Nina Nastasia

Biography

Nina Maria Nastasia ( nuh-stAH-ssee-uh; born May 13, 1966) is an American folk singer-songwriter. A native of Los Angeles, she first came to prominence in New York City in 2000 after Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel began giving her debut album, Dogs, airplay. The album earned Nastasia a cult following, and was re-released in 2004. Subsequent albums include The Blackened Air×The Blackened Air9 April 2002 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Run, All You...1:402I Go With Him1:543This Is What It Is4:184Oh, My Stars3:095All for You1:286So Little3:277Desert Fly2:048Ugly Face4:109In the Graveyard3:1310Ocean6:0011Rosemary1:4912The Same Day2:1513Been So Long1:3014The Very Next Day0:3315Little Angel1:5816That's All There Is4:27 (2002), Run to Ruin×Run to Ruin3 June 2003 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1We Never Talked2:50A2I Say That I Will Go3:34A3Regrets3:15A4You Her and Me3:46B1Superstar5:15B2The Body5:38B3On Teasing4:19B4While We Talk2:32 (2004), On Leaving×On Leaving11 September 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Jim's Room2:372Brad Haunts a Party1:563Our Day Trip1:564Counting Up Your Bones2:425Dumb I Am2:016Why Don't You Stay Home3:307One Old Woman2:588Treehouse Song2:179Lee4:5610Settling Song3:2511Bird of Cuzco2:4812If We Go to the West2:54 (2006), and You Follow Me (2007). The latter is a collaboration with Australian drummer Jim White of Dirty Three.
Following the release of her 2010 album Outlaster×Outlaster7 June 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Cry, Cry, Baby3:43A2Moves Away1:49A3You're a Holy Man3:33A4You Can Take Your Time4:49A5This Familiar Way5:03B1What's Out There3:59B2A Kind of Courage4:08B3Wakes4:23B4One Way Out2:55B5Outlaster5:20, Nastasia took an extended hiatus from recording. She returned in 2022 with her seventh album, Riderless Horse×Riderless Horse22 July 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Cork and Pour0:122Just Stay in Bed2:123You Were So Mad2:534This Is Love3:105Nature2:576Lazy Road2:457Ask Me3:418Blind as Batsies2:359The Two of Us2:3710Go Away2:1911The Roundabout2:0912Trust3:2013Afterwards2:3414Creek and Chimes0:33. All of her albums were recorded by Steve Albini. Following his death in 2024, Nastasia self-produced her eighth album, Songs for a World of Trouble×Songs for a World of Trouble13 June 2025 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Ocean Front2:352Happiness2:433No Communication2:414Family of Three2:375Old Goat2:026Stop a Train1:547A Blazing Fire2:338North Dakota2:53, which was released in 2025. Her musical style has been described as folk and country-influenced with neo-Gothic overtones, often featuring sparse acoustic guitar accompanied by string arrangements.
In addition to her solo work, Nastasia has collaborated with other musicians. She formed the band Jolie Laide in 2020 alongside Jeff MacLeod, Clinton St. John and Morgan Greenwood of The Cape May and Florida BC. The band released two albums: Jolie Laide in 2023 and Creatures in 2025. She has also collaborated with musicians such as Daniel Knox, Marissa Paternoster, and Underworld.

Early life

Nina Nastasia was born and raised Los Angeles, California. She is of Calabrian-Italian and Irish descent. Her father, Jim Nastasia, was an artist and art teacher at Fairfax High School and Cerritos College. Nastasia has said that her mother, who experienced chronic illness, was "constantly on the verge of dying, my entire life," and that her medication sometimes resulted in her suffering psychotic episodes. Her mother died when she was eighteen years old.
As a child, Nastasia studied piano and often wrote short stories, but has said she had no aspirations of becoming a professional musician.

Career

Nastasia began writing songs in 1993, and released her first album, Dogs, in 2000. Only 1,500 copies of the album were initially pressed, with Nastasia putting together the album packaging herself in her apartment. Nastasia sold them at her shows, quickly selling all of them. By the end of the year 2000, the album was out of print. Famed DJ John Peel took notice of the album (calling it "astonishing") after having been given a copy by Steve Albini. Peel began playing songs from it frequently on his radio show on BBC Radio 1. The album helped earn Nastasia a cult following.

Nastasia has released seven albums, one in collaboration with Jim White. Her first album, Dogs, was initially released in 2000 on Socialist Records. Her subsequent albums, The Blackened Air×The Blackened Air9 April 2002 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Run, All You...1:402I Go With Him1:543This Is What It Is4:184Oh, My Stars3:095All for You1:286So Little3:277Desert Fly2:048Ugly Face4:109In the Graveyard3:1310Ocean6:0011Rosemary1:4912The Same Day2:1513Been So Long1:3014The Very Next Day0:3315Little Angel1:5816That's All There Is4:27 (2002) and Run to Ruin×Run to Ruin3 June 2003 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1We Never Talked2:50A2I Say That I Will Go3:34A3Regrets3:15A4You Her and Me3:46B1Superstar5:15B2The Body5:38B3On Teasing4:19B4While We Talk2:32 (2003), were released on indie label Touch and Go Records, which also re-released Dogs in 2004, followed by a national tour; in CMJ, music journalist Kara Zuaro reviewed a live show promoting Run to Ruin, noting: "Nastasia hearkens back to a time when chamber music was a performed as a pastime for the players, rather than a spectator sport for the blue -blooded. When an audience applauds her live performances, she and her congenial New York City-based orchestra, minus the singing saw player who left to join the circus, turn to smile at each other."
In 2006, On Leaving was released on Fat Cat Records. In 2007, an album on which she collaborated with Jim White entitled You Follow Me×You Follow Me28 May 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1I've Been Out Walking3:182I Write Down Lists3:153Odd Said the Doe3:134The Day I Would Bury You2:555Our Discussion3:056In the Evening2:267There Is No Train2:278Late Night4:009How Will You Love Me3:2510I Come After You3:18 was released through Fat Cat. All of Nastasia's albums to date were recorded by Steve Albini, who has ardently praised her music in a number of interviews. Nastasia subsequently recorded six sessions for late BBC disc jockey John Peel's show. The last one was recorded with the help of Tuvan throat singing group Huun-Huur-Tu. Two of Nastasia's songs were included in Peel's annual Festive Fifty: "Ugly Face" (ranked 4th in 2002) and "You, Her & Me" (ranked 13th in 2003).

A 7-inch single, titled "What She Doesn't Know×What She Doesn't Know25 February 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAWhat She Doesn't Know2:20BYour Red Nose1:49" was released on February 25, 2008. The single featured the title track, along with the song "Your Red Nose". Both tracks were recorded by Steve Albini during the On Leaving sessions. Nastasia has called the single "a good complement to You Follow Me". A solo American and European tour coincided with the release of the single. The single "Cry, Cry, Baby×Cry, Cry, Baby10 May 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Cry, Cry, Baby3:372Our Gang1:38" was released on May 10, 2010, internationally and May 18 in the US. Her sixth studio album, Outlaster×Outlaster7 June 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Cry, Cry, Baby3:43A2Moves Away1:49A3You're a Holy Man3:33A4You Can Take Your Time4:49A5This Familiar Way5:03B1What's Out There3:59B2A Kind of Courage4:08B3Wakes4:23B4One Way Out2:55B5Outlaster5:20, followed on June 7, 2010.
Nastasia disappeared from the public eye for several years. On September 24, 2017, she performed at the Electrical Audio 20th anniversary party at The Hideout Block Party in Chicago, Illinois. On December 14, 2018, she released the non-album single "Handmade Card×Handmade Card14 December 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Handmade Card4:26". In October 2020, Nastasia issued a statement for her fans on Bandcamp which read: "I've been away for a long while now, but I just finished recording a new album with Steve Albini. I'm going to be working hard over the next few months to get those songs out to you and many more in the near future."
In February 2022, Nastasia signed a record deal with Temporary Residence Limited, which digitally reissued On Leaving, You Follow Me and Outlaster that same month. She appeared as the opening act for Mogwai on their US theater tour in April. Her seventh studio album, Riderless Horse×Riderless Horse22 July 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Cork and Pour0:122Just Stay in Bed2:123You Were So Mad2:534This Is Love3:105Nature2:576Lazy Road2:457Ask Me3:418Blind as Batsies2:359The Two of Us2:3710Go Away2:1911The Roundabout2:0912Trust3:2013Afterwards2:3414Creek and Chimes0:33, recorded by Steve Albini and Greg Norman in a cabin in upstate New York, was released on July 22, 2022. Nastasia collaborated with musician Jeff MacLeod of The Cape May and Florida B.C. to record her next studio album, Jolie Laide. The record was released on November 17, 2023 under the name Jolie Laide. A music video for the song "Pacific Coast Highway" was released on August 18. Jolie Laide's second album, Creatures, was released on April 30, 2025.
Nastasia's eighth studio album, Songs for a World of Trouble×Songs for a World of Trouble13 June 2025 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Ocean Front2:352Happiness2:433No Communication2:414Family of Three2:375Old Goat2:026Stop a Train1:547A Blazing Fire2:338North Dakota2:53, was self-produced and released on June 13, 2025. The eight song record was released digitally, exclusively on Bandcamp, coupled with a 60-page eBook of artwork, pictures, poems, biographical stories, liner notes, and credits. The album will not be released physically or on any other digital platform. The album was preceded by the release of three music videos: "No Communication", "North Dakota", and "Happiness".

Musical style

Nastasia's music has been noted by journalists and critics for blending elements of folk and Americana, with Gothic overtones. Her music has been likened to that of Tom Waits, Devendra Banhart, Neko Case, and Cat Power. Her songs prominently feature acoustic guitar, often with various string arrangements accompanying, including cello, violin, and viola.

Influences

Nastasia has stated in interviews that she knows little of musical history, and had not originally intended to become a musician. She has commented that she is a fan of films, particularly horror films.

Albums

Dogs (2000; re-released 2004)
The Blackened Air (2002)
Run to Ruin (2003)
On Leaving (2006)
You Follow Me (2007) – with Jim White
Outlaster (2010)
Riderless Horse (2022)
Jolie Laide (2023) – with Jolie Laide
Creatures (2025) – with Jolie Laide
Songs for a World of Trouble (2025)
Seaside Recordings (2026)

Singles and EPs

"What She Doesn't Know×What She Doesn't Know25 February 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAWhat She Doesn't Know2:20BYour Red Nose1:49" (2008)
"Cry, Cry, Baby×Cry, Cry, Baby10 May 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Cry, Cry, Baby3:372Our Gang1:38" (2010)
"You Can Take Your Time×You Can Take Your Time6 December 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1You Can Take Your Time4:482One Turned In3:37" (2010)
"Handmade Card×Handmade Card14 December 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Handmade Card4:26" (2018)
"Just Stay in Bed" (2022)
"This Is Love" (2022)
"Afterwards" (2022)
"Too Soon×Too Soon3 November 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Whatever You Need to Believe2:352Too Soon3:18" / "Whatever You Need to Believe" (2022)
"This Is Love" / "You Were So Mad" (with Marissa Paternoster) (2023)
"I Will Never Marry" (2026)
"Family Name" (2026)
"Everytime" (2026)
"Birthday" (2026)
"The Sandman" (2026)
One Turned In" (2026)
"Simpuru Ni" (2026)
"Liar" (2026)

Contributions

2001 "I Will Never Marry", on the compilation album Comes with a Smile, Volume 3 – Pretty Together
2005 "The Matter (of Our Discussion)", on the Boom Bip album Blue Eyed in the Red Room (Lex)
2005 "Bird of Cuzco", song on John Peel: A Tribute compilation (WEA)
2009 "Repulsion", on the compilation album Black and White, given free with issue No. 12 of Esopus
2010 "Outside the Haus Tambaran", "Sand Reflection" and "Final Call" from the David Corter album Didgeridoo Dimensions
2018 "The Poisoner" on the Daniel Knox album Chasescene
2024 "I Hope It's Different" on the Mint Mile album Roughrider
2024 "Iron Bones" on the Underworld album Strawberry Hotel