Hastings-born musician using song to spread positive mental health message

Nino Vydeenaden has been playing the guitar since the age of 11, after a trip to the cinema to see Jack Black’s School of Rock inspired him to take up the instrument.

Now 24 and living in Littlehampton, the father-of-two writes his own songs centred around mental health under the alias Nino-v, and recently released the video for his new song #ITSOKAYNOTTOBEOKAY. At the start of the video, he says that four people in his town took their lives in the space of six weeks last year, followed by a fifth some months later. In his own words, that’s five too many.

He said: “Of those five people, three of them I actually knew. Mental health is definitely a topic that hits close to my heart.

“I have a younger cousin and we would see accounts on social media platforms making remarks over her appearance and just being a place to spread hate and say horrible stuff. She wouldn’t want to go into school and would sometimes run away from home, so it really is a personal thing as well.

“I know people will struggle to open up to others but the wonderful thing about music is it’s something everyone has in common.

“It’s a beautiful way for people to express themselves and I know a lot of people can relate to that. There’s always someone else out there who’s going through the same thing as you.”

In 2018, Nino performed at more than 50 weddings as well as private functions, parties and charity gigs, and is now looking to release tracks on Spotify and iTunes in the near future. He is also the lead vocalist for the three-piece cover band ‘The Hype’, based in Brighton.

Nino’s music can be found on his Instagram @Ninovguitar_ and his Facebook page ‘Nino-v’.

Written by Ben Knapton.

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