Review Fix Exclusive: Nia C. C. Williams Talks ‘Monsters’ And More

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Nia C. C. Williams about her origin in music, new single and so much more.

Review Fix: How did the project start?

Nia C. C. Williams: My new single “Monsters” came about almost exactly a year ago now. It was at the height of the pandemic and I was re-reading one of my favorite series, Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan’s because it was announced that it was going to be a Disney+ television show. At that time I was writing multiple songs a day, and I think I tweeted some thing like what are the odds that I write a song about Percy Jackson, and people responded that I should, and so I did. So I ended up posting the song with just me and my guitar on all my social media pages, and that’s when Becky Riordan, Rick Riordan’s amazing wife, posted on her social media page The song started to gain some traction. Flash forward a few months and I began working with Animal Farm and we decided that it should be the first single we released, so we worked on it for a while and here we are. So, it’s been fun to have that connection with other Percy Jackson fans through the song. I’m really excited to see where it goes. 

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Williams: For me the creative process is always changing, which is what makes it fun. I don’t have one way of writing a song, which can sometimes make things harder when I go to collaborate with people, but it keeps me on my toes. Sometimes it begins with a melody in my head for a chorus, but sometimes it begins with me saying something in real life and realizing I want to make it into a song. My friends often joke that you can’t go a day without hearing me say “it’s a song!” For example, my song “Girlfriend” came about because I was complaining to my sister that I was sick of being called a friendzoned and called “friend girl” by the guy I liked. I began yelling about jokingly it in typical Nia fashion and and exclaimed “I don’t want to be your friend girl, I wanna be your girlfriend!” And after a laughing for a few beats I screamed “that’s a song!” And ran over to my guitar to write “Girlfriend” where the lyrics to hook are “I wanna be your girlfriend.” While that’s how that song came about, again, I’m always getting new ideas for songs from different things whether it be through real life, books, or melodies that come about in my dreams. 

Review Fix: What’s your standout song? How was it written?

Williams: I don’t know if I have a stand out song overall since I think it’s always changing, but I say that right now my stand out song is probably Monsters since it’s so fresh and new. It was such a fun project to work on and it was such a fun song to write because the song is truly inspired by Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, but also just by Greek Mythology and adventuring in general. I’ve always wanted to be the chosen one and go on a great adventure and kill monsters and have magical powers and everything in between, and for me, writing Monsters was really just a way of me exploring that world.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2021?

Williams: I have a lot of goals for 2021 that I’m really excited about. I’m moving to Los Angeles soon so that will be a really fun transition, and I’m excited to dive in the music industry there. I’m also planning on releasing a lot of new music whether it be recorded singles, or just acoustic videos. I always say that writing is like a diary for me and I have so many songs that I’ve written that people haven’t even heard yet so I’m excited to catch people up to speed. I’m also really excited to begin performing live again, that’s something I really missed over the pandemic, i’m excited to be back on the stage with my guitar and in front of a live audience and rocking together. Lastly like most artists and songwriters I’m just excited to keep writing and singing music in general and building following and making more connections with people, doing what I love. That’s really what it’s all about.

Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?

Williams: Songwriting is like a diary for me. It’s the outlet where I’m able to be my full authentic self and tell my story, whether it be about Disney World or heartbreak. And as someone who tends to live in this world with a lot of passion and feelings, I have a lot of stories to tell with a lot of different messages. That said, I would say the through-line in my music is not necessarily the content I’m singing about, but who I am as an artist. As a Black woman in America playing the guitar and singing genres that are often times predominantly white, my message is that of reclamation. Claiming space where many Black artists have been pushed out of, and being a voice that brings us into this more diverse and inclusive stage in the music industry. So whether I’m singing about a break up, or explicitly singing about racial inequality or sexism, it’s important to me that my audience is able to walk away more empathetic, more joyful, or even more supportive about a more inclusive society, no matter how subtle and subconscious that may be. That’s the impact and importance of storytelling and songwriting to me. Not just the story being told, but the importance of who is telling it. 

Review Fix: What’s next?

Williams: That’s always such a scary question because it feels like the future is always changing. Right now, my plan is to continue chasing song-writing and singing as full heartedly as I can, keep releasing new music, and start performing more sets to build a fan base. I also see a lot more recording in my future which makes me really excited, and pushes me out of my comfort zone of just singing songs with my guitar live. Nonetheless, no matter what the future holds, singing and songwriting will always be a part of my life.