Niki Colet is an indie alternative music artist based in London, originally hailing from the Philippines. A talented songwriter with an inherent knack and intuition for melody and structure, Colet makes dreamy, emotive music straddling alternative and pop, with influences that range from shoegaze to trip-hop. Her most recent release, the EP 'We Only Ever Meet In Strange Dreams' (2024), is a tender, vibrant record about loss and longing, combining elements of rock, dance, dream pop, and alternative music. It was released to critical acclaim in 2024, with press from publications such as Dazed Magazine, Line of Best Fit, Nylon, Luna Collective, and more. In this EP, the Manila-born, London-based artist has crafted an intimate yet anthemic body of work with producer Alex Haines (Soren Bryce, Alison Sudol, Frida Touray).
Recorded and released independently while Colet worked at a North London cafe (where she met producer Haines), 'We Only Ever Meet In Strange Dreams' possesses a cohesive sound that is both nostalgic and contemporary, with each track occupying its own unique emotional and sonic space. Mixed by Tom Archer (Rex Orange County, Little Simz, Moses Sumney, The Strokes) and mastered by Alex Killpartrick (Olivia Dean, Jordan Rakei), the 4-track EP was written in the wake of a breakup that coincided with tumultuous shifts in the artist's life. In response, Colet crafts a gritty, ethereal soundscape you can both cry and dance to.
Currently, four music videos -- one for each track -- are set to be released in 2025, produced by the team at Parakeet Pictures (Fred Again, Mura Masa, Beabadoobee, Rex Orange County). Colet's first ever music video, for the track 'Devil On My Shoulder,' comes out April 29th. A music video for the EP's first single, 'Strange Dreams' is out in May. On May 14th, Colet will be releasing "Wait (Maps)," a cover/remix of Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, in collaboration with DJ Arthur Tan. Colet is currently working on five singles with various producers, including Jay Flew, VMS Angel/Daniel Edgell, Eric Trono, Serena Sun, Jack Dora, and Alex Blackbourn. These singles are set for release in 2025, alongside an upcoming EP.
Active from 2013 to the present as a singer-songwriter, recording artist, and performer, Colet has performed for renowned venues, events, and promoters, such as Sofar Sounds, Parallel Lines, Reference Point (180 Studios), and more.
Photographer: Tiori Spooner
Ethnicity: Filipino
Location: London, UK
Instagram: @nikicolet
Website:
GET TO KNOW - completed April 2025
3 words to describe you:
Sensitive, fiery, imaginative
Describe your sound:
Emotional songs that occupy different shades of alternative, borrowing from nostalgic references across different genres and time periods. Lush vocals and poetic lyrics over tender, gritty production.
Describe the moment you knew that you wanted to pursue music:
I've always loved music, since I was very small, and enjoyed singing and performing from a really young age. When I wrote my first song at the age of ten, something clicked into place. Songwriting became an addiction for me, and I was steadfast in pursuing it as a mode of expression and an art form -- I found a sense of identity in my passion for music. By the time I was 12, I had written over a hundred songs, and started dipping my toes into recording my music professionally at 14. I spent my teen years on the underground internet indie music scene, uploading raw tracks onto Soundcloud and following other artists and music curators online. I just always knew it was going to be a big part of my life, without question.
How does your heritage impact your art?
The pop culture landscape in the Philippines is interesting. Our culture feels both new and ancient at the same time, because of our colonial history. It’s a melting pot of so many different influences. We were a collection of different island tribes before being colonised by Spain for three hundred years, and then by America for the first half of the 20th century. And even before being colonised by the West, we were heavily influenced by the cultures that surrounded us geographically, from China to India.
Ultimately, all these different factors have affected me, and as a result, my work. Filipino media feels very blockbuster – we have our beauty pageants and soap operas, and ‘show business entertainment’ is huge (similar to a lot of other Latin-influenced cultures). I think the earnestness of all of that has influenced my work. I love that I come from a culture of big feelings and grand gestures, and that comes out in my music. There’s a spirit of indulging fully in an emotion that I think comes through in the way I write songs, and even in the way I sing.
What moment are you most proud of in your music journey so far?
My music has taken me to many places, and it has always, always saved me in the times I needed it the most. I'm so proud of my EP, 'We Only Ever Meet In Strange Dreams.' I wrote and released it in a period of extreme duress, as I was going through a tumultuous breakup, career and financial instability, and my visa status being in the air as a result of all of the above. The EP was about the heartbreak I went through during that time, but it also encompassed it and became so much bigger -- it allowed me to rediscover myself and my own inner world, which I had neglected while I was in a relationship and a life path that was not right for me. I was recently granted a visa as a music artist to continue staying in the UK, and I'm really proud of having been able to accomplish that, the fact that music has provided me a path as an immigrant. In that way, it's quite literally changed my life.
Your next music goal:
I've just finished writing a record with one of my favourite producers, Jay Flew, who has since become a dear collaborator and friend. I'm so excited to release that, hopefully this year. I love the music we made on this project and can't wait for it to be out in the world.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who and why?
Caroline Polachek. She is my Pop Mother. Her experimental approach to pop music and unyielding integrity to her creative vision is unparalleled. Her voice, her lyrics, her composition and production, she's really the Final Boss of Alt-Pop for me. I love the way she thinks about music and have listened to so many of her interviews talking about it -- listening to her creative process behind making music makes me want to crawl inside her brain. Actually maybe we shouldn't ever collaborate, I love her too much. If I ever met her in person, I would probably just cry and then burst into flames.
Lyrics you live by:
The line "I knew you felt a way that I couldn't change" from the song "Changes" by Antwon and Kerry McCoy is brilliant. It's my favourite kind of lyricism -- eloquent and almost poetic in its simplicity, so direct it cuts you to the core.
3 songs you're listening to right now:
Nausicaa (Love Will Be Revealed) - Cameron Winter
Lead to Curse - Gyeongsu, June
Love90 - Quiet Light
Your community shout out:
Lucinda Chua is the coolest woman on the planet. She's so insanely talented, and her vision both sonically and aesthetically is so authentic to who she is. I really admire the way she pursues her artistry and craft. I interviewed her once, a few years ago, for a project while I was doing my masters in curation. She was incredibly generous and kind, and that stayed with me. I look up to her a lot.
Anything else you'd like to share:
I'll be releasing my music video for the song Devil On My Shoulder on April 29th -- my first music video ever!
