Q. Your latest single, 'Fix This Love,' explores the impact of addiction on relationships. Can you share more about the inspiration behind the song and how it connects with your previous release, 'Mountain'?
Fix this love is one of hardest song I've put out because it's so real and painful for me to sing. When I hear it back or sing it, I am transported back to the time of writing it and I was a mess. I wasn't eating, sleeping, my life was turned upside down. The song is the sister song to my last single Mountain which was about someone close to me who has addiction struggles and while that song was about their side of the story, Fix This Love shows my side of the story and how addiction doesn't just destroy the addicts life, it destroys the lives of people around them too. It is like emotional torture watching someone you care about destroy their lives and every effort you make to help them doesn't work. I wanted to release them back to back so that people can see both sides of the illness. I really hope these two songs shine a light on an often misunderstood illness and we learn to have more understanding through it.
Q. 'Fix This Love' reflects the emotional turmoil experienced by those close to someone battling addiction. How did you navigate the challenge of translating such a personal and intense experience into a song that others can relate to?
When I'm writing, a lot of the time it's like my diary. Some people journal but for me I write it out in songs. If I'm honest, when writing, I don't think about things like how it will translate to the public as I'm writing out of a cathartic place. I think that a good thing because it allows me to be honest and vulnerable and I think that's what helps people connect because they can hear that it's come from a place of truth and not trying to hard.
Q. Your music often touches on deeply personal experiences. How do you balance the emotional intensity of your songs with the desire to connect with your audience on a universal level?
I think because I write the way do, it is relatable because we all feel the same feelings, just wrapped up in different circumstances so I always make sure that I am writing from that place instead of being overly wrapped up in the facts of my story. I wish I had a secret to it as I'd bottle it and sell it but writing is so natural to me, it just comes flowing out of me. With Fix This Love, I just sat at my keyboard and started singing; it just flowed out of me. All the emotions were there, and it was one of those songs that wrote itself. I love it when that happens as it just comes out of you and you feel like you're just a channel for the song, it's a bit of an out-of-body experience and usually, those are the songs that people connect with the most because they are just real and authentic.
Q. You've been involved in the music industry from a young age. How has your journey, from writing songs at thirteen to your recent success, shaped your perspective as a singer/songwriter?
I guess every experience has added to me feeling more confident in my abilities and being able to express myself in the most honest and vulnerable way I can. Even when I was 13, I was writing very raw and vulnerable songs. I've always had an old soul and I'm very empathic so I often feel things on a deeper level to most. I guess as time goes on you grow as a writer and that's always a good thing, expanding your vocabulary and I love it find new ways of saying things, like in my song Losing My Mind that was out in January, the opening line was me and tears ain't strangers which was a more creative way of saying that I've had a lot of tough moments and I cry a lot and I loved that line so much that I named the whole EP after that so it's just about being free and creative for me.
Q. 'Don't Look Back,' your debut single, climbed to No.9 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts. How did that early success impact your approach to music, and what lessons did you learn from it?
I think that it was a lesson in going with my gut instinct and knowing that there was an audience out there for me. I was nervous because the song wasn't your typical song structure as it doesn't have a chorus, it was what we call an AABA song which has a tag line, songs like Over The Rainbow, Yesterday by the Beatles and can be a great song if it's done right so going with something a bit different for my first release I think was a smart move as it set me apart and allowed me to build from then. If I'm completely honest, you never know what song is going to connect with the audience so as long as you are putting out music you love and means something to you, it will always find its place and you'll be happy with it no matter how it performs.
Q. Your unique style and soulful voice have garnered attention. How do you feel your Italian heritage and growing up in Glasgow have influenced your musical identity?
I would say that being Scottish Italian gave me a lot of culture to draw on. Both have such rich and diverse music that it was easy to be influenced. Listening to Italian music when I was younger, I learned how you can listen to music that you may not understand all the words too but still feel the emotion. I think that's really played into me as a singer as I always try sing from emotion and not strive to be the most technical singer. I know a lot of people have said to me they feel what I'm saying when I sing and I guess that's what it's all about. I never used to like my voice because it was unique and I wanted to sound like everyone else but now I love it because when you hear a song by me, you know it's me by my voice and that makes it stand out and instantly recognisable which is an asset in the industry. If you think of some of the greatest stars, as soon as their song comes on, you know it's them so I'd rather stand out than blend in.
Q. As a songwriter for multiple artists, you've worked with industry giants. How has collaborating with experienced writers shaped your craft, and what insights have you gained from those experiences?
I love it pick up little from everyone I write with as it builds up your abilities as you go. Everyone has different approaches and different styles so it makes for a fascinating evolution to take little bits from them all. I've worked with writers like Charlie Dore who taught me how to really use lyrics in a smart way to say things, she has such a unique voice in her lyrics that really rubbed off on me and working with Stargate recently, I learnt a lot about melodies and how to make melodies and the production intertwine with each other. The biggest thing I've taken from every session is confidence, for these big writers and artists to believe in me, and all have confidence and compliment my abilities as a singer and writer, that gives me the encouragement to believe in my own abilities and that I deserve my seat at the table.
Q. You've participated in songwriting contests and received recognition for your work. How have these competitions and achievements contributed to your growth as an artist?
I think for me, it's not about the awards and accolades, while they are nice to have, for me it's when I get messages from my audience and they say a song has helped them though a particularly hard time in their life or they have related to it and it's it:s helped them. That to me is what it's all about. Music is a healer for me and I love being able to do that for others.
Q. Your lyrics often come from personal experiences. How do you choose which stories to share through your music, and what impact do you hope your songs have on listeners?
Again it's not something I think too much about. I'm an open book and I'm more careful around what I say about the song in interviews etc if the song is about someone else because I want to respect their privacy so I never reveal names or details but in the songs, it's a free for all in terms of me just saying the real things. People in my life will tell you I'm very direct in how I speak and I always cut to the feelings and forget small talk so I guess that translates into my music and my fans appreciate my honesty. I got told by a songwriter friend recently that I say the thing everyone is thinking but is too afraid to say out loud and I guess that's just part of me as a person, I'm not afraid to get vulnerable.
Q. With a growing number of successful singles, what can fans expect from your future releases, and how do you see your music evolving in the coming years?
Well I've got the next few singles already lined up so I know what's coming and I'm so excited. I'm experimenting with a darker pop sound next year and I think that in the coming years, I'll always experiment within the pop realm as that the freedom of doing pop is you can draw from all different genres but I think the thread is always going to be my voice and my lyrical style that will always make it feel familiar no matter where I take it musically.
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