Nando Dale

Nando Dale is a producer, a musician, a songwriter, a soccer player, a Guinness drinker, and a good man.

I’ve waited a couple of years to get to write an intro for Nando Dale because he is possibly and very probably one of the most interesting people I’ve met. The Brazilian-born multi-talent is a bit of a musical savant, and one of New York City’s most vital, beloved producers and musicians. A crucial member of rising star, New York City-based, Been Stellar, in addition to several independent and collaborative musical projects, Dale is eclectic and in demand. An ear for melody, a knack for finding the honesty in composition, and a slew of mostly-good impressions makes Nando Dale one of our favourite music makers and one of our preferred drinking partners.

Who are you?

Nando Dale.

What do you do?

I play guitar and write songs in a band called Been Stellar. 

How long have you been doing that?

It’s been almost six years now. 

What is your favourite song right now and why?

‘Nurse!’ by Bar Itália, the production is really cool, especially the vocal processing. 

If you weren’t playing music, what would you be doing?

Probably would be a graphic or industrial designer. I grew up drawing a lot, like cars, football kits, computers, whatever really. Then I went to a summer school for that and realized I actually just wanted to be a musician

Some slang you catch yourself saying? (Ie. That slaps)

I don’t really keep a tally but maybe ‘epic’ or ‘wicked.’ 

What do you do outside of music how does that thing influence or affect your craft? 

Because I work on music a lot, I like to do very brain-numbing things when I’m done working on it, I love playing soccer and volleyball, also watching tv or playing FIFA or Pokémon lol. I find it very helpful to have this time to kind of forget about any songwriting or performance worries I would have and it gives me a fresh start when I actually find myself working on music again. 

The best/worst thing about the music industry?

Best - it is way more fun and unconventional than law, medicine or finance or whatever conventional industry. Worst - it can be very fake at times, especially with more success. It’s a lot of who are you and what can you provide me with, rather than just let me listen to your music and give you an honest opinion, making the music sometimes almost secondary to the industry.

Something you’re most proud of?

All the hard work we’ve had with the band, I’m very proud of our commitment to improving our craft and carrying on, especially after some very difficult times.

Biggest lesson learned about your craft so far?

Collaboration will make you a better writer, I never really understood how the ‘Brian Wilson’ genius trope works, I think people should be collaborating whenever they can because there are always ideas that someone else will have that you could never come up with. 

“People were going nuts that night and it felt very genuine as opposed to some big cities in the us where people feel the need to look like they’re not having fun at a show.”

Something anyone can do today to make the world a better place?

I don’t really know, maybe call an old friend, your mother or someone significant you haven’t talked to in a while. 

What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome so far in your industry?

I think just being persistent and not worrying too much about what other people are doing/achieving. The hardest part of starting is feeling like you just keep getting rejected From press, labels, shows etc. the challenge is to keep going and focus on your craft, because if you’re doing things right and at your own pace you will eventually be more successful… probably.

What was surprisingly easy to do?

Performing at bigger stages. We’ve only played a couple bigger rooms (500+) but I actually found that I would be way more nervous for the shows that only have like twenty or thirty people in a small room, the intimacy can be terrifying. When you play to 500 people, you can only see the first few rows and the rest become little dots and you can’t even see their faces. 

Image by Kyle Berger

What advice might you give to you from five years ago? Ten years ago?

I think just like trust your gut and work hard. When I was eighteen I felt this pressure to be successful, as if you couldn’t ‘make it’ anymore after twenty or something. So yeah just focus on yourself and keep going. 

What is your hidden talent or thing you are good at that is completely unrelated to the thing we are interviewing you about?

I am incredible at ping pong. I dare anyone to face me, I forget the last time I lost. 

Who do you think is doing it the best/coolest in your industry right now?

Wednesday just did a flea market at TV Eye for the release of their record. I thought that was a really cool way to bring the community together in music, rather than just playing baby’s or union pool. Nothing wrong with those places, but I think people need to stay away from the same old formula just because it works or whatever.

Where is your favorite place to play/tour?

Europe is generally super fun. UK fans are very enthusiastic but nothing beats the energy we had when we played Supersonic in Paris. People were going nuts that night and it felt very genuine as opposed to some big cities in the US where people feel the need to look like they’re not having fun at a show.

Weirdest gig you ever played?

This is before moving to New York… When I lived in Australia I played a gig with my old band at a massive stage at a park at 10AM and the audience was mainly families with their babies crawling in the grass. It was a very weird vibe but I had fun.

Biggest producer influence?

I think my favourite producer is Nigel Godrich. His production, especially on the last Radiohead album, is incredible. That album mixes very futuristic sounds with classic piano or guitar sounds. He never fails to impress.

A song you wish you wrote?

‘Baby’ by Caetano Veloso.