By: Malasha Parker
Photo By Dorith Mous
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) Radiohead and Billie Eilish are definitely two of my biggest influences. I really admire how they both create such distinct worlds around their music and aren’t afraid to experiment with sound and emotion.
Q) You have said you are inspired by musicians like Willow Smith, Charli XCX, Kehlani, Billie Eilish and Momo Boyd. What about these artists contributes to the way you make music?
A) All of these artists influence me in their own way. Some inspire me more musically, whether it’s their sound, songwriting or the way they experiment, while others inspire me more creatively and visually. I think I take different things from each artist rather than having one specific influence. Together they inspire different sides of how I approach my music and the world around it.
Q) Your newest release “August” is in line with the sound of your other songs but with a little bit of a lighter rock beat faded into the background. What inspired this song?
A) I was really inspired by two things. One was the song “Born in Early May” by Mercury. I loved the sound they created, especially how big the guitars felt. On the other hand, I was also really inspired by those huge stadium pop songs from artists like Queen, David Bowie and Prince. I wanted to create something that had that same big pop feeling while still having a rock edge to it, a song that people could really sing and scream along to in an arena.
Q) Talk about the production behind August and how much of a hand you had in it.
A) A friend of mine (Ruben) and I basically wrote and produced the whole song from start to finish in about three or four hours. He focused more on the production, I focused more on the writing and we played the instruments together. After that, I asked two of my best friends to sing the background vocals because I wanted it to feel like everyone was standing together in a bar, singing along. We were already really happy with the song at that point, but later we added live drums and Morgan Avenue and Jheynner helped finish the production. So, I was very involved in the whole process, from the writing and playing instruments to shaping the overall sound and feeling of the track.
Q) The music video for “August” is centered around a group of people at a pool having a great time while it’s raining – very fitting for the summer season. How did you come up with the concept for the music video?
A) The song is about that moment when you’re finally starting to get over someone, you’re feeling good again and everything feels like summer, but then one rainy day or one small thing can suddenly bring you right back to the beginning of that process.
Ever since we made the song, I already had this image in my head for the video. Everyone around me is having the best time, celebrating their summer, while I’m dressed completely differently and it’s raining on me, but no one else. That became a metaphor for what the song is about — everything around you can feel bright and happy, while emotionally you’re experiencing something completely different.
We also chose to shoot everything in slow motion because I wanted it to feel like everyone around me is moving forward while I’m experiencing time differently and almost stuck in that moment.
I already had the initial concept and then I worked with creative director Rogue, who really helped bring the whole idea to life.
Q) The lyrics of “August” are so agonizing and discuss how, “when it rains in August it feels like Fall.” You also present as going through an emotional battle in the music video. How would you describe the meaning behind these lyrics?
A) The line “when it rains in August, it feels like Fall” is really a metaphor for that feeling of suddenly going backwards emotionally. Everything around you is beautiful, it’s summer and you finally feel like you’re moving on, but then one rainy day or one moment that reminds you of that person can pull you right back into that process. Suddenly, it feels like summer is ending and you’re slowly moving into fall and winter again. It’s that feeling of thinking you’re getting better and then realizing that healing isn’t always a straight line.
Q) I believe that artists should not be confined to one genre of music. You play many different instruments, are there any other genres of music you are planning to create music for in the near future?
A) I actually only play a little bit of piano and guitar, but for now I see myself staying within pop-rock. To me, though, pop-rock is already a really diverse genre. It can include the smaller, more intimate ballads as well as the really big, energetic pop-rock songs. I like having that range within one sound, so I don’t necessarily feel the need to move into a completely different genre right now.
Q) You recently signed a publishing deal with Roc Nation and a recording deal with Giant Music. What does that mean to you for the future of your music?
A) For me, it means that I’m able to work on my music on a much more professional level. Up until “August,” we did pretty much everything independently and I’m already noticing how having a label behind me makes it easier to bring some of the bigger ideas and visions I’ve always had to life.
Now that I’m also signed to a publisher and finally living in LA, I’ve been doing a lot more writing sessions and working with so many different people. So, there’s a lot of new music being made and I’m really excited about what’s coming next.
Q) With “August” out now, is this a prelude to a full album or EP?
A) “August” is definitely part of something bigger. I don’t want to give away too much just yet, but the songs I’m releasing aren’t just a collection of standalone singles. I’m definitely working towards something bigger, and I’m excited to share more when the time is right.
Q) Do you have any upcoming performances coming up where fans can see you live?
A) There isn’t any US shows announced just yet, but now that I have a label behind me we’re looking for the right agency to partner with and hopefully build towards doing shows in the US. In the Netherlands, I’ll actually be joining a tour as a support act for around twenty shows later this year, which I’m really excited about. And once we find the right team in the US, I definitely want to bring the music to life on stage there as well.
Q) Who are some artists that you would love to collaborate with on music?
A) I’d love to collaborate with artists like Yungblud, Sombr, Willow Smith and Julia Wolf. They all have such distinct sounds and identities, and I think it would be really interesting to see what we could create together.
Q) What would you say to those who are fans and have supported you and your work?
A) I’d just really want to thank everyone for listening to my music and supporting what I do. But even beyond that, I’m really grateful for the community that’s forming around the music. It feels like a safe space where I can put things out, be myself and share what I create and people are genuinely excited about it. That means a lot to me.