Bringing it Back with Best Ex
Loving the idea of this record being something for younger women and girls look to for inspiration, similarly to how you were inspired by strong women in 90’s rock. I have to know how you arrived at this thematic frame for this record?
“Well, I'm getting older and when I think back to the 90's it was an era that we have women aging in public and in the music industry, I heard someone say on tiktok "lets go back to the 80's where people could be balding and be popstar". Sure we had the young pop stars in the 90's but we really had the opportunity to be an adult and experience adult things.”
I love the musical choices you made this one, including some banging melodies and dynamic vocals. You write a hell of a hook. Can you share how you go about building a track from a melodic perspective?
“I’m straight up blessed, I don't try too hard. I am that kind of artist, I know we live in a world where you have the algorithm and release a song once a month. I’m not like that at all. I wait two years or whatever it is. If it doesn't come naturally or it's been too long I will try. I write for other people, so there I try to do it more. If you're writing on your own, it makes the track bad if you’re forcing it. (For this record) there were some songs, I didn't really start with anything, or I'd be like "I hate this", so I started with my producer, we took two songs that I hated and worked on them. It's good to have a second set of ears. Writing for others is a bit easier because I can ask them what's going on in their lives. For me, I find a lot inspiration in other people and it’s easier for me to write from
that perspective.”
I really enjoyed the music videos you did for the record! How did you come up with the idea for the videos and what was shooting them like?
“The ideas for the music vidoe are always a process of elimination. I think, “How would this look if I had Taylor Swift money, but it's just me with a tripod?” I don't know the first thing about editing a video and I had just bought a new iPhone to do it because I saw Olivia Rodrigo filmed a video on an iPhone. That gave me the inspiration to at least try. I thought “How can I make cuts interesting when I don't have any way to transition?”, that’s what led to the use of the fridge. I think of it in section, verse, chorus, second verse, bridge, and last chorus. It was relief when I thought of that one. I didn't have a lot to work with at that time because I didn't want to experiment outside. I was a little worried that people would think I'm an influencer shilling Walmart t-shirts. That song is very much about how to be an at home person. So I thought, how can I stage different?”
You recently scheduled some shows in record stores in the NY and NJ area. What was your inspiration for these shows?
“I've been striking out online, I've never been a big algo person. However, I do well in physical spaces. So I was thinking “what could I do that would be accessible, outside of tour?” because people don't hang at venues like they used to. I wanted to think about how I could make music feel when I was young. So I thought about playing in cafes, then I thought in-stores. I got a list from my label and we reached out and two said yes and since then we have and more reach out asking.”
This is your second solo LP since your debut and after a long time with Candy Hearts. What did you take away from that first record that you incorporated into this release?
“I honestly think that with every record I make, the main thing I learn, how to be a better artist and songwriting techniques. The one thing I did learn with With a Smile and this album is that this one was a bit more intentional with the overall sound. I wanted things to be more cohesive, where the previous was more singles and streaming oriented. In the time period between the last one and this one, I learned to record vocals myself in my home studio. My producer had moved to Nashville so that helped given the distance now.”
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