The start of every journey is a single step as it helps set the pace and motivates you to step out of your comfort zone. It also builds up your confidence, assisting you in overcoming the many obstacles along the way. For the now-celebrated artist Denim Nicole, this was a step she took 7+ years ago. At the time, Denim was only eleven years old, and it was quite a challenge to penetrate the industry considering the amount of competition in the scene. But Denim did not give up. She has worked her way to the top, becoming one of the fastest-growing young artists. So how did she achieve all this? She shares with us her incredible journey to the top.
Born in Minnesota, Denim has lived all over the US, including Atlanta, New York, Portland, and California, which is how she earned her love for different genres. Denim explains that she has loved and enjoyed listening to music from a young age and that it was everywhere around her. She recalls performing in front of her cousin and grandparents, which fuelled her passion, motivating her to dive deeper and learn more about the industry. This has also motivated her to work on becoming a better artist and touching as many people as she can with her sound.
Having to go through bullying in grade school and struggling to express her emotions, Denim found her escape in music, and she wanted to use her talent to create a safe space for everyone. She says that she aims to write music that is raw and timeless and that helps her relay the intended message perfectly.
As a young artist who has been through numerous challenges, Denim uses her songs to encourage others and spread love and positivity. She shows her listeners that failure is not the end of it all, and there is always a chance to get back up.
When Denim started her journey in the music industry, she had no one to guide her until a family friend listened to her song, “Done With These Bullies,” opening doors for the young dreamer. He realized Denim’s potential, and to help her, the friend introduced Denim to Donn Rob and OzTheWizard, who are well-known producers in the industry, having worked with the likes of Lil Durk, Juice Wrld, and The Kid Laroi.
This was a great experience for Denim, and she had the opportunity to rub shoulders with top artists. However, the excitement didn’t last long as the family friend held Denim’s masters following an unexpected pause in production. Her mom had to foot the bill for her studio recordings, which wasn’t in the original agreement. The label had signed too many artists and gone back on their agreement. The rug had been snatched from under them, but her tenacity and drive to succeed allowed her to overcome this.
She recalls that at one point, they all lived together, her sister, brothers, mother, and the producers, in a two-bedroom apartment that also acted as a studio as they couldn’t afford a bigger space. This is where she recorded her first song, “Gotta Move It,” which was unreleased, but she says this is one of their favorite things to look back on and smile at because this was the beginning of endless bonds. However, after the fallout with the ex-family friend and his refusal to release her music to her and the world took a toll on Denim. She became depressed and unmotivated, especially after losing all her prerecorded music. But Denim chose to fight back.
She worked on herself, investing in her dreams, and she was back in the game within no time. Denim Nicole has written and released several tracks, including her most popular single, “Lemonade,” which was released in August 2018 and has over 80K views on YouTube. She is also looking to release four songs this coming month as she prepares for her “Road to Fame” series.
