Twenty-year-old music producer Jai Nova, whose lyric video for catchy debut single Heart is a Liar dropped on March 21, has a debut album on the way. But the Gen Z musician is not interested in doing things the conventional way, as evidenced by the way his first track came to be.
“I wanted to try something crazy so I took audio samples from voice notes and videos from my phone and started modifying and stretching sounds to create interesting textures,” said Nova.
He reached out to New York-based singer-songwriter Hilaire, who delivered “a great catchy top-line which bought the whole track together.” The result is a polished and ebullient single that has international appeal, which speaks to Nova’s upbringing.
Nova, a UK artist of Indian descent, was born Jairaj Ravrani in London. He moved to Dubai at the age of six, where he spent the next ten years before moving back to the UK to finish schooling.
He decided to take on an artist name for his solo project. One that seems to fits his ambition.
“‘Jai’ means ‘the great/victorious’,” he explained. “I’ve always been a fan of space and the stars as a child, and so I chose ‘Nova’. It’s defined as ‘a bright new star’. Together, my name means ‘the great star’.”
Nova said his debut single Heart is a Liar is part of a ‘mini album’ he’s working on. His professional journey has just begun, but his passion for music kicked off when he was only 11 years old.
He taught himself the piano at a young age, before dance music caught his attention. Nova likes to “strip it down to the basics” when creating his own music.
“I start with a melody or chords on my piano. Once I’ve developed something catchy, I start to build a track around it with very basic sounds, samples and synths. Once I’ve got the base for my track and I’m happy with the overall idea, that’s when I really go into the sound design and bring the track to life,” he said.
Nova’s family has a “strong bond with music,” but he’s the first musician to emerge amongst them.
“I have a young brother who is training to be an engineer. He’s more hands on and practical while I am more creative and out the box,” said Nova.
The 20-year-old hopeful can’t pinpoint a specific idol that he’s had long-term, but cites David Guetta as his first inspiration.
“At the time, dance music was an underground scene and I was in love with the fact he was able to build a bridge between dance and pop culture,” said Nova, who now enjoys the work of American duo The Chainsmokers.
“I have known them since 2014 and they have taught me so much about the music scene and how to handle things while staying humble and true to yourself. It’s incredible to see their rise,” he added.
Nova’s next release will be a collaboration with a yet-announced singer-songwriter from talent show The Voice. He can’t reveal too much, but hinted at possible record titles: Axollo and Haelion.
“You can expect loads of music over the coming months,” he said. “It’s gonna be wild.”
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Don’t miss it!
Heart is a Liar by Jai Nova (ft. Hilaire) is out now on all major streaming services.
