Anika Nilles (Nevell) - On The Record
“Something changed. It was a heavy time.”
Anika Nilles has built quite an impressive career for herself over the last six years or so. Her profile blossomed into international status almost overnight with the release of “Wild Boy” on YouTube. From there, she has gained considerable exposure and has been in high demand for clinics and other educational platforms, such as Drumeo. It could be argued that Anika was one of the main influencers on the popularity of quintuplet phrasings but also disguised them well to make these odd-phrasing ideas approachable and musical.
This was the second interview opportunity that I have had with Anika. The first was over two years ago where we spoke over Skype while she was home on a quick break. It was amazing to have her on the podcast but also quite disappointing to me personally due to the outcome of the audio I recorded. It was compromised heavily due to static and other noise that I couldn’t remove from the recording. I have always been a bit upset by that. However, this episode sounds quite good and the conversation is so much more compelling than the first one we had. I feel like I got the interview with Anika that I always wanted.
Anika opens up here. She discusses things that she has never discussed publicly and perhaps to an even further extent, at all. I am very thankful that she was so willing to be transparent and honest about her career, the obstacles that have been challenging and the things that still trouble her to this day.
You Will Hear About….
- Stage fright
- Needing control
- Anika’s thoughts on musical freedom
- What really happened on October 18, 2017’s announcement
- Anika’s objectives right now
- Looking on the bright side
- American influence on European drummers
- How viable is the online influencer option today?
- Does Anika know how to future proof her career?
- The best nights of music aren’t always the ones you thought were great at the time.
Why Should You Listen?
This is the interview you have never heard before. In fact, I was in disbelief after the interview just how open Anika was. I pushed a bit into territory that was a bit vulnerable for her but she didn’t shy away from the questions. She really put herself out there in an honest and transparent way. Anika has a lot of fans who see her as a deeply inspiring drummer and personality and the things she discussed with me will likely end up furthering that feeling for her fans. She is an exemplary person who shows us that the top level professionals have fears too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1AtfdNKYug
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