Niki Dawson: A Rising Artist You Need To Know

Niki Dawson has come a long way since she first set foot on the set of The Voice Season 1 as a teen artist. Though this audition would go on to jumpstart her career, it wasn’t her first experience with competition. At 17, she auditioned for American Idol… and bombed. Though she nailed her song, when the judges asked for something else, she was caught empty-handed. 

The rising R&B artist has her hands full, now. A singer-songwriter and producer, Dawson just released a new single, Feelings, leaning into her jazz roots. The evolution in her smokey alto indicates she’s an artist who will age like fine wine. Reflecting on the struggle to leave the feels behind, her stunning voice floats over a self-produced, groovy rhythm. 

Fiercely independent and a music lover at heart, Niki Dawson is poised to make her name in the industry, all on her own terms. 

Won’t Stop The Music 

A lifelong music lover, Dawson remembers when she fell in love with sampling, recording her own vocal remixes as a teen over karaoke cassettes. To this day, Dawson said she generally builds her beats off a chosen sample, layering real instruments on top. 

“Because I love jazz and classical music, I love being able to slice and apply a different take or arrangement on something that’s already existing,” she said. 

Photo via Facebook

That same love drove Dawson’s breakout audition in the first season of The Voice, where she made it on with a jazz reimagining of Rihanna’s Please Don’t Stop The Music.

Though she didn’t make it past the battle rounds, Dawson credits The Voice with teaching her about the importance of personal branding and identity. Working with Kelly Rowland vocal coach Romeo Johnson, Dawson felt encouraged to just be free and let go. She had never really thought about what her own personal style should be.

“[Romeo] was stylistically giving me the independence. I think that’s what my experience and The Voice gave me: what is your identity?” Dawson said. 

Dawson’s artistic identity, anchored in show-stopping vocals, combines her passions for jazz, hip-hop, and neo-soul. Though she grew up on classical, Dawson cites Odd Future as an early inspiration, admiring their refusal of traditional song formats. If anything, Dawson loves pushing the envelope. She has an “all over the place” music taste and bonded with me over a forbidden love of country music.  

“I’m inspired by country,” she said. “I like the way that country is worded. It’s like poetry to me, more lyrical in that sense.” 

Dawson’s diverse tastes, hailing from every era of her life, show in her work. She released her last full-length album, Janus Killed Hera, in 2018, drawing from her wide influences. Over traditional hand-clap beats, hazy hip-hop samples, and raw acoustic riffs, Dawson explores her voice in a new way on every track. The smooth “Scorpio Ascendant” feels like if Solange met the Pussycat Dolls; as perfect a clash of tastes as Dawson herself. 

Eight-Track Beginnings

Speaking with Niki Dawson over the phone, her warm and expressive personality shines through. When she describes a scene, you’re there with her. This talent translates to her immersive approach to songwriting and producing. Before I could ask how her day was, she made sure to ask about mine. 

Growing up in North Florida, Dawson threw herself into the arts from a young age with the support of her parents. She grew up around records of all kinds, from Michael Jackson to classic jazz. Fond childhood memories include Dawson’s father explaining his collection of eight-track tapes to her, detailing each of his favorite artists’ first big hit. 

“It was like, before anyone’s discography was just sitting there online,” Dawson recalled, “I had to get it verbally from my dad as a kid, and it just kind of fascinated me.”

Photo via Press Kit

Dawson’s parents encouraged her toward Florida performing arts schools, like LaBelle Performing Arts and Douglas Anderson High School. Though singing remained a constant pursuit, she also explored writing, penning poetry and fiction, and attending events for student singer-songwriters. 

It was at Douglas Anderson the singer discovered her penchant for producing. She found an ingenious way to combine her passions in karaoke cassettes. Over her favorite instrumentals, Dawson would sing her own melodies, using new riffs and lyrics. She would record it all on a blank cassette tape. 

“At the time, I didn’t realize what was happening, but I just felt like ‘Ooh, if I could just get this little idea down!’” Dawson said. “Eventually I made a mixtape.” 

Beautiful Fumbles

If Niki Dawson could tell her younger self anything? Have more fun. Looking back, the artist said, the panic and pressure of navigating the industry stopped her from enjoying the moment. 

“It was exciting, it was nerve-wracking. But it was, you know, beautiful fumbles,” Dawson said. “It was beautiful moments of ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’”

Photo by Mark Mangura

Now seasoned, Dawson makes sure to set aside time for herself. Though sometimes this means a night out dancing or a FaceTime movie review club with friends, for Dawson, her music is work and play. Letting her inspiration flow on her notes app or voice memos, Dawson feels grateful for brief moments of creativity throughout the day. 

It’s these moments of creativity, and the discipline to grasp them, that Dawson said keeps her grounded. She found the drive to do so after facing health issues related to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. In 2017, she found herself confined to her home after a life-threatening reaction known as Steven Johnson’s Syndrome. Forced to build her own schedule, she realized how much she could accomplish on her own time. 

“I realized I can get so much done when I carve out some time to just get these ideas out,” she said. 

In the future, Dawson hopes to continue to write and produce music, always involving herself in projects she’s passionate about. She hopes to become a more recognized songwriter, working with other artists to arrange standout tracks. 

“I want to be able to be a part of projects that are meaningful and impactful,” she said. “Just be a part of music that feels timeless.”

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Written by Hattie Lindert | Twitter