How did you become an artist?
Growing up I was always heavily encouraged to use my imagination and be creative. It led to me expressing myself through multiple forms of art. I remember randomly coming up with melodies in my head, and trying to write them in a book. As you may have guessed that method wasn’t of great use. I kept writing until eventually around the age of eleven, I started writing with purpose and meaning. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, my family and teachers pointed out that I had a gift when it came to both my voice and my writing. During my last year of high school I was at my worst suffering from depression. All my friends were applying to college which didn’t feel like much of an option for me. I was scared out of my mind. I thought about my life and what I wanted out of it. The answer I came up was simply to be happy. Music seemed like the answer, so I decided I was going to put everything I had into it and work as hard as I could to make it a career I could live off of.
Is this release your most representative work
It is definitely my most representative work to date. I wrote these songs between fourteen and eighteen years old. Naturally being a teenager, during this time I’m still figuring out who I am and feel like a different person every six months. The fact that so much time had passed since I wrote the first three, and I still wanted to release them gave me confidence these songs were special. With that said, I feel like I’ve matured a lot since writing them and do not fully resonate with all that was said.
favourite track on the record and why
Each of these songs were my favourite at one point or another. I would have to go with Riptides because of the lyrics. It is my favourite chorus I have ever written, and I have a hard time seeing myself come up with one I love more. It’s also very personal having been about someone who had a major impact on me. If you pay attention to the lyrics you’re probably wondering why I would love a song about such a horrible situation I went through. For me it’s a reminder of my strength, and that I was able to love myself enough to leave.
Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing the album
I’m going to be completely honest, I have the absolute worst memory! The whole Ep was produced with Lucas Sim, one of my very good friends. It was so much fun as specially since he constantly says things that are hilarious without trying. The memory that sticks out the most was with Outcast. We were working on the production and got to the bridge. When it goes from the chorus to the bridge it drops into just my vocals with the drums. We were FREAKING OUT over how cool it was. Doesn’t sound like much but I guess you would have had to have been there.
Top 3 dream collaborations
Lennon Stella, Benny Blanco and Ruel. Lennon Stella has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, and I am obsessed with the music she puts out. She’s a big inspiration for me and heavily inspired the sound for my song “hide and seek”. Benny Blanco is an all around genius, and seems to be someone to have a blast with while working. Ruel is another amazing artist whose voice is incredible. I love his style and think out voices would compliment each other very well.
What’s a record that shaped your creativity
Halsey’s ep room 93. I have yet to come across a different record with that same sound. It made me realize how much I love synths and pads. Above all, she inspires me with the way she tells her stories through her lyrics. I hope to be even half as good as her one day.
Who is an artist or band you look up to these days
Honestly, the most inspirational artists to me are those around me I see working hard everyday. My friend Ben Ellis is in school and balancing that along with Tik Tok where he currently has seventy thousand followers! My other friend Stevie picks flowers works 8 hour shifts five days a week, wakes up super early in the morning and balances that with making social media content, recording vocals and producing for himself as well as other artists, doing our Thursday night sessions and last but not least his band practice. Lastly, of course Lucas Sim who again is so talented and hardworking. He also unintentionally reminds me through working together that if making music ever feels like work, then you’re not doing it right. Overall, seeing them and so many other artists around me with that drive reminds me to do the same.
Any future projects
There’s so much in the works you wouldn’t believe. You can expect many collaborations in the upcoming months.
What does music mean to you
In one word, everything. I genuinely don’t know who I would be without it. Not only is it something I feel like I can escape to, but it’s brought so many amazing people into my life. It’s what I’m most passionate about, and I wouldn’t want to live in a world without it.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you.
Personally I find the songs feel very dream like and nostalgic in a way. I’ve been told by my followers my voice sounds a lot like Melanie Martinez’s, and my songs sound like those of Tate McRae. That’s pretty cool to me with them both being such incredible artists. Story wise, it’s a lot of how I feel about different topics at the time, and different things I’ve experienced that had an impact on me. For example “hide and seek” where I talk about how we gain and lose people in our lives as time goes by. Realizing since I was done with school, I probably won’t be seeing most of those people that I saw almost everyday for years again. Another example with nothingbadwillhappen, that very ignorant, negative view of what I thought life was going to be from then on. Thankfully I was incredible wrong with that statement.
