Nomi Ruiz, singer of Hercules and Love Affair, helped bring a disco revolution across the world last year. She played every major festival, sold out shows before the band had even released a record, and their song "Blind" was featured on the Chanel runway. I meet Nomi in Williamsburg's infamous Roebling Tea Room to try and catch up on her latest endeavours.
Maria Zazovsky: Well, we can't really have an interview with you and not ask about Hercules and Love Affair. It's been almost a year since the release of your debut album and from what I gather it's been a busy year for you. So how has the last year been for you?
Nomi Ruiz: It's been a lot of fun! It's been really busy but I love the work... I love being on the road; it's where I feel the most comfortable and more like myself.
M: If you had to choose, what would be your highlight of the past year?
N: Definitely when we performed for Chanel at the Mobile Art Show exhibit. That was pretty amazing. Especially seeing Karl Lagerfeld in front of you when you're performing. He is so awesome.
M: And you were also part of the Antony and the Johnsons "Turning" Tour. You were one of thirteen New York beauties to have their image captured and projected as a backdrop by Charles Atlas, whilst slowly turning on stage. What was it like working with Antony?
N: That was so, so amazing. It was truly something very special but it felt really surreal. I just felt something very spiritual when working with him. It was really fun watching him work for the first time because I've always seen him perform. But being able to sit there during sound check, and see him directing everything... it was like a multimedia. I don't know if you saw the show but there were videos, lights and so much going on. Just watching him and being able to be in tune with everything, was really cool.
M: You got to collaborate with him on some of your songs on the Hercules record as well, didn't you?
N: Yeah, we sang "You Belong" together.
M: Who influenced you to create the music you play and write now?
N: Growing up I listened to a lot of Hip Hop and R&B... So I would say Mary J Blige, Biggie Smalls, Faith Evans... And now I listen to a lot of Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, Lauren Hill, Glass Candy. Lately I've been listening to lot of dance music... I guess I've got the bug!
M: What made you want to go into the dance scene and play that type of music? Was it something that happened in particular and you realised or was it something that was just natural for you?
N: I never really thought about it. Before Hercules and Love Affair I was working with a lot of Hip Hop, R&B and Soul music. I knew Andy [Butler] but we never thought of making music together because we both made such different music... and then Antony said, "why don't you just work together?" And then... yeah, it was just so easy. I adapt well to all kinds of music, as long as it's good music, and the producers and the writers are good. So it was just easy for me. I've been around it so much that I'm really sensitive to my own musical environment. Doing the dance stuff is so much fun.
M: I can imagine. Have you always known you wanted to perform?
N: Yeah, yeah always! Since I was a child. I've been writing since I was a kid, I have recordings from when I was twelve, that's when I started working in the studio.
M: What was your solo album "Lost in Lust" about?
N: That record was super personal. It was about growing up in Brooklyn and the things I was going through at that time I guess. I was going through a lot back then, I am such a different person now. I was really lost. It was about discovering your confidence and finding out who you are and what you do. All those stories build you and finding your way out of that, being confident on your own, was generally what the record was about.
M: Do you think you will release another solo album?
N: For sure. Right now I'm working on another project with another band.
M: Deep Red?
N: Yep. So I'm doing that right now. We have a single coming out soon with some remixes and stuff and we are in the process of recording our album.
M: Do you know when the album will be finished? Or when you hope it will be finished?
N: It should be by the summer time, we're hoping anyway!
M: I've read that often in interviews, Andy refers to Hercules as his "baby". Is Deep Red your child, or personal project?
N: It's more me, and there's Morgan and Andrew who are also a part of Hercules, we work really closely together. We do all our writing together, so almost like the three of us had a baby together! So, it's our baby, I really love those guys. The moment we got into the studio it was like (she clicks her fingers), so fluid. They're really talented.
M: Are you writing music for the same audience as Hercules and Love Affair?
N: Yeah, some parts. Other parts are also a lot more Hip Hop and R&B but a lot of it is dance and pop music. It goes a lot of different ways. Some parts are a little slower, there are some soul parts with just piano and strings. We're experimenting a lot right now. I think we do like to keep the energy up since we've been doing dance music and performing it is so much fun! To get the people in the crowds dancing is amazing.
M: How did you decide to form Deep Red?
N: We were on the road and I knew they produced music and they knew I wrote. We were just curious to see what we could do together. I gave them a demo of this thing I did, and as soon as we got home to New York we didn't really take a break, we just went straight back into the studio... we banged out that song in about day!
M: Do you have a particular process when you sit down and write songs?
N: I write a lot. I used to write to pre-produced music for example with my first record. All these producers gave me songs and I just wrote over that. Then I picked up the guitar and started writing with that.... There are so many different ways in which you can write. With Deep Red we do a lot of our writing together, so Andrew will play a bass line and then Morgan and I will start improvising and it all comes together.
M: You had your first show as Deep Red at (Le) Poisson Rouge, here in New York, at the end of January. How did that go?
N: It was so awesome! It was really shocking to see it come about so fast. The people who showed up, you could see they were having so much fun too. They were so supportive.
M: Do you like playing in your home city?
N: Yeah, for sure. It's always challenging because in New York everybody is so wrapped up in their own world. Everyone is so busy running around they often don't even have time to go to shows. So it's really challenging to get people out, and then get them to listen and have that much fun. For our first show, to see that...it was really cool.
M: You've travelled all over the world, do you have a favourite place or country to play shows?
N: It's always fun playing here because it's our hometown so we always get a good crowd. Glasgow was incredible; the energy there was intense. I was so shocked! It was this little club and I remember singing "Blind" and at one point I started jumping up and down, and the whole audience started to jump in sync with me. These kids were so into it! I've never experienced energy like that.
M: What did you think when you played London?
N: London feels a little bit like New York to me. It was fun. For Hercules and Love Affair, it felt like it was the home ground for it almost. We played Fabric, and oh my God! I didn't leave that whole night, just partied so much! It was the way clubs used to be like in New York.
M: Are you back on tour soon?
N: Yeah, with Deep Red we're going to Europe again and to London in May I think. Then Germany and maybe Greece. We may do some pre-parties or after parties for some of the summer festivals as well.
M: You played Glastonbury last year, what did you think?
N: I was so not ready for all the mud! I wasn't even prepared, no one warned me! People kept asking me, "did you bring wellies?" and I was like, "what's wellies?!" Then we get there, and it all became clear. I literally sat in the van all day.
M: Did you manage to explore at all when you were there?
N: No! The crazy thing about touring is that they drive you there, you have about two hours and hopefully you get some food, go do the show, get back in the car and get out. If we're lucky we have a day off... I had a fun time in Brighton, there was a really good festival there. We got to spend the whole day, which was fun.
M: The past year seems like it's been a major high for you. Have you had any low points at all?
N: There was a low point. It was actually at Rockness Festival. It was kind of funny though... I think I was just so wasted that day and I didn't realise. We were partying before we got to the venue and I was asking, "Is this a big show? Is this an important one? Does it matter that we're kind of partying?" and everyone was like, "oh it's fine, whatever, don't worry". So we get there, and it's this huge stage, with screens either side of it. I thought, "You're kidding me!" I'm already wasted. Anyway, I was planning on wearing this really sexy dress under this other dress. It was a House of Field dress that was all revealed up the sides, and I wore this nude underwear so it looked like I was just wearing that on it's own. So I get on stage and there are cameras on cranes, swooping around, swooping under! It was so crazy, I had shades on because I was like, drunk. Then I'm performing, performing, and I rip the dress I have on top, off. I was dancing and the dress was so short, I didn't realise, and the cameras are swooping underneath! We thought the show was amazing though, saying how great it was and stuff. Then we were asked to approve the DVD from the show for television and we watched it... and the whole time the camera is under my dress! And I've got that nude underwear so it looks like I'm completely naked! From the audience and the screens too. I'm surprised we didn't get arrested! I was so shocked, I was like "We're not approving this footage!!"
M: Oh my goodness! That's so mean! Although the way you tell it, it's a pretty funny story. Something that you can at least learn to laugh about later...
N: Yeah, throughout the show I was wondering why all the guys on the front row were going crazy! Now I know!
M: You said earlier that you're working on your first album with Deep Red, do you know what that record is about yet, does it have a theme?
N: I do all the writing, the lyrics and stuff so I always write from a really personal place. It all turns out to be reflective of what I'm going through and what I'm feeling. Right now it kind of feels like a really sexy, tough girl album. But it's really dark too.
M: I'm dying to know how you came up with the name "Deep Red" for your band? It's so appropriate to the sound you guys create.
N: It's actually the name of a movie. When we were on the road, all me, Morgan and Andrew would do is watch horror movie, after horror movie, after horror movie. We were obsessed! Really into blood and gore, I don't know what got into us! One of the guys in the crew, Mick, had the most amazing horror movie collection. So we got into Dario Argento, those Italian horror movies - and we practically saw the whole catalogue. Our favourite was this one called "Profondo Rosso" which is "Deep Red" in Italian.
M: The title for our third issue is "The Original", what does the word "original" mean to you?
N: I think for me it's one of a kind, and raw. Something in it's raw element. I always try and think of that too, even when I'm making music. I try not to listen to other people's music at all. When we're doing a record, literally all I would only listen to our demos. Because I'm so sensitive... I remember I went through this phase of only listening to folk music. Then I started making folk music. It was beautiful but I felt so lost in my influence. Now I just listen to what we're doing, so whatever we put out, comes from our core.
M: Is New York a good place to be expressive and original?
N: New York is a good place to be original because everyone is so free. Everyone kind of does their own thing. I went to art school, so there it was extreme! People were coming to school in white wigs, cat suits and six-inch heels! That school totally had an original vibe. It was based on 23rd St in Manhattan, so kids came there from the Bronx, from Queens, from Brooklyn, from Jersey and Staten Island. So all these kids from all over the city were there, and there was a beautiful mix of everyone with their own style. Everyone felt free to do what he or she wanted.