Meet Saara Nishat | Singer & Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Saara Nishat and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Saara, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Fortune favors the bold.” I’ve bounced around through a bunch of different quotes and affirmations over the years that have stuck with me, but in this chapter of my life, this one has stuck with me the most. I recently took up street performing on the Las Vegas strip to build more of a community for my music, get my name out there, and really just do more of what I love. One day, an older gentleman came up to me while I was singing, put a $100 bill in my hand, and said “You have a really pretty voice, and a whole lot of courage.” And I can genuinely say I think about it almost every day. I’ve been singing my whole life, and am very grateful for the amount of times I’ve received kind words about my voice. But his mention of my courage has served as such a powerful reminder to myself. More than just in the context of street performing, I realized how much courage it’s taken me to take a chance on my artistry, ditch a back up plan entirely, and chase what makes my heart the happiest. It’s a good feeling to recognize that within myself. And I can only hope and believe that fortune will continue to favor me so long as I stay bold.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My name is Saara, and I’m a South Asian R&B singer and songwriter. I’ve been singing since I was 6 years old, and as I developed my craft I performed at various local shows and open mics throughout Vegas over the years. When I started high school, I went through my first bout of relationship troubles and heartbreak, and from that, my love of songwriting was born. I took all my troubles and put them into melodies and somber lyrics, and soon after that I began the process of recording my own music. Growing up I was a huge bookworm with a really deep appreciation for words and the impact they can have on a really personal level, and was always the biggest nerd about lyricism in the music I listened to. So that all translated into my own stuff. I’m super proud of the progress I’ve made both lyrically in sonically over the past 6 years or so, but I’m the most excited about how much more I have to learn. And also the single I have coming out in a couple weeks, “MTN 94”- that’s pretty exciting too.

It wasn’t always easy- I’ve had my share of challenges in terms of creative blocks, worrying about stream counts, just getting super in my head, really. But I’m lucky in the fact that all my best friends are crazy talented creatives who can pick me up out of a slump, inspire me, and push me to keep going whenever I start thinking too much. I’ve learned so, so much along the way. I learned the importance of discipline, of striving to learn something new and make it a point to get at least a little bit better every day, and of surrounding myself with the right people. But most of all, I’ve learned that courage and relentless faith can take you a really long way in the right direction.

I would want the world to know that the motivation behind everything I’m doing is my love for music’s ability to connect people. To me, it’s the most universal mode of expression in an art form. I haven’t met one person in my life thus far who didn’t like SOME type of music. And what I’m aiming to do is form connection with people in a meaningful way. The idea of someone listening to one of my songs in their room, super in their feelings because my music made them feel something about their own situation, maybe even made them feel a little bit more understood and less alone, is ridiculously special to me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
hi i’m not sure if this is for vegas or for LA so i’m gonna answer both

Seeing as how I’m not an LA native I feel like my answer is going to be super basic but I do have a few main favorite places I need to visit every time I go. The beach is absolutely a necessity, and my favorite is Santa Monica. The pier is super cute to walk down- there’s always something interesting going on. Being a musician, Amoeba Records is always fun. I could stand there for hours flipping through records if I could. I really enjoy going to The Last Bookstore, too. That’s another place I could sit in for hours- they have any and every kind of book you could think of. I’m a firm believer in the fact that any Korean BBQ restaurant in KTown absolutely destroys every KBBQ place in Vegas, so that’s a must, too. I’d also make sure to stop by Din Tai Fung- just crazy, crazy good dim sum that I think about very often.

I know Vegas is most famous for its clubs out on the strip, but being a local I wouldn’t really even put that on my list. I think the only exception I would make is this speakeasy/club called On The Record. If we’re talking nightlife though, my friends and I frequent the Vegas downtown scene more than anything. A super cool bar here that I’ve been to more times that I can even count is Oddfellows- they play a lot of oldies, and really just everything ranging from the 70s-early 2000s, which is super different from all the other bars and clubs here, so I find it really cool. When it comes to food, I frequent China Town a lot here in Vegas- I’m a big fan of Asian food and there are a lot of great spots all throughout the area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am, nor would I believe in what I’m doing as much as I do, if it weren’t for the incredible people I’m surrounded by. I first have to shout out my mom and my older brother for guiding me every step of the way and loving me both unconditionally and relentlessly. Shoutout to my best friends; Roslyn Mosses, my stylist and creative partner in crime, and Kiana, my self-proclaimed “biggest fan” who never hesitates to let me know how much she believes in me. Shoutout my close circle, Chris, Mark, Cham, Jeremy, Aisa- the most talented group of musicians who inspire me every single day, make me better, and always always alwaaays know how to make me laugh.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saaranishat/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saaranishat_

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpIqJjWMfLWy7qaPDBCV71w

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7HQe9Y67wT5WNxMXFqnQza

Image Credits
Taylor Shae, Gavin Coath, Ryan Alexander