Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin: Nina June vs. Her Past Memories and Romances

As we move through life, we experience feelings of love and heartbreak, and we monumentalize those moments of ruin. Through organic sound designs, airy guitars and eloquent strings, Nina June releases genre-fluid work Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin that she has worked to produce for over two years. 

Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin examines changes in romantic relationships, the way we spend our time and how we dedicate our passion. The record acts as an invitation to look at our past choices and think about the way we want to move forward.

Through her storytelling of complex human connections, June has a magical vocal delivery that flows with her emotionality and dreamy soundscapes.

She’s trendy, yet traditional, and her music has always played with alternative conventions while opposing expectations at the same time. More importantly, Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin finds June chasing what it seems like she ultimately wants most; uninhibited creative freedom.

[UNPUBLISHED]: Can you give us a general artist statement?

[NINA]: I am a Dutch artist, singer, and songwriter living close to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I'm a sucker for melancholy, beautiful piano and string arrangements, and classical melodies that linger on in your head. 

[UNPUBLISHED]: What drew you into the music industry?

[NINA]: I was about 12 years old when I found out that I loved being on stage. I started out playing in the local youth theater and accidentally found out I could sing. Then I heard there was a school where some famous Dutch artists studied music. It was my goal to go to that school from that moment on. I've always been willing to put in the work, driven by curiosity and fascination for music and the arts. When I turned 18, I auditioned for the Rockacademy (a pop conservatory) and was accepted. I just dedicated all my time, energy, and love to music from then on.

[UNPUBLISHED]: How does Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin stand out from your past works that you have released?

[NINA]: This album has a way more organic feel than my first album, Bon Voyage, which had a bit more of an electronic touch. Also, the important role for the string section is new. And lyrically, this album is about the things we leave behind in life and how we want to move forward. Bon Voyage was about our generation's search for love and meaning. 

[UNPUBLISHED]: What is the inspiration behind Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin?

[NINA]: The album is about the ruins we leave behind in life. It's about lost love and friendships, but also about the way we as humans are ruining our planet. It's an open invitation to look forward to the future and decide where we want to go from here. What are we willing to change? Are we ready to look critically at our role in our stories? 

[UNPUBLISHED]: What is your favorite song from Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin?

[NINA]: “Rainbow Ashes.”

[UNPUBLISHED]: What was the hardest song to write off Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin?

[NINA]: I think that was World on Fire because I didn't consider the theme (climate change and how we live in disharmony with nature) a topic to write songs about. I always wrote songs about human relationships. That's why it was a really important song: I realized it was not enough to only write about love anymore. 

[UNPUBLISHED]: What is a feeling or listening experience you want your listeners to take away from Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin?

[NINA]: I hope that they can immerse themselves in the music. The first layer is always the melody and the music. You have to be drawn into it. Then, later on, I hope they will listen to the lyrics and match their own life stories and questions to my songs. The best thing is when my stories become theirs.

[UNPUBLISHED]: What is your general songwriting process like?

[NINA]: Usually, I start with a melody. Melodies come quite naturally to me. Sometimes I feel as if I can pick them from the sky. Then I begin to sing words to those melodies without knowing what they mean. After that, I tried to figure out some useful words and themes that I used unintentionally that pointed me in the song's direction. I work with a lot of talented songwriters. It's great to solve the puzzle that a song always is together. 

[UNPUBLISHED]: What are you looking forward to in the next year?

[NINA]: I'm looking forward to bringing my new songs to the stage. I would've already been on tour by now, but the situation in our country is still really bad. I hope that in 2022 we can finally share music with a real audience again. 

[UNPUBLISHED]: What artists/musicians inspire your songwriting processes or music stylings now?

[NINA]: I love Ane Brun, Annie Lennox, Tracy Chapman, The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac. I listen to a lot of new music, but I also cherish all these classic albums. 

[UNPUBLISHED]: What is the biggest advice you have to give to those starting out in the music industry?

[NINA]: You have to be in it for the long run. Having music as your job is the best thing there is, but it's not only about being in the studio and recording videoclips. You have to be willing to do the shitty things too. You're going to feel insecure and vulnerable; that's part of the job. You will have to be willing to fail in front of the audience's eyes. That's the only way to create things of value.

For more music updates, follow Nina June’s Instagram and Facebook. Stream Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin on Spotify and check out her website for more releases.