Born and raised in Kent, Gabriella Vixen has firmly established herself as one to watch, with possession of power and lyrical prowess that is undeniable. 2018 saw Gabriella make her mark gentle and emphatic yet strong and empowering.
To coincide with her new single ‘Fool’, we caught up with the incredible singer to discuss new music, inspiration behind tracks and her upcoming plans.
Hi, first things first – how are you? Hows 2019 treating you so far?
I’m very well, embracing the weather but looking forward to the summer and I’ve chopped all my hair off so I feel like a new woman !
You’ve just released your brand new single ‘Fool’ – how does it feel to have it released?
I love having new music out, it’s like booking a holiday and having something to look forward to. I can be impatient and I hate sitting on music, especially songs I have put a lot into, so its a great feeling finally being able to share ‘fool’ with the world. I love seeing how people react to my music.
What was the inspiration behind this new track?
I just remember in the studio when this was written, there were all girls in the room, accept for the producer, crazy inspiration and conversation can happen when theres a room full of girls. As individuals and women we go through similar situations so what we’re saying is relatable. The song speaks for itself, but its about being in a one sided, selfish-on the other persons part- relationship and finally getting out; that was definitely a situation I had experienced more than once.
Was releasing it on Valentine’s day a deliberate decision?
Having been single for the first Valentines Day in a long time, it just felt like now was the best time to release it. Because the inspiration came from what girls go through, I realised in these situations of being in bad relationships, your friends are so important. I think people were expecting something lovey Dovey which is funny. I guess its very anti-Valentines, and I thought it would be an interesting time to bring it out. We had a lot of fun with it.
Is it important for you, when releasing music, for it to have a purpose and meaning within the lyrics, or is the overall sound more important?
I aim to keep my music as personal and relevant to me as possible, I feel it more which I think is so important especially when you’re performing it. As a writer, I think the best music comes from a personal place. I like that people can get to know me through my music, I don’t always wanna talk about what I’ve been through and how I’ve felt, so I let the song do the talking. I don’t want my music to go out of fashion, so good, true lyrics to me, will apply and relate to someone else, and that’s something that can’t be outdated.
When creating music, do the lyrics often come first or the melody? Or does it just depend on the creative mood when in the studio?
It does of course depend. I find that different producers and writers have varied ways of creating. Usually if it’s just me and the producer, we will work on a beat, and then I will write melodies over it. Sometimes I will have a concept In my head, or of course something on my mind that I really want to write about.
2018 was a very successful year for you with your debut single ‘Golden’ doing well – how does ‘Fool’ compare with ‘Golden’?
Although they are both love songs, they are similar in the sense that they are both very empowering. I would say ‘Fool’ is a lot more feisty- kind of like a battle, wher as ‘Golden’ is more about self value, self love and worth.
Will there be a music video to accompany the new single? (We hope so!)
There isn’t a music video for ‘Fool’, butttttt I filmed an acoustic version which will be out within the next couple of weeks, which Im really excited to share.
Who would you say your biggest musical influences are?
I have so many it’s crazy. My influences can differ from my taste and what I listen to. I listen to a lot of older school r&b- Chris Brown and Mariah Carey, Coldplay are my favourite band. I grew up listening to a lot of Motown and soul- Stevie Wonder. Also Jasmine Sullivan, Tori Kelly, Adele, Jp Cooper, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake. There are hundreds, but I would say I’m influenced and inspired by these artists.
Finally, what else can we expect from you in the next couple of months / remainder of 2019?
I’m in the studio every week working on new music, so the plan is to perform and keep releasing. I have another single coming out, ‘C.O.O.L’. We don’t have a release date yet but its pretty much ready to go. Its been produced by Freedo, which is exciting for us both as we have so much music together, it’s nice to finally start putting some of it out, and I featured on his first single! There is also a music video for ‘C.O.O.L’ so its a big one for me. <3
Did you enjoy our exclusive interview with Gabriella Vixen? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @CelebMix.