● Hi Imelda! We’re nearly the same age. What are the odds! What’s it like to be in your early twenties with a promising musical career ahead of you?
It’s very exciting! As an independent artist it can be rough sometimes but it’s also what makes it so unique and exciting, each release is a new chapter of my career and I’m already looking forward to the next one.
● Has growing up in the shadow of a musical father influenced your career path in any way?
My father’s shadow has more been like a warm and encouraging presence, especially when I started my musical career a few years ago. What was harder was to gradually distance myself from his music genre an audience (jazz) and move towards more Pop oriented music as there was a lot of expectation around my musical choices. But I decided to trust my guts and follow my own path, my own music. It probably was one of the hardest decisions I had to take in my career, but also the one I’ll never regret!
REVIEW – Alter Ego by IMELDA GABS
● Your music is really distinctive! How did you come up with your own style?
When I’m composing, it often comes from a “discussion” with my piano. I sit down and I start playing, singing, while recording it at the same time and slowly adding other layers of instruments until it becomes a complete track. For me it’s not about following a typicalmusic genre, but more about sharing directly what comes to me at the moment. This generates a large spectrum of influences, and I like to have this eclectic mix of genres in my music while keeping a “Pop” approach overall, mixing acoustic sounds with electronic ones. To me, the best way to get a distinctive sound is to stay true to yourself, as authentic as you possible can, and push yourself outside of your comfort zone!
● Aside from music, what would you do in your spare time?
Painting and reading/writing are activities that I thoroughly enjoy! Travelling is also something crucial to me, a major source of inspiration.
● Angel in a single, demon in the other. You had a Celestial Beings war on your hands! What inspired you to come up with these two?
Both of them represent different sides of me, both sensitive and rebellious. I think we all have those two personalities somewhere deep inside, good and bad, chosing constantly which one takes over, which one is the closest to how we feel.
● “Alter Ego” music video was fascinating, and it aligned with the lyrics and message. However, I have to ask, was the demons’ look in the video inspired by the American drama series “Supernatural”?
No it wasn’t inspired by the series but I get why you asked 😀 When I was discussing the scenario with the director Dariy Mambetov we knew that we wanted to find a way to make the actors look “different” but in a suttle way, and the lenses were a great way to achieve that supernatural look!
● Did you write “Alter Ego” based on a personal inner struggle?
Yes the inspiration came from a personal struggle that does come back from time to time, the question of finding your artistic identity, staying true to yourself, the pressure that comes with it. It truly creates an inner battle within your mind and for me writing this song was a way to express that feeling and getting it all out.
● How do you hope “Alter Ego” will affect your listeners?
Even though the message comes from a place of pain and struggle, I wish the song will express to all those who struggle to find their way and make their dreams a reality, that it’s ok to have times where it’s hard, that we all struggle in our own way. We all have a warrior within us, for the good and the bad times!
● How does it feel to start making singles in the heart of a pandemic?
It was challenging but at the same time very interesting as this pandemic is something that nobody’s ever experienced before. It lead me to adapt and find new was to produce and release music. Even though it’s a very blurry path curently, I think the most important thing as an artist now is to try to stay as focused as possible and not give up, find solutions, learn and evolve with these weird times we’re all experiencing.
● Care to give advice to young people out there?
Don’t let your dreams go, transform them in goals if you truly believe in them and build yourself up to get there. Always listen to your guts, you can be your worst ennemy but also your most loyal friend, don’t lose yourself along the way.
● Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I’m looking forward to your new releases. What projects do you have planned in the near future?
I’m currently working on my debut EP wich I am planning to release next year, looking forward to this other new chapter!
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Viola Karmy
