What made you decide to switch up your sound with “Close My Eyes,” and what inspired this new direction?
Hey there! Thanks for all those great questions already. So in the beginning of this year, I started writing music just by myself. In the songwriting world you usually meet up with 2 or 3 co-writers and write songs together. After so many years of always co-writing with others, I was just curious about what would be the outcome, if I was doing music just by myself. I didn’t even plan on creating a new sound or direction, or even releasing anything, it was first just for myself to explore and have fun. And I guess that’s when good stuff happens, when you have fun and just follow your intuition.
Can you give us the lowdown on how “Close My Eyes” came together? How was it different from your previous work?
Yeah so the whole process is completely different when writing music alone, I felt a lot more freedom to explore and try out. Usually you kinda find your role within a session, may it be writing melodies or lyrics or just focusing on the production. This time I was just taking it step by step and worked on the part I was excited about and then moved on to the next section. It definitely is ‘harder’ work to write alone, because there is no immediate feedback, which is why cowriting works so well. The freedom was very liberating, also you can take as much time as you want for the song
You’ve said “Close My Eyes” is one of your most personal tracks. What kind of personal yarns or feelings did you draw on for this one?
So I had the idea for the concept first, which is about seeing someone you love leave. To me a very strong feeling that I experienced many times in my life, whether that was a break-up or a long distance relationship, or just a summer love that had an expiration date. All those moments and memories went into this song.
This is your first track where you’re also having a go at singing. What made you decide to chuck your own vocals into “Close My Eyes,” and how did that change the way you worked on it?
I guess that was just one of the consequences of writing music by myself haha I did not have a singer and had to sing myself. Singing is a lot of fun, but first it feels very strange hearing your own voice, especially when you are spoiled and used to working with amazing singers. I was pretty shy playing the song to people in the first place, but thankfully they were all supportive and gave me confidence.
The song’s about the tough times in long-distance relationships. Can you spill the beans on what specific themes and emotions you wanted to get across in the lyrics?
It’s funny how feelings get tricky when there is physical distance. It is starting to develop into emotional distance and you start drifting apart. I didn’t want to blame one side/person in the lyrics but make clear it’s the circumstance only that makes everything more complicated, although they still have strong feelings for each other. It is about the moment, when you know you have to say goodbye and you wish time would stop and save you, so you don’t have to depart. Hence closing your eyes, trying to save yourself from reality and trying to keep the moment alive.
You mentioned that “Close My Eyes” has some massive summer vibes and is perfect for a cruise along the coast. How did you get those elements into the track?
Yeah true, the sound design is pretty vibey. One big part is the mellotron, which is an old sampler used a lot in hip hop. The sound is a sampled flute, which to me is instant nostalgia. Then there is one lead synth that wobbles around and makes the mood floaty and dreamy. Combined with a tight house groove it just feels like the soundtrack for driving down the coast!
How does flying solo on a track compare to your previous gigs co-writing and working with other musos? What were some of the challenges and rewards of doing it all yourself?
(I think I kinda answered this above?)
With “Close My Eyes” being a big milestone for you, what’s next on the horizon? Are there any upcoming projects or collabs you’re stoked about?
It feels like ‘Close My Eyes’ started a new chapter and there are plenty more songs coming soon, some of them solo too, but others with amazing collabs and vocalists. I will play a few shows and showcases this summer, where I can play all the unreleased music. So that’s super exciting. And hopefully I can come to Melbourne any time soon to play you all that music, it’s been on my bucket list for a while 🙂
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