After a three-year hiatus, Nao returns with a renewed sense of purpose and optimism with her new album, Jupiter. In this conversation, the singer-songwriter opens up about her journey—both personal and creative—since her last release. Nao reflects on the influences that have shaped her, the making process of her new LP, and the joyful place she finds herself in today as she prepares to reconnect with fans through her music once again.

Hi Nao ! So how was it to be on Jupiter for for a little while?

Well it's just a single to begin with (Wildflowers, out on October 11th 2024, ndlr). There’s probably a lot of people thinking an album's coming now, which is much to their disappointment. It's not going to be coming into a little while. I wanted to call the album Jupiter, as I did a record called Saturn, and that record was based around your Saturn returns. In a spiritual sense, Saturn is the planet of lessons, it’s a tough planet that's very transformative. And Jupiter is the planet of joy and abundance and love, good luck and good fortune. It's a very magical planet. I feel like I'm in a really good place in life, and I wanted to celebrate that and share it with my listeners, so they can have a bit of Jupiter on their side as well.

You’ve mentioned in the past that you’re suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, how has this disease impacted you ?

Chronique fatigue syndrome is an autoimmune condition, it’s really debilitating. It’s not very well researched or known about. But with people getting long covid, I feel like at least the public have more of an understanding of what it is to suffer from CFS. There’s no magic pill to feel better. You have to find your own way and it can be a long journey. It’s been 6, 7 years for me. I’m still recovering, but I’m really back.

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Because of this condition, you have taken a break from touring. However, you’re planning on announcing a new tour. Are you excited to meet with your fans again ?

I'm really excited, and this year we’re just going to do four shows, keep it really stripped back and intimate : voice, guitar, cushions … It's been a really long time, so I wanted to give my fans something special, unique and so that we could be close to each other.

I like this idea quiet option, in the spirit of having chronic fatigue syndrome. Touring is pretty hard on the body. Humans aren't designed to change time zones and be out performing late at night when your body's trying to go to sleep.

And on an energetic level, across the world, I really get the sense that a lot of people are experiencing burnout, more than ever before. I feel like there is a need for deep rest for everyone.

With the way capitalistic societies are built up, being constantly on the go, hustle culture, with a lot that's happening in the world right now, I just feel like everyone's just really exhausted.

With a stripped back show, it’s contained, we're all seated. I'm going on at eight o'clock. I like the idea of moving forward with my shows to actually try and do them earlier. Like four o'clock in the afternoon, so that people can enjoy the music, they can dance, and they can still go home and, like, have a bath and have a good sleep. After Jupiter, I really want to explore this idea of deep rest. Or maybe the term will be collective rest.

Are you only touring in the UK ?

We will go to Los Angeles, New York, Amsterdam and London.

You said that you’re going to different phases every 3 to 5 years. I feel like you’ve explored many genres, your albums are very eclectic and you used to call your sound « wonky funk ». Where do you want to take your music next ?

I don't know what do now, a deep rest project, or wonky funk project … maybe both ?

I heard somewhere someone say that we shed skin every seven years, we reinvent every seven years, especially if you're in a relationship. People change, breakups happen or marriages happen. But apart from my first album, For All We Know, I don’t think that my sound has been so « wonky funk ». I feel like my sound has always been quite eclectic. I just chuck every piece of influence and inspirations into the mixing bowl, and it just comes out a bit different every time. So I feel like that's the same with this record, it's just a continuation of everything that I've explored before, an amalgamation of everything I love. Electronic, R&B, funk, a bit of house… coming out a different way.

Who were the artists that inspired you when you were younger ?

I could definitely say artists like Brandy, Missy Elliott, Timberland, Boyz II Men, Usher… I also think about Little Dragon, SBTRKT, James Blake …

What was your songwriting process for Jupiter ?

I was pregnant at the time I was writing this record, so the body gets quite tired. I wanted to collaborate with a lot of people but do it in a way where I wasn’t moving around from studio to studio, working with a lot of producers. So I collaborated with two of my favourite producers, Loxe and Stint. Between these two studios, though, we would invite musicians come down and jam with us, or songwriters.

I also went to LA to record this album. I stayed there for 6 months with my daughter, just to see if it was somewhere that we could live. But in the end, turns out that no, I’m an England girl, definitely.

Do you feel very attached to London ?

It's interesting actually, because I really understand that a lot of people don't like London. But I  feel really fortunate that I had to travel a lot in my life in general, not just through music. I got to spend loads of time in different places and therefore I didn’t have the itch to move. And sometimes it’s just about the vibration of the place you’re at that is right for you at a certain moment in your life. I feel that with London. I love that I can walk everywhere, that if I want to get Caribbean food or Vietnamese food, or cook it, I can get in on the shop three minutes away. I love nature, and in London, it’s easily accessible if you know where it is. I grew up in East London and I still live here, my family’s here. And where your family is where your home is.

How do you feel about social media ? With the new album coming out, you have just removed all your posts from Instagram, but prior to that, you shared genuine moments of life - and singing - with your followers.

I just removed everything, because it's the start of a new era, and I felt like that was sort of like a nice, clean way for for the fans to know that something new was coming.

Otherwise my relationship with social media is complicated, I'm sure, like most people. I love being on social media. It’s a great tool for learning, it’s fantastic.

But putting myself on social media is difficult. I'm quite a private person. It’s hard to find a balance of putting up music and being an artist, or make it about your whole life. And I feel like very few artists get away with just being about the music nowadays. You’re very lucky if you can do that and still cultivate a fan base. I still do the dance of « should I post this ? Is this the right message ? » Or if I don’t get enough likes … I’m still working on it.

Did you face any challenges in the music industry ?

I think probably the biggest challenge I've had to overcome, honestly, is my own thoughts, just trying to get out of my own way.

I think that I get in my head a lot and worry too much about what other people are thinking

based on no facts whatsoever, but just ruminating too much.

For this new chapter in your career, what are the themes that you will be exploring ?

I’m really going to focus on the spiritual meaning of Jupiter, which is joy and abundance. I feel like it's a coming of age album for those of us in our 20s, 30s, 40s, becoming adults. I explore the beauty of friendship, the beauty of love, just saying yes to life.

I have a song called « 30 somethings » which is about my relationship with letting go of this ideal youth. In all the films, in popular culture, beauty means being a teenager, and the number 30 creeps you up, you’re getting old. If you haven't had your kids, or the one you're gonna love, if you haven't got that job by the time that you’re 30, then who the fuck are you? And it's obviously untrue. It's just a completely made up concept.

I think that a lot of people, when they get into their 30s, tend to be a lot happier, more confident in themselves and have a bit more of an idea of where they’re going.

I also talk a bit more about my transition into motherhood. The album explores a lot of different themes, it’s a journey, but it doesn’t get very dark.

Has motherhood had an impact on your creativity ?

I don’t know if there’s an impact on creativity but it definitely refocuses your life and your work-life balance. Before I was a mum, I was just doing what I wanted. In a way, actually, I do think it makes you more creative, as it makes you more efficient. Because time is so sacred, with your children, but also time to yourself is really precious, so when you do get it, you just want to make sure to use it wisely. Now when I go to the studio, I’m very focused. I’m like « I have 5 hours and we need to get something done » because it’s also time I don’t spend with my children.‍

Since Knuckle is blending different creative disciplines, I was wondering what is your relationship with fashion ?

Well it doesn’t come naturally to me and I’m still trying to see what works on my body. It’s changed a lot since having CFS and having had a baby. I enjoy more masculine clothes. I feel like they feel way more relaxed. Menswear is very cool and elevated, and at the same time men get to wear lose fitting clothes. They don’t cling in the way that women’s clothes have to. So I’m definitely exploring masculine cuts at the moment.

You also quite often use artefacts on your album covers, does it play a role in your artistry ?

Well, it’s mostly because I feel quite shy taking photographs. I’m not necessarily a natural in front of the camera, so I feel like props really help to give me something to focus on.

To close this interview, are there any techniques you recommend to young artists to avoid creative blocks ? What do you do to feel better ?

I feel like people have creative blocks and they think their ideas aren't good, but listen to those same ideas six months later and realise it was absolutely fine. Sometimes creative blocks are more you mentally saying it is not good, when what you are doing is actually fantastic.

But I have three things that I try out :

Number one is collaboration, just having someone else to bounce ideas around and inspire, brainstorming … someone who takes the pressure off.

Another thing is just permission to stop, read my book, see my friends … because sometimes creativity just needs space.

And the third thing is that I meditate a lot. I find meditation really helps with creativity. Not that I will write a song whilst I'll meditate, but often, clarity, small ideas come up. And you might be like « oh, but do you remember that song you wrote two years ago that you really loved? Why don't you just pick that back up and get the stems through it and see if we can bring it on home ? ».