Our interview series Icebreaker features artists talking about things—some strange, some amusing, some meaningful—that just might reveal their true selves. This edition features British R&B futurist Nao, whose new album For All We Know is out now via RCA/Little Tokyo.
Pitchfork: What fictional character do you relate to most?
Nao: Storm from the X-Men. When I was growing up, there weren’t that many female black characters with superpowers. So when I saw Storm, and she was a part of the X-Men, which was the coolest group ever, and she had these amazing powers and looked wicked, I was like, “Storm could be my idol.”
How would you describe yourself as a dancer?
I definitely have my own thing going on. When I’m in a nightclub and the music is right I’m quite hardcore—I’ll stay on the dance floor for hours and hours and then, around 4 a.m., I’ll go have a nap on a chair for half an hour, then I’ll come back.
What’s the last TV show you binged?
“Power,” which is a bit shit—I hope no one from the cast is reading this. I mean, it’s not shit, but it’s not “The Wire” either. It’s not breaking the boundaries, but it’s a nice program to unwind to when you just want to watch something that won’t stress you out. It’s got loads of sex scenes in it. 50 Cent is in it to0.
What’s your life motto?
My motto recently has just been “fuck it,” as in: “Just give it a go, fail anyway, and give it a go again.” If I come across something that is scary or new to me, I just say “fuck it.”
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?
No matter what music you put out and what happens with it, make sure that least you can be like, “Well, I liked it.”
Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?
Neo from The Matrix—that’s how you spell my real name anyway. He’s a white man, so obviously it wouldn’t make any sense, but maybe I’m the true Neo, so basically he’ll just be playing himself as he was in The Matrix, but it was really about me. I’m the one that can dodge bullets.
What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
I used to work in a nightclub and I’d have to crawl around and pick up all these bottles in front of loads of pissed people who were just dancing and kicking.
What’s a band you love that no one would suspect given your own music?
What do you think is the worst aspect of modern music culture?
People feeling like they can’t take risks. With music today, especially what we hear on the radio, when one thing becomes popular, everybody just repeats that same thing.
What are you most self-conscious about?
One of my downfalls is that I just want people to like me. But some people aren’t going to like you, and who gives a shit basically? That’s easier said than done, but it’s something I’m working on right now.
What’s the most recent song you’ve heard that made you believe in the power of music?
Probably what I named my album after: An arrangement of the song “For All We Know” by Donny Hathaway. It often brings me to tears.
What would you want to have written on your tombstone?
“Endless Vibes”—which is something I say all the time. It’s what I want my music to feel like. So hopefully, when I die, my music could live on.