EQUATE Meets Nova Miller
If you’re partial to scrolling through social media, it’s highly likely that you’ve come across this Scandinavian sweetheart. TikTok royalty Nova Miller unveils her EP ‘The Passion’, featuring single ‘Girls Like Us’, the intoxicating female anthem that’ll knock your socks off. Inspired by the 60s , the singer-songwriter, dancer and multi instrumentalist has uncovered the blueprint for marketing from ground zero in this modern age. Harnessing a whopping 1.7 Million followers on TikTok, she’s captured the hearts of her “Nova Nation” by posting countless musical riffs, skits and covers, showcasing her 8-octave vocal range (wowzer). Creating music since her early teens, her unique blend of upbeat modern pop and retro dance music garnered hundreds of thousands of views alone. However it wasn’t until she started using the app that her career reached new heights. TikTok has quickly become one of the most impactful marketing tools for artists, and here at EQUATE we had the privilege of gaining insight from one of their success stories. We caught up with Nova for a Q&A, speaking on social media, inspirations, and plans for her future.
Read the interview below…
Words by Elle Watson
EQ: Hey Nova, firstly tell us a little about yourself?
N: Hey EQUATE mag, thanks for having me. I’m Nova Miller, I’m 19, I was born in Sweden but moved to LA last year. I’m honestly a nerd for music. I usually spend my days making songs, doing scales, practicing guitar and piano, or talking to my fans. Music is all I do, that’s why my EP is called ‘The Passion’ (see how I did that).
EQ: What was the creative process for ‘Girls Like Us’? Does your formula for writing change with each song or do you have a fool proof method?
N: ‘Girls Like Us’ was written with intention. I want to be a part of this movement of confident female anthems. I wanted to flip the narrative of waiting for a guy to come around. My writing process is always different though, sometimes a melody will pop into my head in the most inappropriate times, or I’ll hear someone else story and make music from that. Because I play piano and guitar, it can also start with a riff or chord that I find on accident. I’m pretty free about it.
EQ: Your career sky rocketed when you started using TikTok, what drew you to the app and why did you start posting on it?
N: I was on TikTok originally because it’s just funny and endless. The content is so wild and entertaining. At that time, there wasn’t really a huge ‘singing community’ the way there is on YouTube and Instagram. I started making little skits and singing videos at first. I was living in an apartment complex so when I sang full out, my neighbours, their parents, their dogs, and their cousins in Wyoming could hear me. I was literally about to get evicted from all the noise complaints (no joke) so I started singing in the parking lot instead. For some reason, those parking lot videos started blowing up and we’ve been all the way up since. It feels cool to be a part of creating the OG singing community and even help other creators on the platform.
EQ: What kind of music did you grow up listening to?
N: My parents are professional musicians so I grew up with music constantly playing all around me. They showed me artists like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. But the day my mom showed me the big vocalists like Mariah, Whitney, and Christina Aguilera I became completely obsessed. I knew from then on how much I wanted my voice to fill arenas and go on world tours.
“I really actively try not to regret anything… If there had to be something, it would probably be that I wish I was a little prouder of myself when I was younger”
– Nova Miller
EQ: You’ve clocked in a massive 1.7 million followers on Tik Tok alone, crazy impressive! Do you find that a large following inspires and motivates you, or do you feel a huge sense of pressure?
N: Yeah, thank you, It’s crazy. I am forever grateful that the Nova Nation keeps growing every day. They mean absolutely everything to me. As of right now it only motivates me, I have been blessed with the funniest, most supportive, and loving fans so I only want to give them the love back. They inspire me to work harder, release more music, and make more content. We talk literally every day. I feel excited about the future knowing I have such amazing fans.
EQ: Do you find social media affects your day to day interactions/relationships? If so, in what way?
N: It definitely does affect me a lot, especially right now since everything is online and my family is on the other side of the world. Most of my relationships are digital, I talk to my Nova Nation every single day in my DMs, Snapchat, Twitter etc. I also FaceTime my Swedish friends and family every day. I spend a lot of time on my phone obviously, so somedays I need to remind myself to go outside and get real face time (lol).
EQ: Do you have any regrets?
N: I really actively try not to regret anything; I think all my choices have made me who I am. If there had to be something, it would probably be that I wish I was a little prouder of myself when I was younger. I went through a lot of bullying in school and I wish I would’ve been able to see that I was just on a different path. But, I’m still working on that. I can imagine future Nova regretting bleaching her hair every couple months but I’m enjoying it for now.
EQ: Is the Nova we see online different to the Nova behind closed doors?
N: To be honest, no. I really do sing all day every day, eat my salads, put my smile on, and dress like I’m from the ’60s. lol. I just try to keep it as real. If anything, it might be that I’m more introverted than I come across.
EQ: What has been the most rewarding part about your career so far?
N: Every day there’s something new to be grateful for. I am so happy that I get to do what I love for a living. I think the most rewarding part so far was being able to move to LA at 17 because that’s all I wanted for so long but I’m hoping my EP The Passion will bring me, my amazing team, and my fans even more life n love.
EQ: Finally, what’s on the horizon for you? Could you let us in on an Equate Exclusive?
N: Yesss! My project The Passion is coming out and after that, let’s say we’ll be spending Christmas together…
Watch Nova’s live performance of ‘Man’s World’ below
YouTube/Nova Miller
Stream ‘The Passion’ EP HERE
Keep up with Nova Miller on socials
TikTok: @novamillermusic
Instagram: @novamiller