“A fan is an appliance you plug in and out, I prefer the word family.” This is one of the many things vivacious Rising Star alumni Nickeishia Barnes revealed about her music career and relationship with her admirers in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Gleaner.

Whether you consider yourself her ‘fan’, ‘family’ or otherwise, there is no denying the femme fatale’s talent.

Even though she did not win Rising Star, finishing second to the also talented trio, One Third, Barnes used the talent show as a platform to launch her career as a singer/songwriter.

“I think Rising Stars allowed me access to major players in the musicbusiness such as Penthouse, Harmony House, Headline Entertainment, Digital B Productions, Jam2 Productions and a host of others. For this, I am super grateful and humbled,” the bubbly songbird stated.

REWARDING TIME

Since Rising Star, Barnes believes the last year and a half of her career has been the most rewarding and she credits most of this to her MusicMatters team.

MusicMatters, as Barnes explained, is the collaborative product of herself, producer Saunjay ‘Triple Ace’ Kerr and Sasha Jennings, who she describes as road/street support.

According to the soulful reggae crooner, MusicMatters is responsible for her latest EP, Wounded In Love, and the team recently decided to do an acoustic version of the EP because of the overwhelming feedback they have received from live shows.

This might come before her next EP slated to be released in the first week of August.

“My next EP is the second part to the storyline of being hurt but being lifted from all the turmoil to love once again,” Barnes said about her forthcoming work.

The EP will be a precursor to her debut album, a word which the artiste says makes her nervous as she says it carries a lot of weight.

Thinking back on her journey, however, Barnes admitted that if she could go back and do things differently she would not have been as fearful as she was of her talent.

She also added that she wished she had been as dedicated to her craft as she is now and paid more attention to the business aspect of her career.

Regardless, Barnes’ path has seen her mature along with her music, blossoming into a more complete artiste.

Recently, the soulful songbird performed an acoustic set at the Jamnesia live concert series and the experience proved emotional for her.

“I was close to tears after the set to have received such love on the stage, graced by Proteje, Jah9 and Chronixx. I showcased the songs from the EP, and even though the audience might not have been familiar with them they loved the set,” Barnes said.

If you’re eager to hear the artist perform live then you can check her out at her next confirmed gig at the Sanchez Tribute on April 5.