Ni/Co: “This will hands down be the biggest stage and audience we’ve performed for.”

As Monday’s episode draws near, we got a chance to interview Ni/Co in between rehearsals and press events. Learn more about this musical duo and how they met, how their song came about, and the big secret they wanted to share with our readers below!

Hello there Ni/Co – it’s wonderful to meet you and get the opportunity to interview you! For our readers who might be meeting you for the first time why don’t you introduce yourselves?

Hi! We’re Ni/Co – made up of Dani and Colton! We are a pop/r&b duo and have been making music together for about 4 years now.

And of course, on March 3^rd you were announced as the official representative of the state of Alabama for the American Song Contest! How has life been for you since the cast was announced?

The only word we can come up with is surreal. It still feels like a “pinch us” moment, so it’s been overwhelming and exhilarating and all of the above!! We have been ITCHING for the first episode to air this Monday, the teasers look UNREAL! We’re just ready to get up there now!

Colton I know that you have previously lived in Alabama for a while, what’s it like being able to represent your home state on such a large scale? Can you tell our readers some of your favorite things about the state?

Colton – It’s an absolute honor!!! I think people underestimate a state like Alabama, so I’m ecstatic to be half of the state’s representation on a scale as large as this! This will hands down be the biggest stage and audience we’ve performed for, so doing it with a peace of home means the absolute world to me. Some of my favorite things about Alabama (and things I miss) would have to be the home cooking. No one does it better than the south, but sepcifically a place like Alabama. Some of the best barbecue you’ll ever have in your life will be smack in the middle of Muscle Shoals or Montgomery I’d have to say. Another thing for me is the people. People know the term “southern hospitality”, but in Alabama, you become family in a matter of minutes in meeting someone. Something about that charm of a state that gets overlooked a lot is so beautiful to me. It’s almost like a well kept secret only we get to know!

According to your website I know that Ni/Co – named after both of you – was formed in Nashville, Tennessee before you moved to LA. How did you first meet and when did you learn that you wanted to make music together?

Yes! We met in a writing session in Nashville and ended up just talking for 6-7 hours instead of writing a song, haha! We knew in that moment that either 1) we really liked each other or 2) we were going to make great art together. Luckily, we think it turned out to be both! We did what most musical couples do when they first start dating – we sang EVERYWHERE together. We annoyed most of our friends and family on a daily basis, we’re sure! But before we knew it, it went from “it’s super cute we sing together” to “we’re an official band releasing music together”.

This is usually a pretty fun question, but if someone were to ask you to describe your music to them, what words or phrases would you use?

OOH, love this question. We’d say vulnerable, passionate, a journey, connective, from the soul, and boundary pushing 🙂

While I was doing some research, I noticed that Colton you have some familiarity with NBC singing competitions as you were part of the second season of the Sing Off. How does it feel to be working with the broadcaster again, but this time on a much larger stage?

Colton – It feels amazing!! I was actually one of the two youngest contestants on the show, so to now be settled and secure in who I am, with a partner I love, and on a platform representing a place I love, it just feels right. It feels like The Sing Off prepared for me for all the magic that will come with American Song Contest!

I know that you do a lot of covers on your YouTube channel, one a week in fact! If you were able to bring in any artist or band of your choosing to record a cover for your channel, who would you invite over and why?

Holy moly, what a question! We’ve actually, embarrassingly enough, had extensive conversations about this haha! We’d love to either JoJo on to do an emotional 3 part harmony power ballad a la “I Will Always Love You” or “All By Myself” – something dramatic you know! Secondly, we’d freak out to have Tate McRae and do a dance visual/cover with her!

What is one thing that people would be surprised to learn about both of you? Like something they couldn’t just find on your social media or website?

Something people would be surprised to learn about us is…. We’ve been dating for 7.5 years. This is actually the first time we’ve officially confirmed that, but there it is!! We’ve had people speculating for years so maybe it’s time to answer it 🙂

Well that is quite the secret to drop! Remember everyone – you heard it here FIRST!!!! 😀 Anyways, let’s talk specifically about the American Song Contest now, how did you first learn about the contest and what motivated you to submit a song?

Someone we used to work with actually thought we’d be a good fit to submit, and from there it was kind of a whirlwind! Truth be told, we thought it wasn’t real until we got the call we had been chosen to represent Alabama officially! We thought it was a scam call hahaha

You posted a tiny teaser of your track’s instrumentals for International Women’s Day but I’m curious if your American Song Contest song was written specifically for the show or was it something you had ready before the submission period even opened?

Kind of both! Our song’s original form was written in the middle of the pandemic, but we were given the chance to finesse and massage it to be the best version it could be for a show and stage of this size in the last few weeks! Something you write in your bedroom on a piano is sometimes a totally different vision than on a giant stage with thousands of people watching 🙂 So we’re unbelievably excited for our song baby to go out into the world in this format!

I want to also talk to you about Eurovision, the show that made ASC possible this year! How much do you know about the contest? Are you planning to watch it on Peacock this year when ASC ends?

ABSOLUTELY!!! We embarrassingly knew very little of Eurovision before ASC, but we are full on fans now!! We had no idea some of our favorite artists and songs came straight from Eurovision. There’s also something incredibly beautiful to be said about Europe’s dedication to live performance – I hope we can live up to that legacy!

For our readers who want to connect with you ahead of or after the contest, where can they find you and your music?

We are on all steaming platforms (Spotify, Apple, Tidal, Deezer, Pandora, Amazon, etc) under “Ni/Co”. And our YouTube channel is “Ni/Co” where we have our weekly covers with some original music and music videos sprinkled in as well! Lastly, our Instagram and Tik Tok are @ni.co_official!

Alright, one final question for you – is there a final message you’d like to share with our readers?

We’d love for people reading to understand how heavily we carry this honor of competing in a competition like this. We are honored, ecstatic, thrilled, and dumfounded this is what we get to do with our life! We want to pay homage to what made this show possible, while bringing new fun and excitement to America’s version! For Alabamians, THANK YOU for allowing us to represent. We wear it like a badge of honor and we hope we do you proud! Also – VOTE VOTE VOTE FOR NI/CO!!

Well Ni/Co, I want to thank you again for your time today and we wish you the best of luck in the American Song Contest moving forward!

Thank you so much, we so appreciate you taking the time to write these out!!!!! Have the best day!

Remember #YOU can catch Ni/Co on the next episode of the American Song Contest, Monday April 4th at 8 PM Eastern/7 PM Central. #YOU can also jump into the ASC discussions happening on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page!