Interview: Gail talks about her new EP & some of the barriers she's faced coming into the industry
- hotpinkmusicuk
- Oct 4, 2020
- 4 min read
(Photo Credit: @visualsbycolleen on instagram)
Recently, I got the opportunity to chat with Gail, a twenty-one-year-old musician who moved from London to Norwich three years ago. Since her move, she has made a name for herself in the area, gigging in the city with her self described indie/alternative pop music. Recently, Gail released her debut EP "sweet nothings" which has helped her to accumulate over two hundred monthly listeners on Spotify. I have wanted to talk to Gail for a long time, getting to know her and her beautiful music via social media, her unique sound drawing me in: here's what we spoke about.
Gail started to sing when she was just four years old, explaining to me that she has always sung and can't remember a time when she didn't. She expanded that she remembers singing a lot in primary school, starting singing lessons from a young age. She didn't start to play instruments however until she was much older. Gail explained to me that because singing came so naturally to her, she never considered pursuing it as a career and that it wasn't until she began to write her own music that she realised it could be a future for her. She explained to me that she was inspired to write songs because she listened to a lot of "really cool female songwriters". Gail started to write music aged seventeen and told me that the content of her songs hasn't really changed in her four years of writing and that she still likes to focus on love and relationships. She explained, "my songs are a blend of facts and fiction- there usually a catchy version of a real-life event." I asked Gail what her favourite part of being a musician is, which she responded to by explaining that music, songwriting especially, is important to her as it is an outlet for her emotions, telling me "since I started (music), I've always used it to get through difficult times and have something to show after a bad time." She expanded that music also helps her to deal better with mental health, saying that it feels good to her when she looks back on a song and her feelings have changed about the subject. Another one of Gail's favourite things about being a musician is also to write music that people find relatable.
Gail's debut EP "sweet nothings" was released on the twenty-fifth of September and is filled full of what Gail does best: clever, relatable, lyrically rich tracks with beautiful music featuring her emotive voice. I wanted to ask her a bit about the EP and how it had come about. Gail explained that the EP had originally been intended to be released in May, but because of COVID, she pushed the date back to September. She began writing the tracks last November and the writing was finished in January. The EP had not been intentional, but as she was writing Gail realised she had created four songs that she loved. She explained that by the time she was recording the tracks the pandemic had begun which led to it taking a while to record. Gail told me that two songs, in particular, stand out to her from the "sweet nothings" as favourites. Firstly, "short circuit" the opening song and my personal favourite is one that stands out for Gail, which she said, "is my most indie rock song... it made me feel like a rockstar". She also told me that the song is angry and fierce which is also why she enjoys it. Another one of Gail's favourites is "gaslight" which she described as the first one of her own songs that she's ever danced to alone in her room as it's such a fun track. We also discussed what parts of the process were difficult, Gail explaining that "for me, it's been very vulnerable... like sharing a part of my diary." She also told me that it still feels a little embarrassing that other people are listening to her emotions. However, the EP for me is one of the best I've heard in a long time and it makes me excited to hear more of what Gail has to offer.
We also got a chance to explore some of Gail's opinions on gender inequality in the industry, something very important to us here at Hot Pink Music. I asked Gail about what factors she thinks can discourage women from wanting to join the industry. She responded, "I think it can be heartbreaking that even in 2021 the festival line-ups look how they do with so little women". We discussed specifically Reading and Leads, whose 2021 line-up disappointed many fans and industry professionals, with not one female headliner out of the two, provided on all three days. Gail further explained, "male musicians often say they wish there were more women in the industry when there are loads, they are simply not getting booked." From personal experience, Gail also chatted to me about the barriers she faced as a "late instrument learner" which she confessed made her feel embarrassed. She expanded that she felt lot's of pressure because of this not to mess up or "play like a girl" as not only was there judgment of her age but her gender as well. Gail explained she would like to see more openness about these struggles from popular musicians, as more people would realise these things were normal if there were people talking about them. She expanded that she also wishes there was something out there to support and help women feel confident about learning instruments, especially "later" than expected.
Gail also imparted to me some advice for any aspiring musicians reading that need some help or encouragement. Gail's advice is "if you like something, just do it. I've always done music and considered it a hobby but you need to go for it. Start doing it and identifying with being a musician, say that's what you do and believe you can do it." This advice is extremely important and putting yourself out there is the best thing you can do. Next for Gail, after the release of this EP is eventually to release a second, bigger EP that she's already working on as she always wants to improve. Personally, I cannot wait to find out what's next from Gail. If you want to follow her journey with us, you can find all the links you need down below!
Ruby x
Gail:
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/gail.mp3/?hl=en
Photo Credits:
Comments