nightmares around the time I wrote this song, and most of those nightmares were around my OCD and intrusive thoughts leaking into dreams to torment me. I wanted the sound of this track to feel a bit like a 50s-inspired waltz with the brass, glockenspiel and strings playing a major role in creating that dreamy effect.
You mention your despair at the culture wars that are going on? Do you think social media is part of how people are divided now?
Yes and no. It is definitely a crucial tool to movements that wish to divide us, and I think people really underestimate the ability of discriminatory and hateful tweets they send anonymously to incite hate crime. It’s all on the same spectrum and can lead to people feeling emboldened, taking action into their own hands. On the other hand, social media has had an incredible part to play in raising the visibility of marginalised groups and bringing people together, making them feel less alone and creating online support systems. A double edged sword, as they say.
What’s on your playlist?
Constantly changing, but here’s a couple from my ‘Latest Inspirations’ playlist…
Since I’ve Been Knowing You – Jeremie Albino
Not Too Cool To Cry – Renaldo Domino
Don’t Like You Anymore – Tanika Charles
Are there any Welsh acts exciting you currently?
I love how Sage Todz is using Cymraeg in his music – making music in underrepresented genres in Welsh language music is super important. A lot of Welsh language acts tend to be pop, folk, indie, rock – so it’s great to see it branching out. It’s on my list to write more songs in Welsh too, had my first dabble in a previous song ‘I Know I Should Call More’ where the bridge was in Welsh.
You have some tour dates coming up in September. What’s your set-up like, do you have a full band?
I do, and I’m very excited for it. I’ll be performing with a full band for the UK dates, and taking it solo to the EU shows.
Pleasure to have in class is out now.
UK and EU tour in September 2025
