Having recently released her powerful single, “Built On You,” Miriam Nyarko has been gaining widespread acclaim for her introspective storytelling and heartfelt performances. The song takes listeners on a transformative voyage.

In this exclusive interview, we’ll dive into Miriam’s creative process, her inspirations, and the challenges she’s faced as an emerging artist in the ever-evolving music industry. We’ll also discuss her upcoming projects, collaborations, and what lies ahead on her artistic journey.

Pinch Of Sol: “Built On You,” is inspired by the Bible verse Matthew 7:25, which speaks to the importance of having a strong foundation. Can you tell us about how the song came about? What do the verse and the song mean to you personally?

Miriam Nyarko: This song was pretty much written because my motto of the year was to view life from the mountaintops and not the valleys below. Whilst journaling on New Year’s Eve, my friend and I were listening to a live stream and the song playing was called ‘Firm Foundation’ by Cody Carnes. In that song, the lyrics stated “Rain came, the wind blew, but my house was built on you”.

After I’d heard those lyrics and referred back to my motto for the year I knew that this message wasn’t just a coincidence. I knew God had not only led me to a new way of living but was telling me to encourage others to do so too. This song means more to me than people will ever realize. In my 20 years of life, I haven’t had it easy. I thought that my foundations were solid and nothing could really shake me. I guess this was just naivety (which is inevitable when you’re young). Then at the age of 16, my best friend passed away from suicide and the grief didn’t stop there. I also lost my father in 2020 and that loss shook my entire world.

I have always believed in God and chose to follow God when I was 8. But saying that God is my firm foundation and actually making Him my firm foundation were very different things. I realized that my dad was an unshakeable rock, and in my mind if everything failed, I had him. So when I didn’t have him it became apparent that my faith was being tested. This verse is an amazing metaphor. It states that no matter how windy, rainy, or cloudy life gets, the trust I haven’t got is a thing that sustains me. And I want people to have faith stirred up inside of them every time they hear this song. I want them to know that life cannot break them no matter how broke I feel.

Pinch Of Sol: You mentioned that the new release was written in under half an hour. Can you tell us about your songwriting process? How much time do you typically spend writing a song, and does inspiration come easily to you? Have you always found songwriting to be an effortless process?

Miriam Nyarko: It depends on whether I have an idea and instantly roll with it or whether I’m just freestyling on the piano, guitar, or to a beat. The songwriting process for this song was pretty strange. I started off with a beat and just began freestyling but I did already have the message I wanted to talk about, hence why the words came pretty quickly. I find melodies come quickest to me. So I’m never really battling with melodies a lot of the time. It’s just trying to put my thoughts on paper or squash them down into lines that make up a verse or a chorus.

There are so many different ways to write a song and neither one is right or wrong. I know a lot of people that will write the lyrics first and then create a melody to coincide. However, a lot of the time my lyrics and melodies come at the same time. Whilst freestyling to the specific chord progression, I will say random words. Sometimes those words make sense and sometimes they don’t. The melodies of my song change the more I sing them – so what initially was the first draft sounds quite different from the final, however, the base is still there.

I definitely have not always found songwriting to be an effortless process. I had writer’s block for what felt like years, and I realized it was more of a mental block, the pressure I was putting on myself, and how I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. But when I got over that and I found my love for songwriting again, it all became easier. I personally believe that writer’s block just means something has to change whether it’s your previous line, whether it’s the melody, whether you just need to move on to another song. There is always a constant flow of creativity. However, we just need to find it.

Pinch Of Sol: The lyrics of your latest single are powerful and faith-filled. What message do you hope your listeners take away from the song?

Miriam Nyarko: I want people to know the things of this world come and go, but one thing remains the same…and that is your faith. It’s about viewing life from the mountaintops and not the valleys low. It’s about knowing that no matter how many broken pieces you have, they can always be made into a new masterpiece. I want people to know that they are a new creation every time they choose to build their life on His firm foundation.

Pinch Of Sol: You’ve had a successful career in both acting and music, having played roles in various productions such as Almost Never, The Lion King, and Matilda: The Musical. How do you balance these two careers, and do you find that they influence each other creatively?

Miriam Nyarko: I have been juggling these careers from the age of 10. Obviously, there comes a point where you have to give one more attention than the other – and music has always been a part of my life, but acting happened to take off first. So whilst working on my music behind the scenes, I was improving my acting publicly. A lot of the time these two industries do coincide.

For instance, whilst I was in the TV show Almost Never, there was a lot of music and time in the studio that went behind producing the show that people see. I definitely won’t sit here, and tell you that it’s easy to do. Sometimes it feels like my brain is about to explode, as what, for my whole life, has been a purely creative outlet – then becomes something I have to do in order to make a living. Which is why I find it so important to remember the reason I started this.

Music is like acting but instead of speaking, you’re singing. It’s telling a story – whether it’s your own or not. So the two worlds do cross paths sometimes but unless that production has music involved (like musicals) I tend to keep them separate.

Pinch Of Sol: What was it like working with Samuel Jinadu on the production of “Built On You”? Can you tell us about the collaboration process and how he helped bring your vision for the song to life?

Miriam Nyarko: The funny thing is ‘Built On You’ was the first project we had ever done together/ the first time we had ever met and we clicked instantly. I sang him the song on WhatsApp a few weeks prior and asked if he’d want to work on it with me and he was very enthusiastic. Working with Samuel was one of the best experiences I’ve had with a producer. I expressed clearly what I wanted to come out of this song and he exceeded my expectations.

I was in the studio with Samuel for about five hours and we managed to bang it out in that amount of time. I am very picky when it comes to the way I sound on each line and he very patiently followed my lead. The backing vocal ideas were pretty much all him, so I am so grateful for his brain and his tenacity to his craft. There were many FaceTimes post the studio session to ensure that it was all done and I CANNOT WAIT to release more music with him.

Pinch Of Sol: Your music blends elements of R&B, Gospel, and afrobeats. How do you approach balancing these different genres and infusing them into your songs, while also exploring new sounds and styles? How do you maintain authenticity in these genres while still allowing yourself room for artistic growth?

Miriam Nyarko: It comes quite naturally to me. I’m using these genres together, because these genres are what I am. I grew up in gospel music and R&B and Afrobeats. So it feels like a combination of all the spices in my life.

Pinch Of Sol: As someone with British, Ghanaian, and Bajan heritage, how do you incorporate your cultural background into your music, and what impact does it have on your songwriting and performance style?

Miriam Nyarko: I don’t think too much about incorporating my cultural background because it’s already a part of me. So whatever I create will always have my roots, heritage, and upbringing as a base. I used to create mostly RnB, but over the last two years, I have been listening to a lot more Afrobeats and have spent a lot of time in our house in Ghana, surrounded by family. I couldn’t not make it a part of my sound.

My dad passed away when I was 18 and he was my biggest inspiration, so I think since that happened I subconsciously made it my mission to never let his memory fade. I want all I do to not only glorify my Heavenly Father but the father that raised me. My upbringing has also been very faith-based, therefore my songwriting always tends to stray towards writing about that because it’s what makes me who I am.

Pinch Of Sol: You have accomplished a lot at a young age, and your career is just getting started. What are your goals for your music career in the next few years, and what do you hope to achieve in the long run?

Miriam Nyarko: I am so grateful for where I am at right now. I need to remember to be content with what I see and not get caught up in the next dream. But that being said, I would love my career to blossom greatly. In the future I want to see an EP, and more singles being released. I also want to then be able to build up my rep and perform at loads of festivals, whether they be Christian festivals or R&B and Afro/Gospel ones.

I just wanna get myself out there and impact the world with the message that I’ve been given. In the long run, I want my acting to also reach new heights, and hopefully, I can star in a movie and write an accompanying song for one too. Who knows? A complete gospel album with a live band is also something I hope to achieve, as well as to collaborate with my inspirations such as Madison Ryan Ward and more.

Pinch Of Sol: Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re currently working on and what can your listeners expect from your future releases?

Miriam Nyarko: I am currently working on a ‘Built On You’ Remix which I hope to release in the heat of summer. I also feature on Tom Smith’s (a Christian artist) new single that is set to come out soon! Currently, I am still on a UK tour as the lead in a new musical, but the moment that finishes (June) I will be back in the studio laying down tracks and trying to work towards an EP. I’m not in any rush because I know that things will get done at the time they are meant to.

Pinch Of Sol: Your music has been compared to that of Tori Kelly, H.E.R, and Madison Ryann Ward. Who are some of the artists that have influenced your sound the most, and who would you say has been your biggest inspiration as a musician?

Miriam Nyarko: The two you just said! Those artists have really shaped my sound and helped me evolve as a songwriter and musician. As I delve more into Afrobeats, I’m quickly discovering different sounds and influences that I think are really cool too. These include CalledOut Music, Limoblaze, Marizu, and Rema. What I love about the first three is that they effortlessly intertwine faith with vibey music, and spread God’s messages through music that makes me feel warm inside! I hope that as I evolve as an artist, I can mirror the same aspects and qualities that I like so much about these singers.