Mecca Russell

Mecca Russell, known professionally as Neffy, is a singer-songwriter from Arlington, Virginia.

In 2021, she won the NPR Tiny Desk Contest.

Career Neffy was a musical child who sang frequently. She has described her father as the “epitome of a music encyclopedia" who taught her about R&B and soul. At age 12, Neffy's mother gave her her first guitar, which she taught herself to play. At age 13, she wrote her first song.

From 2015 to 2020, she attended the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School.

NPR Tiny Desk Contest In 2021, Neffy submitted a video of her playing her original song "Wait Up," to the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. Tiny Desk creator, Bob Boilen, said, “Neffy’s song stood out amongst the thousands of 2021 Tiny Desk Contest entries as a universal cry to break free of constraints and celebrate nature's beauty. With an acoustic guitar and that uplifting voice, Neffy wowed our judges.” The judging panel consisted of Boilen, Tobe Nwigwe, Phoebe Bridgers, and four other judges. She has shared that the pandemic has been difficult for independent artists. In 2022, she released the song, “I Lost My Nerve” about these struggles.

Discography +AlbumsTitleYearSourceI Don't Miss You2020 +SinglesTitleYearSource“Wait Up”2021 “I Lost My Nerve”2022