For our latest ‘My 5 Biggest Influences’ feature, we spoke to Nora Rothman, who recently released her brand new record, enough.
‘My 5 Biggest Influences’ is when we talk to some of our favourite upcoming and established artists, delving into their greatest influences and inspirations, to see how bands, records, tracks, friends & family, hobbies and even environments have impacted on their work and music.
More about the new LP below, but first, here are Nora’s 5 Biggest Influences…
My mom
My mother is an artist through and through. Throughout her life, she has expressed herself through drawing, dancing, singing, songwriting, acting, cooking, writing, podcasting, and public speaking. Basically, she creates no matter what. That’s the ethos I try to apply to my own art-making.
Erik Ehn
A playwright and poet, Erik Ehn was my advisor in college who encouraged me to simply make things and put them into the world. Without that practice ingrained in me, I wouldn’t have the courage to release my music into the world.
Joni Mitchell
This woman’s mastery of poetry and song is something I learn from with every listen. In all my original music, I commit myself to the same bare honesty that Joni brings to her work.
Seattle
Living in Seattle for the past two years has brought me to a newly introspective and independent place. The darkness and the rain encouraged me to turn to internal pursuits and learn production. A lot of the songs are influenced by the experiences and sights of this city in the PNW.
Sarah Vaughan
This person taught me everything I ever needed to know about expressing myself through a song. She is and will always be one of my greatest teachers of all time.
A project culminated from self-actualization, international collaborations in the time of COVID-19, and even “witchy revenge fantasies,” Nora Rothman has released her brand new album enough. A folk soul meets electronic pop LP, enough is the artist’s exploration of the “dark underbelly” of pop music. Delivered with a riveting combination of mesmerizing vocal arrangement and stripped back production, the album solidifies Rothman’s evolution from purely a singer / songwriter, to now also a producer.
Including recently released singles “groves,” “wolves” ft. Ohrkid, and the reimagination of Madonna’s “borderline” ft. Blush Wilson, the full album expands to also include five additional new singles. enough embodies Rothman’s arrival at her own self-empowerment, a theme that is present throughout the album from the ground up as this is her first self-produced project. Only after years of soul-searching and reflection did enough come into existence, and listener’s receive a window into that journey via Rothman’s deeply personal lyrics. Whether exploring her own mortality after a life threatening car accident (“groves”) or navigating the nuances of love (“springtime”) Rothman’s palpable story telling capabilities take centre stage on the album.
enough follows EP ‘Nothing New,’ a confessional body of work that chronicled the singer-songwriter’s own experiences in the Los Angeles music and film industry at the height of the #MeToo movement. A common thread in Rothman’s music is her desire to raise marginalized voices in the music industry by creating art with womxn all around the world. Rothman has made appearances on ‘The Future is Female’ Spotify playlist; at Hotel Café in Los Angeles; Rockwood Music Hall in NYC; and Fremont Abbey in Seattle.
As for her activism, in 2016, she worked as a Field Organizer on the Clinton campaign. The day of Trump’s inauguration, she made a promise to continue her fight for women’s rights through music, and partnered with various organizations from EMILY’S List to Planned Parenthood. In 2018, Nora expanded her equity work by founding Earhart, a community uplifting female, trans, and gender nonconforming music artists. Since then, Earhart has celebrated over 100 different artists through their weekly playlist and interview series including Alex Mali, Shea Diamond, Dorian Elecrta, and Siaira Shawn.
