Nostalghia – IMAGO

By starrymag | December 11, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

 

A) The sound has been sculpted over the years by my collaborator Roy Gnan and myself. I would say that it is best described in palate form; a vulnerable outpour of elemental emotional landscape married to its cinema of sound, birthing what is now coined by fans as, “Music For The Sensitive Creature.” It’s a delicate blend of hope sewn through obscurity.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I uphold any artist who is relentless in their pursuit of what is emotionally raw and real. I’m also a sucker for sharp lyrics. Leonard Cohen comes to mind, PJ Harvey and Nick Cave.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Little White Moment.” What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think the common denominator among all our songs is the honesty and unwillingness to compromise. I give all I have, and I don’t concern myself with what sells. Our fans are often artists themselves, creatures looking for solace. The music offers them a place to rest their heads. They feel heard and understood in their sensitivities. With that said, I don’t believe in directly illustrating the meaning behind my lyrics, primarily because personal interpretation is often most important. I’ve experienced numerous numinous little white moments in my life, and as with all things, they are impermanent, but damn do they feel nice, even if just for a little while.

 

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

 

A) It’s not necessarily a conceptual video. More so a gif. I suppose the elephant in the room is that I am without clothes in a white room. Of course, there is a vulnerability to that; naked and consumed by the light. Likely my biggest fear. What better a thing to do than confront it?

 

Q) What is your song writing process? 

 

A) Well, sometimes I like to shave the very center of my head. Then, I take that hair in an envelope into the center of a very large forest. I place the envelope underground and bury it deep in the dirt, where many bad ideas go to die, and many good ideas go to thrive. Then, I sit there, sometimes for days, in hopes that a title blossoms. If it does, I catch it in the palms of my hands, I run home with it and I place it gently on top of my piano as to not break its line of thought. I serenade it in questionable chords that I do not know the names of, and if it likes them, it nods in approval and I sing like a puppet transfixed by a title animated by dirt.

 

Q) Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

 

A) Nope! Just heartbreak. In any form! When you are as sensitive as me, it comes easy.

 

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

 

A) Both hands – one hand for sculpting, one hand for slapping. Roy Gnan and I co-produce every song. “Little White Moment” and “God Be You” was worked on with Tyler Bates. The rest are just the two of us.

 

Q) Where did the album IMAGO get its name?

 

A) IMAGO is a conceptual follow up to Chrysalis. Chrysalis is the hardened outer protective layer of a pupa. Imago is the final and fully developed adult stage of an insect, typically winged. Metamorphosis being the trajectory.

 

Q) You have toured with 30 Seconds to Mars, TV on the Radio, AFI, Chino Moreno’s Crosses and Serj Tankien. What can fans expect from a live Nostalghia performance?

 

A) The unexpected.

 

Q) What songs off your IMAGO album are you looking forward to performing live?

 

A) Hmm. Probably “Imago” itself. The intensity of it live is unnerving.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new album as a whole?

 

A) Whatever medicine it is that they need at the moment.

 

Q) Your music has been featured in John Wick, John Wick Chapter 2, “How to Get Away With Murder,” “The Following,” the NBA Finals and “Salem.”  How does that make you feel?

 

A) It makes me feel like mentioning that I do not believe in solving the world’s problems with violence. I believe in honoring one another with compassion and opening dialogue on how we can better communicate our pain.

 

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

 

A) I prefer to perform in galleries where I have full freedom to roam wherever I please, where I am not separated by a stage, but rather become one with the audience.

 

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

A) I prefer just collaborating with Roy. I’m comfortable with him and he respects and honors me as a songwriter. As a woman, that isn’t easy to come by. Any other collaboration would have to be really ideal for me to even consider it.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?  

 

A) Sigur Ros. All things ethereal tug at my heart strings. If you can transport me, I’ll dance with you to hell.

 

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

 

A) If it wasn’t for my art, I would not take part in social media. I’m a very private person and I prefer real connections. However, for the sake of my art, I partake, and it has its perks. It’s a beautiful thing to be reaching fans all across the globe.

 

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

 

A) Give freely of your magic and never fail to remind the world just how much you adore it. Thank you for adoring me. Thank you for honoring my magic.