Nikita Lev drops debut EP

Born and raised in New York City, Nikita Lev carries the city in her sound via a mix of grit, grace and emotion. Set to dreamlike soundscapes and shaped by a life spent between chamber music rehearsals and 90s rock anthems, that contrasting context defines her work, pairing classical sensitivity with the appeal of alternative pop. Songwriting has been her language since childhood and from the moment she began penning lyrics at ten, Nikita has followed her musical instincts, creating songs that feel relatable and real.

In February 2023, she made her official artistic entrance with the debut single “Elegance,” which she’s since followed up with multiple well-received tracks and her first album, I Believed It At The Time, which arrived last July. Winning over fans around the world and clocking over a million spins on Spotify, she’s been going from strength to strength with each move.

Now, Nikita returns with her most compelling artistic statement so far, her brand new debut EP titled Suspend, featuring four tracks which capture the perfect snapshot of her developing musical vision. The EP arrives as an emotional study in contradiction; love and loss, connection and isolation, lucidity and confusion. Rather than offering the clean resolution of a traditional breakup record, Suspend floats in the in-between, those quiet, uncertain moments when you’re still unpacking what’s been left unsaid.

“It’s about the moments where you don’t have resolution yet, where you’re still sitting with the weight of something you can’t quite name,” she shares. That ambiguity becomes her playground and across the EP, Nikita translates the fog of feeling into cinematic textures and atmospheres.

The release opens with her acclaimed single “Kill Her Mind,” a haunting and deeply reflective anthem that distils the sound of overthinking set to music. Intricate guitars and immersive layers of vocals mirror the looping thoughts that accompany heartbreak, capturing the dizzying rhythm of trying to make sense of loss. It’s a track that showcases her gift for emotional alchemy, taking confusion and transforming it into something cathartic and thoroughly engaging.

“No One Is Gonna” offers a gentler, warmer moment of reflection with a song about connection, about what it means to walk away from someone you love and still carry that fullness with you. “This song is about leaving an interaction with someone you love and feeling full,” Nikita explains. “Walking away and recognising your love for that person and what they mean to you, regardless of anything that could jeopardise it.” With softly bubbling instrumentation and airy vocals, the arrangement builds with the shuffle of drums and silky vocalisations to form a charming indie pop jam that’s moving and memorable in equal measure.

With “So Clear,” she crafts a downtempo soundscape of stripped back instrumental swells and hushed vocals, dashed with elegant piano tumbles and delicate textures. Flowing with soft melodic layers and subtly enveloping arrangement, it’s a stunning moment that frames her emotive songwriting in a new setting.

Closing the EP with “Your Dove,” the gentle twang of flickering guitar tones is met by the hazy pulse of drums as Nikita’s smooth vocals enter. Building with the crunch of fuzzy guitars, the track surges with alternative rock energy, taking listeners on a gripping voyage of shifting moods and aesthetic to offer a thrilling finale to the EP. Throughout Suspend, Nikita Lev sounds like an artist who’s found her space as a songwriter letting emotion lead. It’s a stellar debut EP that firmly plants her on the map of must watch singer-songwriters on the rise and we can’t wait to see what her next chapter has in store.

Listen to Suspend below