L’FREAQ – Showgirl

By starrymag | February 7, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Jagged, unpredictable, heartfelt.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Thom Yorke, Nick Cave, St Vincent, FKA Twigs, Bjork, Nancy Sinatra.

Q) Your new song “Loud” definitely makes a statement! Talk about the story behind it.

A) “Loud” is about my experience in the industry with men who didn’t treat me with respect. I wanted to make a track that was unaffected; just loud, boisterous and authentic. My co-writer, Chris Ayer, and I watched scenes from movies on mute of women reclaiming their power to inspire us.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think my fans like to feel empowered. That’s the biggest hope I can have is for them to feel like they can heal themselves and use my music as the soundtrack for taking their lives to the next level.

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) My friend and brilliant photographer, Josue Orozco, helped me film this on a hot Phoenix day. We wanted it to be reminiscent of the 90’s riot grrrl movement — punk, apathetic and stylishly subversive.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I love to try out different ways to write songs. Sometimes I’ll start the spark with poetry that I’ve written. Sometimes I’ll be inspired by a beat that a producer makes. There’s no one way I like to create.

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I’m always there, every step of the way. I love collaborating with producers and choosing specific sounds that lend to the “palette” of the project we’re working on.

Q) What are some themes you explore on your new EP Showgirl?

A) I explore power, vulnerability in strength, the façade we sometimes use to conceal our authentic selves and abuse.

Q) Which tracks challenged you the most to create?

A) My track “Showgirl” was about a complicated relationship my mother had with a man she dated while I was growing up. We both did a lot of growing during that time and had to rely on each other heavily. I graduated high school living in an apartment with a card table and blowup mattress. We had nothing, and yet I still believed in myself and my abilities to be “larger than life.” That track is an ode to her.

Q) What songs on the album hold a special place in your heart and why?

A) “Showgirl,” absolutely. “Gimmick” because it was about my journey on a singing show that didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped. I used that song to heal the worst year of my life, 2019. And I learned that all my strength came from within.

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from checking out Showgirl?

A) I hope they feel a renewed sense of strength within themselves. I am rooting for you, for them and for anyone that has ever felt like an outsider.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I love performing wherever anyone will feel a connection to my music. I’ve felt that in New York, Los Angeles, Vegas and even Australia. I just want to make people feel moved.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I would love to collaborate with Sabrina Claudio.

Q) Mental health advocacy is a big deal for you. In fact, you recently performed on Backline’s “Set Break” live stream alongside Alanis Morissette, Tom Morello, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles and more to raise funds and awareness for mental health services. Why is this cause so close to your heart?

A) I’ve struggled with my mental health for years. It wasn’t until the last couple of years that I felt I was able to turn a corner, and I credit that to having enough alone time to really discover who I am.

Q) What advice would you give to someone who felt they were struggling with their mental health?

A) To anyone who is struggling I would say, let yourself feel. Give yourself space. But also give yourself the room to grow and experience new things. You never know where they will lead you.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Social media is a strange but useful tool that will help keep us connected over the coming years.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would love to thank anyone who has enjoyed my music over the last few years. To anyone who has sent me a message of hope, purchased a song or been my cheerleader, thank you. You are what keeps me going.