How are you? How are you feeling about the EP release?
Hey, thank you so much for chatting with me! I’m feeling so ready to have this EP out there. These are songs I wrote a few years ago, during the lockdowns and it feels really special to release them – it makes me feel really proud for surviving the last few years, I’ve grown up with these songs, they truly are part of me. And I learned so much about production during that time, so it was also really empowering for me to understand what I want more when in the studio.
What track is your favourite on the EP?
This is a realllllly hard question!! I think writing Good was a really big moment in how I live, it’s almost a mantra, and it always means so much to scream those words at gigs. But I think Tough Love is a song that I always come back to, it’s got healing powers, it’s a magic one.
How did the tracks evolve from the ones you wrote in 2020?
Me and Carlos spent a lot of time on these songs in the last 3 years. I feel so lucky to have him as a friend, he always hears what I’m trying to say and his work ethic is insanely inspiring. I started to mix drum and bass in lockdown and I think that had a massive impact on the production of these songs, especially the drums, like that funky groove on Good and the jilted almost break beat on Ocean.
Who have you been listening to during the creation of the EP? Has anyone inspired its sound and direction
I was obsessed with the string arrangements on Lorde’s Melodrama album and the acoustic guitar sounds in George Harrison’s album All Things Must Pass, as well as 80s synths and drum machines used by Hot Chip, Soft Hair and Cat Power. Also Ex:re and Parcels.
Have you faced any challenges or road blocks creating the EP and how did you overcome them?
So many, but I feel boring and negative if I talk too much about them haha. When you’re releasing your own music, there’s so much you can’t predict that’s gonna happen – horrible life events, grief, exhaustion, health, lack of money. I’ve learned to be gentle with myself and those I’m working with: maybe it will all take a bit longer, maybe a release will be later than I’d hoped. But as long as we can try to be kind to ourselves while doing it, all the goals can be achieved anyway, and hopefully they’ll taste even sweeter cause we’ll be in a healthier state to enjoy them.
Who do you think are some underrated artists everyone should give a listen to?
So many lovely talented friends!! Joely June, her lyrics are incredible.
Oliver Beardmore’s live show is sick, would really recommend. Also, my friends have just started a band called Gingham, they’re gonna be insaaaane, I’m so excited about that.