Safia Nolin’s powerful political voice makes her a standout figure in today’s arts scene, with a career that explores identity, difference and life in the margins. As a racialized woman and a lesbian who takes an out-of-the-box approach to her art form, she flies in the face of societal norms and expectations. Her aesthetic, a celebration of imperfection and authenticity, can be just as harsh as it is poetry-laden.

In her new album, UFO RELIGION, Safia Nolin gives voice to a feeling of profound alienation, a desire to break away from a world that does not see her. Sparse melodies and coarse instrumentation set the scene for introspection, melancholy and hope. Nature is a central character here, a safe haven and a source of inspiration—and a counterpoint to human alienation.

UFO RELIGION was recorded in nature, and its sound is viscerally urgent. It holds testament to Safia Nolin’s transformation, her artistic rebirth. Like a chrysalis, she breaks free of her chains and emerges to step fully into herself. At the intersection of folk, grunge and stoner rock, her music is an invitation to a journey inward, a call for authenticity.