Nova Twins have told NME why they’re proud to be champions for National Album Day 2024, whilst also reflecting on the camaraderie of the contemporary rock scene and sharing an update on their third album.
Alongside the likes of Travis and Courteeners’ Liam Fray, the London alt-rock duo were recently unveiled as Album Champions for National Album Day, which is being celebrated today (October 19). To celebrate, Nova Twins will be playing an intimate performance at London’s Metropolis Studios, recording tracks from their Mercury Prize-nominated album ‘Supernova’ live to vinyl.
“We’re definitely a band who love, make and celebrate albums”, said vocalistand guitarist Amy Love of the ambassadorial role. “We really believe in the artist’s full body of work, the story and the journey it takes you on. There’s certainly many albums that got us through hard times, or have been the soundtrack to some of our best times. Albums – they’re the best!”
“I’ve always loved albums as a whole”, continued bassist Georgia South, explaining how that appreciation has always been rooted into her. “Remembering the tracklisting, knowing what’s coming next. I have that love for being immersed in a world.”
Check out our full interview below, where the duo also reflect on their 2022 Mercury Prize nomination, the unifying power of music and progress on their third album.
NME: Hello Nova Twins. We’re celebrating National Album Day – what were the first albums you remember falling in love with?
Georgia South: “There are two that spring to mind. ‘Seeing Sounds’ by N.E.R.D., purely because I discovered that album when I was 13, and I remember thinking, ‘There’s nothing that sounds anything like this’ – it just blew my mind. How have they mixed all these sounds? What am I even listening to? Then I also remember listening to ‘Innnervisions’ by Stevie Wonder on cassette in my dad’s car. We’d be screaming along to all the talky bits of ‘Living For The City’ every time we got in the car.”
Amy Love: “One of my mum’s favourite records, Toni Braxton’s ‘Secrets’, will always take me back to a really good time and fond memories [of] singing along to it. I was quite young, it was a mature sound – talking about love, heartbreak, sex. And then Destiny’s Child – their first three albums. That band gave so much to both of us. Three powerful, strong, beautiful, black women being seen in a light [which] I’d never seen women who looked like me being held into, at the time. It was talking about independence – I don’t need no one, I’ve got my girls, that sisterhood. That was really a turning point for me.”
Did those records help you discover an appreciation for music in album form?
South: “I’ve always loved being in that world. I remember listening to Mariah Carey‘s 1992 ‘MTV Unplugged’ on my walkman, and just [getting] lost in it.”
Love: “Sometimes it takes you a few tunes to understand an artist… it’s rare that you get a full picture from one song. I decide after listening to the whole thing, ‘Is this for me or not?’ I can’t make up my mind after just one song – you have to be immersed in it.”
A Mercury Prize nomination is arguably the ultimate recognition for an album. How do you reflect on that accolade that ‘Supernova’ received in 2022?
South: “It does feel like a massive seal of approval, because it’s not about how big you are, or the records that you’ve sold. That’s what’s so special about that prize. Anyone can apply to be on it and win it. It’s just about the art, not how big the label is.”
Does the recent industry shift towards short-form content give you a newfound motivation to champion the album format?
South: “We would hate to see the album die out, because it is an amazing way for the listener to really understand the story the artist is trying to tell. You can’t paint the whole picture in one song about what’s going on at that point in your life. An album is the perfect way to do that, because every song has a different emotion in it. It’s a shame when you see three-second clips and they try to hook you in, in one chorus. You can’t really get into the heart and soul of that artist.”
Love: “An album is also a reflection of life. If we’re always rushed off our feet and everything’s coming quick, that’s not necessarily a healthy way to be. Sometimes, music is supposed to be something we unwind to – we console in it. It would be a shame to only give ourselves three seconds of something that’s so universal.
“To come out with just a single after three years would feel like we’ve cheated a little bit! We want to give [our fans] something to really sink their teeth into. Also, for artists…you might have one good song, but that’s not going to get you very far. You need to practise, keep writing and make sure that an album can happen, so that you can have a long career. We’re not really into one hit wonders here.”
Which albums have you been enjoying this year?
Love: “I really enjoyed Billie Eilish’s new album [‘Hit Me Hard And Soft‘].”
South: “Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ and Soft Play’s album [‘Heavy Jelly’] were both sick.”
Love: “However, because we’ve been so focused on trying to finish [our own] album… sometimes when you’re in the studio from morning to morning, you become really sensitive and don’t want to listen to anything [new]. I definitely revisit old albums if I am in that headspace, because you need comfort.”
Speaking of which, how is your third album coming along?
South: “We’re past the thick of it, which is great.”
Love: “We’ve signed it off. The album’s done.”
How exciting! What’s it sounding like?
South: “I don’t know if we can go that far…”
Love: “We’ve worked really hard and put our all into it. We’re really excited to get into rehearsals and play the songs live, because there are some really great moments.”
You mentioned taking time to create something that’s worth the wait for your fans – was there any added pressure from the prolonged success of ‘Supernova’?
Love: “Of course, we’re human. There was pressure, and there will be pressure when we release it – we’re probably going to shit ourselves – but that was the same when we released our first single onto YouTube to five followers.
“As long as we both agree that we are happy with the end result, it doesn’t really matter what anybody else thinks after that, because we’re confident in our decision. We’ve got to the point [with] this album, now we’ve signed it off, where we’re both like, ‘This is it, great.’ After that, you just have to take the highs with the lows. We’ve done our best. We love it, we’re excited about it, and we believe that our audience will be too.”
In that time, you’ve also played some huge shows with the likes of Foo Fighters and Muse. Does the novelty of those huge experiences ever wear off?
Love: “Meeting Dave Grohl was pretty mad – then he started talking about Nirvana and shit!”
South: “Muse was a massive bucket list moment for us. But when we supported Bring Me The Horizon, fresh out of the pandemic, that was our first arena run – we didn’t even have in-ear monitors yet!”
Do you keep in touch with people like Dave Grohl, Oli Sykes and Matt Bellamy?
Love: “Yeah, we do. It’s always fun at festivals when you actually get to properly meet up again. It’s also nice to make friends along the way, because you’re doing the same thing, essentially, no matter how big or small you are. We all know it can be such a tough industry. Bumping into Frank Carter, sharing our tour woes and experiences together… you start to build a community. Because we’re all away from home a lot, it’s really important [to feel] part of something that’s more than just the tour van. People in rock are so nice!”
Do you feel there’s a growing sense of camaraderie among artists these days?
Love: “I think collaboration is really important. The industry’s taken a hit financially, and people are coming together – whether it’s trying to help smaller venues, or work on projects together [so] smaller bands can afford to go on tour. It’s important that we keep the word ‘community’ alive in the industry for it to thrive.”
South: “So many bands helped us on the way up – Tom Morello and Prophets Of Rage, Jason [Butler] from Fever 333. We want to keep opening those doors and keep the evolution of bands alive, essentially. People are trying to sink the ship, so we’ve got to try and keep it afloat.”
You were among the first artists to speak out against far-right violence in August – and many others followed suit. How important is that power of community, within music and beyond?
Love: “When the Black Lives Matter [movement] happened – or things like that happen – you see people’s faces for the first time. When you see people show up, you feel this strength and power within the community. Sometimes you feel helpless when there’s so much going on in the world – how can anybody fix this, we have no power?
“But actually, when you see it on a bigger scale, you see communities rebuilding mosques and protecting their neighbours. You’re seeing bands come together to let it be known what we stand for, how we can create barrier protection for ourselves. It’s really important. That trickles down to other things, whether it’s in music or not.”
What are you up to after National Album Day?
South: “Scheming!”
Love: “Scheming, in a good way! We’ve got a few other projects going on that we can’t talk about just yet, but we’re keeping busy – and trying to stay healthy.”
National Album Day takes place today, and will also see limited edition vinyl reissues of classic LPs by the likes of Babyshambles, Suede, All Saints, Idlewild and more.
Check out Nova Twins’ 2025 festival dates so far below, with tickets available here.
MAY 2024
21–25 – Bearded Theory Festival, Walton On Trent
23–25 – In It Together Festival, Port Talbot