Interview: Nep discusses new album 'Noelle' and Los Angeles

Photo credit: Ibe Van Bouchaute

Rising pop artist Nep is looking to forge her own path with her debut album Noelle. The 12-track arrives after a rising momentum following sold-out headlining shows and tours alongside Ricky Montgomery, mxmtoon, and Grent Perez. We talked to Nep about working on their debut album and her forthcoming headlining show at The Echo in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

MP3s and NPCs: You worked on the debut album alongside Jake Sonderman. How did the two of you meet?

Nep: Me and Jake met over 4 years ago, at freshman orientation for our major! We both stayed behind to talk to our professors and see the mic closet, like the nerds we were. We’ve been best friends ever since! We started making songs together our sophomore year, starting with A Big Brown Dog Named Bagel, and slowly but surely built our way up to making this entire album together!

MP3s and NPCs: While you perform indie-pop music, the record features a slew of other genres in the mix. How important was it to incorporate other styles in the release?

Nep: I really wanted to try to make music like my favorite bands. I was an emo kid growing up, and even when I kinda evolved to being more indie/alternative, my favorite musicians all stayed the same!!! MCR, PTV, Twenty One Pilots, 5SOS…I dream of making music like them. It’s definitely always been on my mind that the Nep’s Storybook audience might not dig the new stuff, which I totally get. But I can always go back to writing acoustic music, and there couldn’t have been a more perfect time than this record to try out a new sound!

MP3s and NPCs: What was it like working on the music video for "Florida Girl"?

Nep: So awesome. Oh my gosh. The crew, the families at the speedway, the drivers…everybody was really kind. I felt pretty pushed out of my comfort zone, running around the track in front of all of those people in the stands. I remember worrying about being too weird, or ruining anybody’s outing, but genuinely every person I spoke to that day was so supportive of our filming. It was really cool. I feel like it tied into the message of Florida Girl really well, like, leaning into being a little bit crazy.

MP3s and NPCs: You recently moved to Los Angeles. How have you been adjusting to an always-moving city?

Nep: I feel like going to college in Miami prepped me well! There’s a lot to do here. I’ve been running around, trying to do as much of it as possible, which I’m sure will get old, so I’m trying to take advantage of wanting to for as long as I can!

MP3s and NPCs: You're set to perform at The Echo. How has the Los Angeles crowd treated you since you began playing shows?

Nep: I’ve actually only played one other show in LA before, at the Moroccan Lounge! It was soooooo freaking fun. I love LA crowds. It feels like singing to a bunch of people who could be my best friends. I’m always like, woah, we are so similar!?! Makes me feel like I fit in, which always feels great.

MP3s and NPCs: Obviously, fans can expect to see more shows from you in 2026. What are some of your aspirations as far as touring goes?

Nep: I would love to tour for as long as humanly possible…I feel super myself when we’re on the road. I want to play literally everywhere I can. I’ve never been out of North America before, so taking that step would be awesome. I’ve also haven’t been to like, 30 states in the US, and I’ve only been to half of the provinces in Canada, so I wanna see everything here too!!!

Tickets for Nep’s performance at The Echo on Tuesday (November 4) are on sale to the general public right now here. Nep’s debut album Noelle is available right now via Harbour Artists & Music here.