Naya Yeira: Inside the Making Of 'Almost There'

Naya Yeira documents the making of her new EP ‘almost there’ in an exclusive photo diary for DMY, a time capsule of the many versions of herself that shaped it.

Some records take their time, and Naya Yeira’s EP 'almost there' is one of them. Written at very different points in her life, the songs ended up telling a single story: that of her twenties, a decade of moving at your own pace, outgrowing old patterns and never quite arriving. By the time she finished, Naya found herself transformed.

“Honestly, this EP took so long to make, and I changed so much throughout the process. So many things happened in between relationships changed, perspectives shifted, and I feel like I became a completely different person by the time I finished it," Naya tells DMY.

"A lot of these songs were written at very different points in my life, but somehow they all ended up telling the same story. I think your twenties are such a weird time because everyone's moving at their own pace, and you're constantly figuring out who you are, what you want, and whether you're even heading in the right direction. That's kind of where 'almost there' came from. It's about feeling stuck in certain patterns, wanting to grow out of them, and realising that you're always going to be a work in progress. I guess the EP is a little time capsule of all those different versions of me, and I love that I finally get to share it!”

To celebrate the EP's release, Naya gave us a peek inside the making of the EP. What emerges is a visual time capsule of the many versions of herself that shaped 'almost there', and a reminder that being a work in progress is part of the point.

The beginning

“This is what I looked like when I first started making the EP! It's crazy because I had long black hair and looked completely different by the time I finished it. I feel like this photo captures a whole different era of my life haha.”

Writing 'Raffle Ticket' and 'Spiders'

“This is Ant! We wrote 'Raffle Ticket' and 'Spiders' together, two songs I absolutely love. I think we make really good music together, and it's always so fun seeing what we come up with!”

Working with Sean Hamilton

“Another frequent collaborator on the EP was Sean Hamilton! I'm pretty sure we wrote 'Hit Record' and 'twenty9' in this very room. Sean always knows how to bring out my personality and the little things that make my sound unique. He's been such a big part of bringing this project to life!”

The end of an era

“And this is what I looked like when I FINALLY finished the EP haha. Can't believe all my hair was gone by then! I think these two photos really show just how much time passed and how much I changed throughout the process.”

The inspiration behind 'Letter'

“My little secret spot in Hampstead Heath back in 2023. I think this was around the time I first started imagining a song like 'Letter'. There's something about this view that feels so full of longing and a little eerie. I remember feeling quite stuck in my life at the time, and this place really captured that feeling. Eventually I managed to get out of that chapter, and when 'Letter' finally came together, it sounded exactly how this view felt to me.”

The 'Raffle Ticket' shoot

“Behind the scenes of the 'Raffle Ticket' music video! We managed to bring together a bunch of really talented creatives for this little passion project. We went all the way out to this location to catch the sunrise, and honestly got so much out of that little adventure. I love making things with people who are just as excited about the creative process.”

Building the world of 'Almost There'

“Building the world for Almost There! I've always wanted my music to exist beyond just the songs, somewhere people can actually imagine themselves stepping into. We created this whole visual world for the EP, which you'll be able to see on YouTube soon!! So fun eep!”

Collaborating with Claudia

“Me and the very talented Claudia, who's become a frequent collaborator of mine! We've worked on bringing so many of my visual ideas to life together. It's always really special getting to build a creative world with someone who understands your vision and brings so much of their own creativity into it too.”

Bringing the visual world to life

“This is what the world of Almost There looks like! I had this very specific idea of a bedroom made out of plastic, with everything blowing in the wind. I wanted it to feel familiar but also fragile and surreal, almost like you're inside a memory that could disappear at any moment. To me, that really represents how the EP feels, being somewhere between holding on and letting go.”

Creative coding and projections

“To top it all off, I was inspired by an artist who was projecting visuals onto plastic, and I really wanted to explore that idea in my own way. I’m also a digital artist, so I ended up creating the projection visuals myself using creative coding! This particular visual is an animation of cursive handwriting that reacts to the music. I love finding ways to bring together my music and digital art, especially when it makes the whole world feel a little more alive.”

'almost there' is out now via Random Records.

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