(Photo Credit: @bygwynethchoi)
Congratulations on the release of "YOU RUINED MY BIRTHDAY" ! Can you talk a bit about the inspiration behind this song?
Amelie: Thank you so much! “YOU RUINED MY BIRTHDAY” was such a fun song to write and record - the inspiration and lyrics behind the song are all based on my actual life, I really did have my birthday ruined 3 years in a row (17-19) and my birthday is now almost an ironic event in my life. It just sometimes sucks to have something special, something that was meant to just be yours taken away from you and ruined. And so this song is almost like my tribute to my 17, 18, and 19 year old selves - this is me telling them that they deserved better.
Do you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories from creating this song or the music video?
Amelie: The music video shoot was so fun and chaotic haha, definitely one of my favourites so far! Highlights include me almost burning my hair (multiple times), eating cake with my amazing co-star, and really struggling to light my birthday candles (also multiple times)! There was also a cut scene of me praying at the Jimi Hendrix shrine at the Troubadour…
Aside from this song, what other song of yours is your favorite?
Amelie: It’s so difficult to choose between songs, I think especially when they’re your own. Every song I’ve ever written means something different to me, but I have to say I’m the proudest (so far) of my mixtape “CINEMATIC!” - and “Electric Butterflies” and “Better” definitely have extra special places in my heart.
You self-released your first studio album at the age of sixteen. That's amazing! How do you feel you've grown as a singer and songwriter since then?
Amelie: Thank you, I’ve wanted to write and release music for so long and I couldn’t be where I am today without who I was when I wrote/released my first and second albums. I’ve grown so much since then - musically, lyrically, emotionally. I’ve actually switched genres even, so my sound/identity as an artist is completely different from what it was 4 years ago. And I sometimes get a little teary-eyed when I think about what 16-year-old me would think if she saw me now, and I’d like to think she’d be proud of how far we’ve come. And I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my family and my team, so shoutout to them!
(Photo Credit: @bygwynethchoi)
You have a headline show in London coming up in April! What about that show are you most excited for?
Amelie: I’m so so pumped about playing at the Dublin Castle, I think the best part about any gig is connecting with the audience and just being able to have a great time all together with people who understand you - that’s the part I’m always the most excited about. But another aspect I’m looking forward to is playing some unreleased songs for the crowd, it’s going to be like a kind of exclusive preview of what’s to come!
For you, what is the best thing about being a musician?
Amelie: For me, writing music is the most therapeutic thing in the world. It’s how I process and get my feelings out, and I think the best part of being an artist/musician is being able to share those thoughts and feelings with other people, and that moment of connection, that moment of “oh, I actually feel that too, we’re not alone in this” is the best feeling.
Interviewed By Tessa Brainard
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