‘Black, blue, and red,’ that’s how Nicole Salivan aka SALVIA describes the palette of her music. Her sound is rooted in post-punk, a style with a motive of Slavic melancholy. ‘I’ve always loved post-punk bands with that Slavic vibe,’ she says. ‘That music really stuck with me, and at some point, I realized that whenever I pick up a guitar, I naturally fall into that style.’

Music was never a choice for Nicole – it was a necessity. ‘Singing is the only thing I want to do in life. I’d rather die than not sing anymore.’ Her path to the stage began after seeing her music idol. At 15, she went to her first concert, it was a performance by a Ukrainian singer, Kristina Luna. ‘I was shocked. Completely blown away.’ Luna’s music was a blending of indie, house, immersive atmospheres, and raw emotion. Sometimes very atmospheric and immersive, and sometimes it’s really depressing. Nicole fell in love with her music and took some inspiration for her future songs.

This summer, Nicole saw Luna again in Brussels. ‘The first three songs, I cried.’ But it wasn’t just the music. ‘I’m drawn to her interviews, her vibe. Even my own music once started sounding like hers – I didn’t like that, but it still inspired me. Her thoughts, her words – they often match my own. And she showed me that being weird on stage can still be beautiful. That’s why I’ll probably love Kristina Luna forever.’

Leaving home

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and everything changed for every Ukrainian, and 19-year-old Nicole wasn’t an exception. She had no choice but to leave the country with her mother. At the beginning of March, she packed what she could, and her guitar was first. On the train out of Kyiv, one woman mocked her choice, saying, ‘A guitar? Seriously? That’s a must-have item?’ to which Nicole just confidently replied, ‘Yes.’

The journey to Belgium was exhausting. Firstly, she and her mother arrived in Poland, where they spent two weeks in an overcrowded hostel. For Nicole, who has misophonia – a condition that makes certain sounds unbearable – it was torture. Five snoring aunts in a small room were not the most comfortable circumstances.

‘SALVIA, it’s me – my alter ego’

By arriving in Belgium, Nicole faced a different kind of struggle. ‘I felt like a nobody. No artist anymore. Zero.’ No one knew her, and she knew no one. It felt like the end of the road. She even considered giving up music, looking into design or other creative fields. Then, in a moment of desperation, she took a risk – started a solo project SALVIA with Arno, a new Belgian friend she met at a party. The Name SALVIA was picked because of its mystical vibe, inspired by the sage plant used in spiritual rituals. Even though Instagram mistakenly considers it as a reference to drugs, Nicole sees it as a symbol of healing. ‘A long time ago, when I was sick and had a sore throat, I was told to rinse my throat with sage (salvia). For me, it became meaningful because an artist needs their voice.’

Later, Nicole organized a concert where Tom Stokx from The Haunted Youth saw SALVIA perform. Impressed by the show, he offered to help, and not long after, Tom and Nick Caers, the other member from the band joined SALVIA’s team.

Together, they created Time, a song that almost didn’t exist. ‘I nearly deleted it,’ Nicole says. ‘But I gave it a chance – and it was worth it.’

Time became a hit on Belgian radio. To Nicole, it’s about the endless pressure of emigration – the constant chase, the feeling of never having enough time. ‘For Belgians, though, I just say it’s about time itself. They wouldn’t understand the deeper meaning.’

Being a migrant is terrifying. ‘I deal with fear by reminding myself: as long as I’m not homeless, everything is okay. No matter how bad things get, I’m not on the street without money or food. I can still fix things.’

‘Crying helps. But after that, you pull yourself together and keep going. Life is tough. You have to acknowledge that and push forward.’

Rituals of the stage

Sometimes, even when you’re exhausted and have no inspiration, you still have to get on stage and perform. The show won’t wait until you feel ready. Every performer has their ritual. For Nicole, it’s silence. Before a show, she doesn’t speak to anyone. And she won’t go on stage without her black sunglasses. ‘It protects me at the start. I need to sense the atmosphere in the dark first.’

Sunglasses became more than just a shield –  they became an obsession. She once collected photos of wearing strangers’ sunglasses, collecting nearly 400 images before her phone was stolen. She hasn’t collected since.

A rising star

With a contract signed with Live Nation, Nicole’s career is rapidly growing. This summer, she is going on tour in Belgium, continuing to work on her first album. Beyond that, she dreams of a European tour, starting in Belgium but going far beyond. Her next release, You and Me, drops in April. It’s a tender, immersive track designed to pull listeners into a light trance. For Nicole, this is just the beginning.

Text: Zoriana Khetchykova
Photo: © Zoriana Khetchykova