Nina Scarcia has been developing her sultry voice nearly her entire life.
Born and raised in Harrisburg, Scarcia—who celebrates her 30th birthday this month—has been singing and playing music since she could walk, with her musician father giving her the bug at a young age.
“He got me started really early. I loved the Beatles; my dad was always playing them,” she reflects. “I started piano and voice lessons around age six. I’ve been studying voice my entire life.”
After high school, Scarcia studied social work at Mansfield University until 2006. From there, she moved around Pennsylvania, calling towns like Collegeville and Reading her home. Two years ago, after a romantic relationship ended, she returned to her hometown, where she has performed her blues-driven and acoustic tunes at venues like the Sturges Speakeasy, Suba, The MakeSpace and FedLive. Just recently, Scarcia quit her job as a social worker at a nonprofit agency to pursue full-time songwriting and performing.
“I didn’t realize I was able to song-write [as a career] until I got out of school,” she says.
Over the last couple of years, Scarcia has established herself locally as an evocative singer-songwriter and guitarist, with musical styles similar to some of her much-loved artists like Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt. Also on regular rotation in Scarcia’s music collection are Lucinda Williams, Aimee Mann, Jeff Buckley, Florence and the Machine, Jessica Lea Mayfield, David Gray and, of course, the Beatles.
This past May, Scarcia released her debut album, an intimate account of heartbreak and moving on, within the framework of country, folk, blues and rock styles, as well as some “funky, New Orleans flavors,” she says, lovingly referring to her music as a “mixed bag.” Aptly named, “Washed Away” represents Scarcia’s personal journey of starting over.
“The album is about relationships and hardships I have had to overcome, as well as starting anew,” she says.
Crafting “Washed Away” was a family affair for Scarcia—her father Joe Scarcia and his long-time friend and fellow musician, Jim Ebersole, produced the album’s nine tracks.
In Ebersole’s West Hanover basement, the family-and-friend team added instrumentals to Scarcia’s acoustic tunes. “It turned out to be completely different, but with the same intention of the original songs,” she says.
And, Scarcia, along with her brother and sister-in-law, created the colorful, abstract self-portrait that serves as the album’s cover art. “I am so happy with the album,” she reflects. “It was so special because I was working with my family and friends. I feel very fortunate to have been able to make this record surrounded by people that believe in me.”
Nina Scarcia is at once a pensive, soulful musician and a cheerful, pleasant young woman. While many of her lyrics are emotionally revealing and her subject matter can be quite personal, the friendly Harrisburg native has a light sense of humor and a great laugh and still gets butterflies before walking out on stage.
“I always get nervous before a performance,” she laughs. “But, once I get through the first song, I’m good.”
Spending the time before a show getting focused, she prefers to be alone to get ready for a performance. “I’ll tell my boyfriend, ‘Could you not talk to me? Cause I’m not going to listen,’” she laughs. “I just need to center my thoughts.”
While Scarcia often sings about emotionally vulnerable subjects, the cheerful musician tries to keep it light with pre-concert vocalizations, sometimes borrowing Ron Burgundy’s comical “How Now Brown Cow” warm-up from “Anchorman.”
Once on stage, Scarcia has a beautiful, playful presence with a powerful, yet delicate voice that captivates her listeners. “I just love the feeling I get when I’m on stage,” she says. “The way I write is pretty much pure emotion, what I’ve gone through. Having people connect with that is really cool. I am thankful to have been given this gift to share with others; it brings me peace of mind every time I perform.”
After having moved around Pennsylvania, Scarcia says she will be sticking around in Harrisburg awhile.
“I just love playing for my friends and family. It’s just always so much fun,” she explains. “There are also so many great rooms around here. And it’s pretty much the perfect spot—I can go to Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City, because they’re pretty close. I was thinking about moving to Philly for awhile, but I kind of just stuck around, because the scene here was getting better and better.”
“Harrisburg has really changed over the years,” says Scarcia. “I’ve met so many cool people that are trying to make this city more artsy. The amount of talent in this area is incredible. It is becoming more of a cohesive place for artists.”
You can catch Nina Scarcia at the Market Cross Pub & Brewery in Carlisle on Sept. 5, the YWCA 4th Annual Fall Fest in Harrisburg on Oct. 5 and Sturges Speakeasy on Oct. 10.
