We’re looking forward to introducing you to Nora Mae. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Nora, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m most proud of building a strong inner foundation — a sense of trust in myself, my timing, and my creative process. It’s the kind of work nobody claps for, but everything depends on it. Learning to hold my own hand through uncertainty, to keep showing up for the vision even when it’s quiet — that’s been the real accomplishment.
The visible parts — the performances, the music releases, the milestones — all trace back to that inner discipline. It’s been years of learning how to build something sustainable, rooted in self-respect and patience rather than urgency or comparison. I’ve built a resilience that’s softer than grit, but stronger than ego — and that’s what lets me create with honesty and longevity.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Nora Mae — a singer, songwriter, and storyteller blending sultry jazz with modern cinematic pop. My music lives in the in-between: nostalgic yet forward-looking, where torch songs meet moody soundscapes. As the granddaughter of the legendary Eartha Kitt, I carry her legacy of timeless performance into a new era — one that celebrates emotional honesty and sophistication over noise.
My upcoming debut album, Fin, is a conceptual body of work structured like a cabaret — a cycle of love, loss, and self-rediscovery. Each song is a scene, each lyric a confession. Beyond the stage, I’m building a brand rooted in artistry and intentionality — from visual storytelling to live performance — inviting listeners into a world where vulnerability feels cinematic.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think what often breaks the bond between people isn’t a lack of love, but a misalignment of compatibility and timing. You can meet someone who feels like home, but if one of you isn’t ready — emotionally, spiritually, or circumstantially — the connection starts to bend under the weight of unmet needs and misread intentions.
What restores those bonds is trust — the willingness to communicate honestly, to see one another clearly, and to do the work. Real connection requires a choice that’s made again and again — in love, in partnership, in friendship, in business. When two people have the desire to grow and keep showing up for that growth, compatibility and timing can finally meet — and something lasting can take root.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
It happened when I realized that vulnerability isn’t weakness — it’s courage in motion. I stopped trying to edit my emotions into something more palatable and instead began to reprogram the shame I felt around pain. Feeling deeply doesn’t make you fragile; it means you’re awake.
Once I understood that, everything shifted. Turning pain into art, into lessons, into connection — that became my therapy. It’s how I make meaning from what I’ve lived through. There’s a quiet strength in saying, “This hurt me, but it also shaped me.” For me, that reclamation of power is where healing — and creation — truly begins.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is absolutely real, it’s just refined. It’s not a mask; it’s a caricature. Everything I share publicly and in my music comes from truth, but it’s filtered through an intentional lens.
For me, self-expression is also performance art. I see my image and my sound as extensions of storytelling — my brand is part of my art. I think of it like building a world with a clear identity and aesthetic that feels cohesive and cinematic. The person on stage and the one offstage are both me, they just serve different emotional purposes. They’re not opposites; they’re reflections of the same truth, both equally real and deeply personal.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story people tell about me isn’t just about the art, but about the character behind it. Of course, I’d love for my work to be timeless — for the music to feel cinematic and intentional, like a soundtrack for people’s inner worlds — but more than that, I want to be remembered for how I carried myself.
I hope people say I led with grace, with self-respect, and with empathy — that I showed strength and softness can coexist. That you can have boundaries and still have an open heart. That vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom.
I want to be known as someone who stood by her integrity, who didn’t take shortcuts that compromised her values, even when the path was slower. I hope my life reminds people that grace can be revolutionary — that our words have power, but our actions have even more. And that it’s always worth risking comfort for love, truth, and purpose — in art, in work, and in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://noramaemusic.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/noramaeofficial
Image Credits
Nesrin Danan
Madeleine Kligerman
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