What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.
My mother was a musician who wrote and performed original music for kids when we were living in LA (Ellyn’s song) so I was constantly around song writing. I would watch her perform on big stages and it looked so fun to me. Her songs were actually very catchy and I think it kind of distilled in me the kind of songwriting I write/usually listen to which is more on the pop-side structure wise.
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
I was going through a significant break up and my writing was just all over the place because of the way I was processing it, and at some point I decided to go through everything in chronological order, just to really sort out my own feelings. Once I decided to outline this period of time- from the end of a relationship to being single for the first time in many years, and then finally letting them go completely- it was easier for me to see what songs I was missing and what I needed to write.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
I think I’m largely influenced by film. I grew up watching a lot of musicals and when I write songs I kind of think of them as little movies. I listen to a lot of soundtracks- I’m really not great at multitasking so I can’t listen to anything with lyrics while doing something else and I end up kind of filling in the music with my own stories and a lot of times a song will unfold from there.
I know it’s not cool to say, but I’m very much influenced by pop music and always have been. I like the structures and the ease of it. I think my brain is always pulling the music to a weirder direction and it kind of balances it out for me.
In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?
I think what I try to do, just in general, is have genuine conversations. I’m not so interested in superficial interactions and I use my music as a tool to have a bigger conversation with as many people that would want to. I produce the songs into lush landscapes with the intention of allowing people to step in and think about emotional subjects without the harshness .
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
Movies:
‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’
‘Pocahontas’ (Disney)
‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’
Books:
‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ by Ursula Leguin
Anything by Anaïs Nin
‘The Golden Compass’
Albums:
Joanna Newsom ‘Ys’
Kendrick Lamar ‘D.A.M.N’
Stevie wonder ‘Songs in the Key of Life’
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
Honestly, I prefer being in the studio. Not to say that I don’t love performing, but I’m always aware of everyone watching me and the show is curated with that in mind. But in the studio I can get really weird and allow myself to sift through my mind in a creative and safe environment, and just pull on whatever strings I want. I love the experimental aspect of it.
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
One of the more unique shows I’ve had was when I was on tour in Europe a few years ago- I was playing this show in a small town in Poland. I got there and it’s a huge packed hall and everyone was basically a senior citizen. They sat and watched in silence and then left in silence. It was great.
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
To me it’s “Thumbelina” from my upcoming album ‘Look Out Where You’re Going’. I read a lot of Hans Christian Anderson as a kid, and there was this movie about him that had a song about Thumbelina (she was a girl the size of a thumb for those who don’t know), which I quote in the chorus and when I revisit these stories as an adult, I see them in a sadder light and write through that perspective.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
Setting up a tour for later this year and I’m already working on demos for a new album!
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
You come from a very diverse background and have lived all over the world, would you say that comes to play in your music?
No not really. I am very much an escapist and I use music to create little fantastical worlds that can dive into for a while and get lost. Although I’m sure it’s influenced the way in which I think, I can’t say being from a different place directly transfers into the art.
Photo credits: Amanda Blohm
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
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