Who/what inspires your music? 

I'm inspired by any sort of complexity or tension that I run into, particularly when it comes to relationships and/or the fact that I'm moving through the world as a woman. I also think I struggle to express myself well when speaking, so a lot of inspiration comes from simply wanting to be understood.

 

How would you describe your sound? 

Someone at a show once said my music was a cross between Courtney Barnett lyricism and an Amy Winehouse sound. I've always appreciated that description, so let's go with that :)

If you could open for any musician/band, who would it be? 

The dream of dreams? Joanna Newsom, all the way. 

 

What does making music mean to you? What got you into it/keeps you continuing? 

Oh man...writing music keeps me sane! Even if nobody listens, I will always be writing songs. It's just how I process the world. I had always written melodies and lyrics, but I didn't really have a chance to learn instruments until I was in my early 20s and could afford my own piano lessons. I had a lot of self-hatred over the fact that I couldn't play the music I heard in my head. Writing and composing that first song - the first one that truly felt like mine - was such a healing, empowering thing. 

 

How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired - how do you deal with creative blocks? 

I read, mostly. When I'm feeling stuck, I'll try to set somebody else's poetry to music, or I'll just noodle around on guitar with no ultimate purpose. Or I'll write from the perspective of a fictional character I've just read (that's how my song "Your Dolly" came about). 

 

Which song of yours was the most fun to write & make?

 I really enjoyed writing "Torn," as that song has a few unexpected musical turns. But I think "Your Dolly" was my favorite to bring a band onto. The song transformed from a sort of country-folk ballad into something with a lot more drive and energy.

 

What is your creative process like? Is it more organized & session based or more sporadic and fleeting?

 I write every day, so there is some organization in the sense that songwriting is a habit. But there's very little logic involved - I rarely sit down with a specific goal or task in mind. I just start noodling. Or, I write a bunch of words down when I need to sort through a feeling, then revisit those words with an instrument later. 

 

What is your current big goal? What does the future hold/what are you working towards right now? 

My current big goal is to make a full album!! The songs are written, but I want to be extremely intentional and arrange parts for each instrument. Once I finish that, then it's time to assemble a crew and record it. Let's hope I can make it happen!