How Nayadnara and Galiyano Keep Creating While Wearing Every Hat
Independent artists do not just make music anymore. They produce, write, record, mix, manage releases, create content, answer messages, build playlists, shoot visuals, and try to keep the excitement alive long enough to share it with the world.
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| Stream 'With A Little Help' on Spotify |
That reality sits at the center of the latest ZHZ Podcast conversation with Nayadnara and Galiyano, the artists behind the new collaborative release, With a Little Help.
Nayadnara, a Salt Lake City-based producer and artist, brings an experimental ear for Afro-fusion rhythms, UK Garage, electronic texture, and details that reward repeat listens. Galiyano, a Seattle-based vocalist and songwriter originally from the Congo, adds a powerful, personal perspective shaped by movement, identity, alternative music, and honest storytelling.
Their collaboration started the way many modern independent music relationships do: online. Nayadnara spent time reaching out to artists around the world, building connections through social media and shared creative curiosity. That path eventually led to Galiyano. When the two finally met in Seattle, their creative chemistry carried over from online messages into real-world studio sessions.
The result was With a Little Help, a track that feels both polished and human. The song blends electronic production, Afro-influenced rhythms, layered vocals, and a message that reaches beyond the music itself. During the episode, Galiyano explains that the song can speak to anyone dealing with depression or mental-health struggles because “there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
That sense of connection runs through the whole interview.
One of the biggest topics was the pressure of wearing every hat. Both artists know the feeling of wanting to focus on the creative work while still needing to manage promotion, videos, distribution, press, and the endless back-end side of building an independent music career.
Nayadnara explains that he uses different parts of the release process as a creative reset. When he has listened to the same mix too many times, he shifts into working on a press kit, planning visuals, or capturing promo content. Zak shares a smart reminder for artists: record the excitement while the song is still fresh. By release day, artists have often heard their own track so many times that creating authentic promo can feel harder.
Galiyano also opens up about imposter syndrome. As an artist from the Congo making alternative and pop-rock-influenced music, he has had moments where he questioned whether he belonged in that space. But that difference is not a weakness. It is part of what makes his voice and perspective stand out.
The conversation also includes a producer-artist lesson worth remembering: great collaboration is not just about talent. It is about being understood. Galiyano describes the relief of working with someone who can hear the vision behind the words and help bring it to life without making the process feel forced.
For the Soundtrack To My Life segment, the guests share music that helped shape them. Nayadnara picks Tool’s “The Pot,” Skrillex’s “Bangarang,” and Quiet Bison’s “Silk.” Galiyano chooses Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Lady Gaga’s “You and I,” and his own song, “Live For You,” which reflects a difficult chapter in his life and the process of finding a way to express it.
This episode is not about overnight success. It is about artists building their own lane, staying honest about the hard parts, and continuing to create anyway.
Memorable Quotes
> “We all want to just be the person to write and send it off.”
> “It takes a village. It takes a group of people to work on this.”
> “There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
> “When that fire sparks, we want to give independent artists a place to burn.”
Links & Resources
Nayadnara
- Website
- Spotify
Galiyano
- Linktree
- Spotify
ZHZ Podcast
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