What pivotal moment or experience ignited your passion for music and set you on your musical journey?
The passion for music has always existed within me! Since I was a baby, as I usually say, I was already passionate about music. Later, at the age of around 7, I was already asking my mother for CDs of karaoke with traditional Portuguese children’s songs to sing. Besides that, I’ve always had a great influence from my older brother, who always listened to excellent music. He had a great influence on me and my musical tastes, and he is an excellent singer, bassist, and guitarist. I’m very sorry that he didn’t pursue music professionally because I’m sure we could have been an excellent duo like Billie and Finneas! (Rock version of it! xD) I always knew that music was what I wanted to pursue and make a living from, and here I am, years later, still fighting for my dream, every day, step by step, and towards my dreams and goals!
How would you describe your musical style? What specific elements or influences do you believe contribute to creating your distinctive sound?
I can’t label my sound and musical style specifically, but I would say it’s something between pop/rock, rock, and undoubtedly alternative, with a distinct sound, elements of rock and electronic. The influences are varied, but some examples I can give are Puscifer, Florence and the Machine, Billie Eilish… Great singers who have always been vocal influences, for example, Florence, Sónia Tavares from The Gift (Portuguese Band), Maria Brink (from In This Moment), Sharon from Within Temptation, Billie Eilish, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera. As you can see, very varied influences! I try to create my sound with my essence and authenticity, without thinking too much about how it will sound, just doing something that pleases my soul.
What challenges have you faced along your musical journey, and what strategies have you utilized to overcome them?
Throughout my journey, I have stepped on many stages (with other projects) and have faced many obstacles and a lot of rejection. I feel that every time I receive a “yes,” something positive, it is the result of work and persistence, it is recognition after so many years on this road. It even gives a certain pleasure when we achieve certain goals. All artists go through rejection and closed doors. It’s up to us, artists, to persist with our art, never losing our essence, and to keep fighting until we reap the fruits of our work and our art!
Could you elaborate on the inspiration behind your debut single “Wake Up Call” and its reception within the audience?
“Wake Up Call” was the first original single of this solo project of mine, which I hold dear. It was a song that was written during the pandemic, so its inspiration came from those times and the phase we were going through at that time, which led me to this reflection of “what is really important?” Why does our society give so much importance to materialism, and why are we such victims of these same things? It’s a critique of that in a certain way. The reception for the debut single was incredible, so incredible that “Wake Up Call,” along with its distinct and cinematic music video (by Golpe Filmes), flew across borders, received international recognition with several awards (with the music video and the song), and it led me to Hollywood in August of the same year, where I had the immense honor of receiving the alternative category award at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards! (one could say these are basically the grammys of independent music!) It was undoubtedly a great milestone and a great motivation to continue doing what I love the most!
In what ways do you feel your musical style has evolved since the release of “Wake Up Call”?
I think we artists are always in constant growth and mutation, but the essence is always there, and what sets us apart from others as well, like a stamp.
Turning to your latest single, “Pressure,” what inspired the lyrics and melody, and how do they resonate with your personal experiences?
In the latest single, “Pressure,” we address the incessant pursuit of perfection and the immense external pressures that society imposes on us. There is also the need to focus on ourselves, without paying attention to external judgments. The message is clear: self-love and authenticity are a key to emerging victorious and asserting ourselves in this sea of criticisms and pressures. With this theme, I want to inspire everyone to look at themselves from a different perspective, hence the final line where you hear “let me inspire you to see your higher self.”
Can you walk us through the process of creating “Pressure,” from conception to completion?
“Pressure” is part of a set of songs that were swollen in the creation process during the pandemic times and that went through several phases and versions until they were shaped and honed to the final product that came out. Mike More was and is a crucial piece in the production and composition, being my right arm in this project and a talented friend, whom I am grateful to have in this project, as well as all the other musicians involved, to whom I am also very grateful for the excellent work, insight, and affection that each one put into the project.
What do you believe distinguishes you from other artists in the industry, and how do you leverage those unique qualities?
I feel that my country (Portugal) has a great tendency to only give voice to artists (mostly female) with similar timbres and styles, usually with a typical and standard voice of a lullaby, very cute, high-pitched, half whispered/spoken and half sung, with a more head vocal register, and only give voice to these musical styles that dominate the commercial scene. It is very clear that these artists are “the same.” I don’t want to criticize the quality of these artists, even because I like the work of some of them, but with this, I only highlight my sadness with the lack of diversity, openness, and musical inclusion in our country. It would be amazing to see more space for different voices, different styles, timbres, languages, in the music scene, so that we can enjoy a wider range of talents and artistic expressions! And maybe this extends to other parts of the world, where we need more inclusion and diversity as well. Speaking for myself, I think personally my music, my voice, have something characteristic. In the sound, we have distinct elements of rock and electronic, and in the voice, we have a deeper and velvety tone, with a touch of mystery and mysticism, something different from what we are used to hearing. I have always liked voices with distinct timbres, those voices that you hear and immediately know who it is!
How do you stay creatively inspired and motivated amidst the demands and pressures of the music industry?
Inspiration has its ups and downs, and talking with other colleagues in the field, they tell me the same thing. We can go months without writing anything and then write 10 songs in a day. When inspiration strikes, it strikes! I feel that I am especially inspired when I am in calm environments, in the midst of nature (that’s why I write more when I am in Switzerland, for example, since I go there often), or after some event that has generated great sadness or great joy. One thing is certain, the more I leave the house, the more I am in contact with other people and with nature, the more inspired I am and the easier it is to create, compose, and write. Everything flows with a different energy and pace.
How do you personally define success in the music industry, and do you perceive yourself to be making strides toward achieving it?
Defining success in music personally is a very tricky question, because the definition of success is different for each of us. The most important thing for me is to build a solid fan base and continue doing what I love, reaching as many people as possible, of course, but without ever prioritizing vanity metrics above art and music. That has to come as a consequence. The most important thing will always be to do what we love, to have our community and the niche that likes what we do, and to be happy. But of course, I can’t lie that my ambition is very big, and I am always striving for more and more.
Looking ahead in your musical journey, what are your aspirations for the future within the industry?
I want to reach as many people as possible and inspire as many people as possible positively with my music, my lyrics, and art. I want to travel the world, meet new artists, new people, new cultures, and new countries. I want to have my solid fan base, and I want more. For now, I only dream and long to put this project on stage more often and reach more people nationally and internationally, with a special fondness for the United States, Brazil, and England, which are the countries that listen to my music the most. But I want to reach more ears in other parts of the world and also have the recognition due in my country nationally. I am still to find my people here in Portugal! 😀
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