Reverb: Out of this Galaxy

To infinity and beyond, Naima Mora opens up to Obvious Magazine. She doesn’t want to rule the world. This rock star wants the galaxy and more.  Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Naima Mora is still “America’s Top Bad Ass.”  She’s fearless, powerful, and brave and showing young women that it is still okay to have an edge.

Words by Leon Christian Twitter @imLeonChristian
Photography by Jerris Madison

If you think this chic chick is still just focusing on runways and international fashion campaigns you’re wrong. She currently has her mind set on taking over the music industry.  After winning the forth cycle of the hit television show, “America Next Top Model,” Naima has become more than just a model and a house hold name. Naima’s triumph of becoming a Cover Girl serves as inspiration to all young women that anything is possible if you believe. Presently, Naima has embraced other talents she has kept hidden till now. The world is her stage, her fearlessness is her microphone, and we are her audience.

This past summer while in Brooklyn, New York, I had a chance to meet up with Naima and to see her in a completely different light .She is courageous as ever and has given us something else to SPEAK about.

Leon: Naima tell us about your post-life after winning Cycle 4 of America’s Next Top Model (even though it’s been a few years)?
Naima: Ha Ha! That’s a loaded question! I’ve been doing a lot! Of course I’ve been modeling and have had the opportunity to work with amazing designers over the past several years. I have tried a little bit of acting, but that didn’t take very well because I don’t like memorizing lines…. joke. I have a lot of respect for the arts and I really look up to amazing actors. I wanted to do something that was more natural to me like music. Both my parents are musicians and I grew up in a musical house. I have studied music throughout my life and I wanted to form a band and express myself through that medium instead. Elias and I formed Galaxy Of Tar together early 2010.

Leon: Are you still in contact with the other girls from the show? If so, who?
Naima: Not really. But they’re all really great girls, and we do see each other occasionally at modeling jobs or castings.

Leon: Did you ever doubt you would win the completion/show? Explain.
Naima: At first, I didn’t think I had a chance at all. But towards the end I was very confident in myself.

Leon: It’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen you on the runways and in magazines spreads. Could you explain why?
Naima: I think it’s a natural progression for models to venture into other fields as their career develops. I actually model a lot still. Though not as much as I used to because my band Galaxy Of Tar is such a passion that I have devoted myself to. I figure if I’m going to do something I am going to do it extremely well. That’s always how I’ve been. And music takes a long time to develop and become really good at. So a lot of time is spent touring with the band, rehearsals, writing and recording. Though you can see me most recently modeling on the cover of Luxe Knits (the first and second editions), as part of Nigel Barker’s “Beauty Equation”, and Richard Hallmarq’s upcoming fall campaign.

Leon: I got a chance to check out a performance in Brooklyn of you and your band “Galaxy Of Tar.” Most of your fans didn’t know that you are a singer or even in a band…until now. Could you tell us about your band? How did you all come together?

Naima: Elias Diaz and I actually had a band together last year that offered a lot of time and space to figure out exactly what sound we wanted to go for and what we wanted to develop. After that band broke up, we decided to move forward creating Galaxy Of Tar. We have been fortunate to work with great musicians like our bassist Samuel Fernandez and guitarist Nemanja Rebic. We only released our debut album in May of this year so the project is still fairly new. We want to write good music that relies on good musicality and composition to offer something sonically new for audiences to hear and enjoy.

Leon: I noticed that you are the only girl in the band. How does it feel going with sisters and now being the only girl in a band male band?
Naima: It feels fine. We all get along very well, and I tend to be one of the guys because I’m so relaxed and not a high maintenance diva, so it works out fine. We all love what we do and we all have fun playing music and performing together.

Leon: What made you finally enter the world of music?
Naima: Elias and I have been friends for a long time and he wanted to start a band. He asked me if i was interested in working with him. “Why not?” I thought. So we tried it out and I really loved it. I love writing music and lyrics and performing. It is so refreshing.

Leon: I got the opportunity to check out your bands latest album “PNEUMA” could you tell us the story behind this project and why did you choose cover art instead of a photo?
Naima: “Pneuma” is the first recording endeavor of Galaxy Of Tar and I love it. I wanted to write a collection of short love stories and the lyrics are what manifested from that. Elias worked really hard in composing the songs and we collaborating ideas to form there. One of the songs is kind of a Romeo and Juliet tragedy, another is about Nikola Tesla, a man in love with invention and electricity. We then worked with Sam and Nemanja to incorporate their artistry into the songs to finalize the process. Collen Dupuis engineered the album at Planet E studios in my home town Detroit.

Elias: We really love art and wanted to incorporate something more along the lines of “visual art” rather than regular old picture of the band on the album cover. Alex Passapera did a great job at depicting his vision of Pneuma and Galaxy Of Tar for the debut album!

Leon: There is a track entitled, “Rat Saliva”. Please explain.

Naima: Oh…. haha… the inner workings of the creative mind. That’s all I’ll say.

Elias: I’ve heard that rat saliva is extremely poisonous. If you leave food out that a rat eats on and you end up eating after the rat unknowingly, you can die from the venom of their saliva. And no, the lyrics don’t have anything to do with having died by a rat.

Leon: What track has the most meaning to you and your band mates?
Naima: I think it’s different for everyone, but for me it depends on the day really. All the lyrics I wrote mean something different for me, and depending on the mood I’m in or what’s going on that day I take more affection towards one or another.

Elias: Mephistopheles Claw is my favorite because it puts me in a nice state of mind. It has so many changes and odd time signatures that it keeps me focused on the music.
Leon: What inspires you and your band mates? Is the band inspired by any other artist?
Naima: I like all music. There is so much inspiration from great musicians that i take on a constant basis from Led Zeppelin to Mahalia Jackson, to Bjork. When I write, anything can serve as an inspiration really.
Elias: A lot of bands from the 1970′s. I always enjoy the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Pink Floyd, Santana, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams.

Leon: If Galaxy Of Tar could SPEAK or be the face for public awareness for any good cause, what cause would it be?
Naima: Hhmmm… probably a children’s arts charity organization.
Elias: Well I’m from the Caribbean and I have seen a lot of poverty. I would like to be involved in an organization one day that helps to get musical instruments to people who what to learn to play music in lesser developed countries.

Leon: So what could we expect from Galaxy Of Tar in the near future?
Naima: We’re always writing music, so definitely another album soon. And of course we’ll be touring a lot!
Elias: I tend to try making albums sound completely different from each other. So in the near future of Galaxy Of Tar another great listening adventure.

Leon: Naima, could we expect to see you on the catwalk anytime soon?
Naima: Catwalk? One can become tired of walking like a cat for so long. People walk on two legs, cats walk on four… probably bad for your back and your posture.