Practice felt like the real thing- G.W.R. at @dewtour is happening tomorrow at 10am PST ... Catch the event in Long Beach or live on our Instagram! 📷 @_alex_saxon

We met Ellen Murphy, known as "Only Girl", during this year's SXSW and were instantly captivated by her voice and modern R&B instrumentals. Ellen hails from South East London, where she is still based today… we love her fresh perspective on female-dominated songwriting, which makes her the perfect choice for our latest Spotify Playlist For G.W.R. She calls this mix 'Rise & Grind', so we hope you enjoy it next time you push around you own streets this summer.

We’ve featured two of our songs by Only Girl, “Stone” & “Mountain” here. The video for “Mountain”, the single from her latest EP is "all about the story of [her] husband, Jamie, who is a passionate BMXer and suffered a brain injury 6 years ago...so the video features real footage of him riding before and after the injury”, which we selected because it particularly relates to the injury stories of many in the Nikita community. And, “Stone” is just plain bomb. Give her a listen, and we swear you’ll be hooked...

1. We love your band name! Can you tell us the story of how it came to be?

I have 4 brothers and no sisters so I grew up with people always asking me - ‘are you the only girl?!’ so it felt like a good artist name to choose - as it really shaped me as a person growing up with 4 brothers in a big musical family!

2. Can you tell us a little bit about where you are based, and how you ended up at SXSW so far from home?! How was the SXSW experience for you, and have you been before?

I was born and bred in south east London and SXSW has always been a dream of mine! So when I was invited to play this year I was over the moon and straight away applied for the PRS international showcase fund which I was lucky enough to get - so the trip was fully funded as well! This was my first ever SXSW and it was everything I expected it to be and even more full on and intense! It was so exciting to be part of the action and feel part of a global community of musicians!""I was born and bred in south east London and SXSW has always been a dream of mine! So when I was invited to play this year I was over the moon and straight away applied for the PRS international showcase fund which I was lucky enough to get - so the trip was fully funded as well! This was my first ever SXSW and it was everything I expected it to be and even more full on and intense! It was so exciting to be part of the action and feel part of a global community of musicians!

3. Can you describe your musical style a bit for our listeners that are just now discovering your sound? It definitely seems to have a romantic R&B, pop feel to it….what other musicians have influenced you to go in this direction?

I would describe my sound as soulful R&B pop with gospel influences and layers of harmonies! I’m influenced by so many different kinds of music - I just love really honest, passionate musicians whose music has a real meaning behind it! some of my all time favourites are Janis Joplin, Alabama shakes, James Blake, Sampha, Frank Ccean, Bon Iver, noname, Loyle Carner, Jamie XX, Distillers, & Beastie Boys to name a few…

4. What are your travel plans for the summer, and what shows in particular are you most looking forward to?

I've got a bunch of fun little shows this summer in the UK - mostly looking forward to a couple of summer gigs outside that i’ll Be playing as a more stripped down, acoustic set up - as I always really love performing like that! I’m also traveling to LA at the end of the summer to do some writing and meet up with some of the connections I made at SXSW!

5. How can our followers find you, listen to your music & follow you on social?!

All my socials are all @onlygirlmusic.

Alisa is a young up-and-coming skateboarder from Austria. She's only 16, but already in her short career she's achieved over a dozen contest podium finishes, most of which she snagged the first place spot. In addition to having a passion for skateboarding, Alissa is currently going to school for art and takes her talent on a board to the mountains in the winter during the snowboarding season. Read on to get to know a little bit more about her and what pushes her to be her best! 

All photos - Charlotte Thomas

When did you start skateboarding? 

I started around 2 years ago when I was 14 years old. After my first ollies and drop-ins, I quickly realized that skateboarding was my passion.

Do you have any idols? Who do you look up to?

I don´t really have an idol, but I do love girls with the same passion for skateboarding like me; they motivating me and I'm always trying to learn from them.

You´re young- just 16! What do you want to do in life? Do you have a specific goal you're working towards yet or just taking it all in?

My dream is it just to be happy, travel a lot, and to see loads of amazing spots in the world. It would be awesome to live one day in place, where it's always summer. So you could skate every day, whenever you like.

That is the dream, we're down! Let us know when and where and we'll move there too.

This month, we looked back at the winter Olympics to propel our playlist forward with the infectious energy of Kaleena Zanders.  Kaleena is a recording artist responsible for the powerful song, "Stronger Than I've Ever Been" which was featured in conjunction with numerous days of the 2018 Olympics and used in major commercials aired during the event.

With all of this buzz and all of this soul centered around one person, we had to catch up with her and feature her as our April G.W.R. artist! So, settle in, sit back, and enjoy. 

Your song “Stronger Than I’ve Ever Been” was catapulted into the homes of millions around the globe, during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. How did it feel to have your words and voice represent the persistence of so many athletes who have dedicated their life to their craft? 

I was truly blown away, surprised & elated that my song would be used this way. When I wrote "Stronger Than I've Ever Been" with producing duo dirty Monster, I used my own experience from sports. I played varsity basketball all of high school & played rugby in college. Because I used to eat sleep and breathe sports, dirty Monster & I were able to capture all those feelings and emotions of winning & losing and having to keep going. Playing sports has taught me invaluable lessons that I still apply to my life today. 

Kaleena Nikita Clothing Strong Than I've Ever Been from Nikita Clothing on Vimeo.

Every comment on the official music video for the song is not only overwhelmingly positive, but borderline obsessive! Our team felt the same way after pushing play on the piece for the first time- what was the process like for creating a visual that so powerfully matched the audio, or did you have the storyline in mind when you created the track?

A long time friend of mine Cameron Thower who is a great director reached out to me to ask me if I'd like to collaborate on a music video for the song. I was overjoyed because I truly felt that this song needed to be represented with an important video. We brainstormed together and came up with the concept. It took a lot of courage for me to come out & I wanted to show a mothers alliance to her children and the challenges of keeping a family united under these circumstances. Cameron along with the excellent DP Jesse Aragon, was able to execute our vision seamlessly.

Obviously, you have the depth and soul to write and sing ballads, but we noticed that you have also collaborated with several dance and electronic artists as well, like Breathe Carolina & Dropgun for your remake of R&B classic Rhythm Is A Dancer or California with SNBRN (also obsessed). How different is that recording process for you? 

Dance music is a huge love of mine & propelled me into a whole different music community. Recording dance songs are so fun & knowing that people all over the world in clubs and different festivals are jamming to my songs is so rewarding! My goal is to make people happy with my voice. The genre that I am dying to get back to is rock. Because we write really well together, dirty Monster and I have been in the studio writing some heaving hitting rock, slightly hip hop songs. I like to call it "Gangster Rock". And, still I have some more piano driven songs coming which I can't wait to share!

Tell us a little bit about the 30 songs/ artists you chose for our April Spotify Playlist #ForGirlsWhoRide! What artists inspires you to stay energized and moving?

Kaleena Nikita Clothing from Nikita Clothing on Vimeo.

I started off the playlist with a 90's theme, two dance classic remixes "Work" by Gigamesh & myself then "Rhythm Is A Dancer" by Breathe Carolina, Dropgun & myself. Then I put in an original 90's cut "Pump up the Jam" by Technotronic to continue the theme and bring out that winner, boss girl feeling and transition into the next few tracks that have that same "bad ass" feeling. Toward the middle of the playlist is usually when the workouts or practice become more challenging so I put in cerebral but hard hitting songs, like "Thunder" by Netsky & Emeli Sandé to keep the mind in the game. I from California so west coast gangster rap was a huge influence on me growing up naturally, I threw in a hard hitting banger called "Afro Puffs" by Lady Rage. Then I ended it with all the success and glory of making it through the workout, practice, or game. "I made it" by Fantastia. 

You’ve had a big year already and we are certainly hope you are taking some time to enjoy a bit of the “glory"; is there anything in particular that you want to achieve this year, music or otherwise? 

I would like to make a 5 song EP filled with motivational songs and plan for a tour. I would also like to travel to Ibiza & Thailand this year.

For all of our global followers that would love to see you live or hear more music by you, where can they find out more about you?

On Spotify I'll be releasing more music oh so soon and I talk a lot about where I am performing on instagram. My links are below :-)
Please follow me on Spotify
Instagram 
Soundcloud
Facebook

Huge THANK YOU to Kaleena for working together with us on this, and for all of the energy and inspiration she's bringing to the world right now. We hope you're already moving to the G.W.R. April playlist by Kaleena Zanders, she knows how to curate some dance music!

#forgirlswhoride

Originally posted on TWSnow- you can check out the full article here!

All photos - Ashley Rosemeyer

Why aren't there more women's events? This is the biggest takeaway from G.W.R. by Nikita Clothing at Carinthia Parks on March 31^st.  Girls traveled from Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to be at this single-day event. With so much interest and enthusiasm for something like this, it should be a no-brainer to get more of these progression and jam session days going. If you're a girl and you live somewhere they don't have an event like this, start organizing it! Get out there and bring people together!

With more than 70 girls gathered together at Carinthia's Lower Nitro Park on the morning of March 31^st, the excitement was high and the energy was infectious. Throw-back jams started playing over the speakers provided by Carinthia and the G.W.R. by Nikita Clothing at Carinthia Parks was on. If you're not familiar with G.W.R. events by Nikita yet- the format runs like this; the day starts off with a morning jam session coached by Nikita teamriders, and then after a short break for lunch everyone gathers again at the top of the park to throw down tricks they've just learned (or have already mastered) for a massive giveaway of prizes and goods. Prizes are handed out for riders when they land sick tricks, their personal best tricks, or even when someone just slams super hard; they earn themselves a giveaway and a huge round of applause for going for it.

Was that not enough? Head over to TWSnow now to get your fill on the rest of this recap and see more photos from our G.W.R. event at Carinthia!

Repost from WeAre!

We loved the outfit they built from this Marigold inspiration and our Nikita Dusk Ringer Tee. Get your very own Marigold magic by picking up one of the Dusk Ringers yourself.

"☀️ dreamy yellow in spring! ☀️ check out our marigold outfit with Nikita Clothing, Coal Headwear, Vans and noisy may in our shop: http://bit.ly/outfit-marigold"

RSVP Now!

Our next G.W.R. event for skiers AND snowboarders is happening this month, March 31st at Carinthia Mt Snow!

We'll have a morning progression session from 10am-12pm coached by Nikita team riders, followed by an open jam starting at 1:30pm where we'll have tons of giveaways to hand out and a big prize for Best Trick! 

There will be Discount Tickets for all participants ($39!) and tons of good times to be had. So grab your friend, spread the word, and we'll see you on Saturday March 31st. Save your spot and RSVP now!

With a personal style we love, and an energy to her sets we can't ignore, Lee K was our undeniable pick to curate this month's G.W.R. by Nikita playlist.

“For me, techno has a lot of energy, and even though it doesn’t have lyrics, to me, it has a lot of soul. It’s dark and hits a certain place in me.”

San Diego based, international techno DJ @lee_k_ first discovered her love for techno music after listening to ambient 90’s house bands like #AphexTwin and #TheProdigy.

Lee K is a San Diego based DJ, who spends most of her time traveling the globe (currently in Berlin) to play festivals and other music events or in a studio. She started experimenting with turntables while in Los Angeles for college, and even though many artists flock to the city for newfound opportunities, she opted to return to San Diego’s calmer scene. “L.A. can be very distracting,” she says. “I feel like being in North County really lets me decompress when I’m home, and then I can go out on the road.” Quote via @sdcitybeat

Whether you're gearing up to let loose or settling in to blow off steam, this playlist by Lee K will be your perfect companion throughout the weekend and through the week. Scroll down and push Play.

Mirte van Dijk is a Dutch snowboarder, content creator and professional nomad. She most recently set off to Japan for a few months and has been taking FULL advantage of the unreal season they've been having there (and we seriously mean unreal- it's been dumping there since December!) We could not resist reaching out to her to get to know more about her. Could you? Read on to see what it's like living out of a suitcase, and never knowing where you'll land next. 

Hi Mirte! We’ve been seeing some of your travels lately and they are looking AMAZING. Those little bits are making us really want to know more- how you do it, why you do it and where you’re going next. 

So, tell us! Spill the beans!

 
What initially drew you to travel to Japan? 
I think Japan might be the only country that is on the list of every snowboarder, because of the massive amounts of snow, exotic culture and g-o-o-o-d food. It’s been on mine for years! And now I’m here, I leave it on my list, because one visit is really not enough!

Why Hakuba? What exactly are you doing there?

Two friends who run a lodge in Hakuba Valley needed some extra hands this season, only a few hours a day. Before I knew it me and Sébastien (the boyfriend) were on our way to paradise. And besides the great snow, beautiful landscapes and being surrounded by funny animal noises while riding, it actually turned out to be the classic ‘lodge life’. Friends became bosses and we were working way more hours than promised. Sébastien needed to take a break (and a beer), went out and found a new job while still zipping his glass in the bar that appeared out of nowhere. We packed our bags the day after and moved to the coolest riders lodge of Cortina: Hakuba Cortina Lodge (re-opening next season). From the first time since our arrival all the pieces finally came together.