Photo Credit: Gil Curujeira
Neva Demure is a genre-defying artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist reshaping the sound of electronic and alternative music. Emerging from the New York club scene with her hyper-pop debut EP Shame to Vengeance, Neva first made waves through tongue-in-cheek, hyper-sexual lyricism and bold sonic experimentation.
Now based in Berlin, she enters a new chapter with the release of her debut album Antidote via Movement—one marked by emotional rawness, stripped-back instrumentation, and unfiltered storytelling.
Written and recorded in 2024, Antidote is Neva’s most personal work to date, delving into themes of mental health, love, identity, and her lived experience as a trans woman in today’s political climate. Her latest single, Unnatural, channels that intensity into a fierce blend of distorted guitars, ghostly electronics, and urgent vocals—offering a darker, heavier edge to her evolving sound.
What’s the story behind your debut album Antidote?
Each song is its own antidote. They are like different flavors meant to be taken for different problems, while you´re just trying to look for a one-size-fits-all solution. It's just that discontent with life that exists inside and you don't know why. Probably childhood trauma or something, you try all these easy antidotes instead of facing yourself. Drugs, sex, toxic relationships, spending money, career obsession. They just always come up empty. There's no solution to any of the songs, until the end of the album. Even then, maybe it's only a solution if you´re looking to find one. By that point maybe it doesn't even matter.
Was there a specific moment while making Antidote that felt like a breakthrough for you?
When I started I wasn't sure if I was going to be making an electronic album or not, I knew I wanted a bit of guitar on it but assumed I would still be programming drums and using a lot of synths, creating more of a modern pop album. It wasn´t until I wrote Trauma Curl and realised it needed real drums that the album started transforming into a type of electronic/live acoustic instrument hybrid. I feel like that moment set the sound for the rest of the album. It was way more interesting to have a live drummer than to program a bunch of breakbeats and complex rhythms. It feels more human as a result.
If Antidote were a film, what kind of visuals would it evoke, and who would direct it?
Claustrophobia, female lead who is crying a lot and smoking cigarettes, directed by gaspar noe climax vibe, a girl that likes to party wink wink.
As an artist navigating both the electronic scene and the queer music space, what changes do you hope to see in the industry for trans and non-binary artists?
I think there's a lot of assumptions about trans people in music and also just the music trans and queer people make and consume. I think it could be a lot uglier. I want more doom in trans music.
I´m really into Ethel Cain right now, her lyrics in particular. They are twisted. I like happy, hyperpop type music too but I feel like we need more of a sonic spectrum; I want to hear about trans people talking about how fucked up their lives are rather than this “I´m coming out”/”I will survive” anthem narrative. Where's our trans Kurt Cobain or Courtney Love?
The world is fucked, BRAT summer is a psyop. It doesn't matter if you're trans or not.
Berlin has a rich underground music culture. How has being part of this scene influenced your approach to music and performance?
I totally get the reason why, say David Bowie, changed his sound so drastically upon coming here. Even though the wall is gone, it still has a thick energy. I really enjoy living here, even though there's alot to dislike about it.
My friends and community are amazing, and people don't care about as much superficial stuff as they do in New York or Paris. Berlin´s history didn´t inspire me to make minimal synth music, but it did inspire me to say something true to myself.
Photo Credit: Gil Curujeira
Do you ever feel like music allows you to say things you wouldn’t otherwise say in words?
Probably not, I´m a yapper. I love talking. I could talk all day.
I like that in my music I don’t have to worry about being annoying. I can be funny, dark, heartbreaking, slutty, or whatever.
I like the idea of making my friends or fans think without having to actually talk to them. I like the idea of me putting my ideas into their head while they're cooking pasta or taking a bath.
What's your favorite/least favorite thing about making music?
Favorite thing is creating a world.
I loved making this album because I got to create a world to escape into lyrically, sonically, and visually.
Least favorite is probably the branding element. It feels like taking this baby you made, this whole world you put your heart into, and watering it down into something that feels like an advertisement.
Necessary evil, I'm actually starting to like it more I´m just really bad at it. I´ll get better.
What are you listening to at the moment?
LOL in preparation of the album release I've been listening to bossa nova music a lot. Like Girl from Ipanema, Stan Getz and João Gilberto style. It's driving my girlfriend crazy and she says it's elevator music but it has been calming me down. I've been listening to Coil alot as well. PJ Harvey and Björk are always mainstays. My friend Lexci reminded me of Pantera and I forgot how good they are.