GIRLI
What is the best and worst thing about music in your opinion ?
I don't think music itself has anything bad about it. It brings people together, it makes you feel everything and anything. It's universal. But the music industry is another story. That can be very toxic.
You wrote about your mental health in 'Its not ok to feel blue and other lies.' Do you think mood or mental health can effect music and the way it is created and shared?
Absolutely. Mood completely determines how music is made, from the artist's side, and how it is received on the fans' side. My own personal mental health has inspired a lot of my songs, and the stories behind them.
How did you feel surrounding your release of your album 'Odd one out'?
In all honesty, I felt under immense pressure. I was with a record label who put a lot of pressure on the commercial success of the album on my shoulders. Looking back, I feel like they tried to suck the soul out of what was a really personal album that fans connected to, being quite controlling around the artwork, the music videos, the tour, making it all more commercial. I didn't feel like myself around that time. My mental health was at a real low point. Now, I'm about to release new music, and I feel so much more in control of my creative process, of the videos / artwork / presentation and I feel more in touch with what's really important - sharing my songs with my fans.
What are your plans for 2020 and what has been your best live performance so far?
My plans for 2020, like everyone's, have taken a shift because of the coronavirus pandemic. I was planning to go on my Sofa Tour, playing in fan's living rooms, however that's now been postponed. My plan is to release new music as soon as the pandemic is over and then after the rescheduled Sofa Tour, I have a new tour planned for November, my first European tour. It's called The Triple Threat Tour, and I'll be joined by Cassyette and July Jones. It's gonna be a riot!
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What makes music so important to you and why?
It's how I communicate how I'm feeling to the world. Songs are my diary entries, and I think making music has enabled me to express things I wouldn't know how to before.
How do you feel about 'Not that girl' becoming a popular audio on Tik Tok?
Bitter-sweet. It's obviously awesome, and anything that causes more people to hear my music is great. But I was never credited for the song, as the popular audio was under a different name, and I still haven't been credited by Tik Tok. I think Tik Tok can be great for artists, but it can also get away with using their music for free and not crediting them, which needs to change.