We had the opportunity to interview rising alternative artist SERAPHINA! She has a brand new single titled "Kingdom Come" dropping TODAY! You will find multiple links for the track after the interview! Her mix of bluesy, nocturnal, alt music is sure to hook you. Check out our interview below and her new single at the end of the article!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
I’ve been writing songs forever but it’s only been 2 or 3 years that I’ve been writing stuff I’d be happy to let other people hear. Pursuing music was kind of inevitable - my dad is a musician and his whole family are musical, so it was already in me to feel connected to making music (and love the attention lol). It took me a while to admit it though, because loads of my friends were going into really academic jobs after uni and I didn’t have the self-confidence to take the risk and say ‘actually I want to try this really unorthodox thing where I make music and then hope to god someone wants to hear it.’
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
I write on a keyboard/piano and depending on what mood I’m in I’ll either use chords or just the bass notes. I’ll write on just the bass part when I want to get to the grit of something first - there’s something really naked and raw about not allowing any harmony to enter the arrangement until I’ve figured out what the song is trying to say. It’s more freeing because the key / mode isn’t set until I know where the song is going. For lyrics, I dip into my phone notes where I write stuff down on the go. Or I’ll just see what falls out my mouth randomly and then rustle it into something that makes sense. Obviously sometimes I’ll write total shite, but I’ll know a song is worth pursuing if I’m still humming it three days later and it’s annoying me.
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
Oh man so many! I love artists that manage to create these weird worlds that you get sucked into and who have a bit of grit or darkness to them - Bat for Lashes, Lana Del Rey, The Shangri Las, Nancy Sinatra, Arcade Fire, Timber Timbre, Anna Calvi, Wild Beasts, Sharon Van Etten, The Joy Formidable, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Hozier, OMD, Lera Lynn, Peggy Lee, The National, Nina Simone, The Animals, Jack White, Laura Marling, Interpol… At the moment I’m really digging Nakhane, Toulouse, Alexandra Savior and Pumarosa, and I also love old gospel & blues like The Dixie Hummingbirds, Sam Cooke, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Lightnin’ Hopkins… I could go on and on and on so I’ll stop.
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
I love pianos. I love that they feel alive - that their tone will change if it’s too hot or too cold or they aren’t played for years. They kind of breathe and flex.
And I’m a sucker for gear shops. They’re kryptonite. I always buy something. I buy guitar picks more than I practice guitar, I’ve bought a ‘thundermaker’ from a shop in Edinburgh (because?), a riq from a Moroccan souk, even when I was rehearsing at Bedrock in LA with another band I bought a glow in the dark skull shaker from the shop (tbh it wasn’t even a shop it was like an alcove in reception where they sold stuff like guitar wax and strings)… it’s a sickness.
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
Think it totally depends on what kind of gig it is and how many people turn up! I love my band and I love playing with the power that 5 people can bring, but I’ve definitely done some bar gigs with just Rob (one of the guitarists) where there’s like 5 people in the room and it’s early week and the ‘vibe’ is basically trying to create a vibe while tumbleweeds float by… The best moments are when I’m playing with the full band and there’s a good crowd and it’s sweaty and the guys are zoned in and I’m wailing into the mic like a banshee. I love it when gigs are a bit primal.
6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?
That it exists! It’s really DIY - I’m working with a great producer called Tom Stafford and my band are awesome, but everything else is me so it’s the best thing ever when people support it because you can kind of go insane doing it on your own. Like a deranged hermit.
7. Do you have any upcoming projects you would like fans to know about?
There’ll be another 2 releases over March and April, and hopefully more later in the year. I’m also in the band TRILLS and we’ve got a new single out in early March. So hopefully it’s gonna be a busy year!
Smart link: https://listen.lt/SERAPHINAKingdomCome