Electropop dyed its hair a new shade last week as Gwyn released her most recent EP.
Inspired by Gwyn’s transformative move to California, Cali… Friday’s latest single features a doo-wop of fruity notes resulting in a cadence of chords reminding us exactly what Katy Perry was talking about. In collaboration with the producer La+ch, Gwyn’s sound is fun, danceable, and sprinkled with Froot Loops. Candid and defiantly optimistic, Gwyn’s lyrics are a testament to fluidity, trials, and coming of age during the digital age. With the ensuing media coverage regarding Britney’s conservatorship, We sat down to discuss the challenges of navigating the world as a contemporary female artist.
How do you feel about this upcoming album? Are you excited, are you nervous?
Both! I mean how can you not be both…Umm idk mostly excited but there’s always that little nervousness that comes along with it and like how people will receive it ya know.
What’ve you been doing during COVID? Do you feel that you are more introspective, and how do you feel that this period has helped you grow?
So, at first, I had a breakdown because there was just a lot going on (laughs) like A LOT!!! I was like oh no the world is ending…at least that’s what it felt like to me, and I don’t know, I struggle with mental illness and it really affected that a lot at first but then as time went on I was like I really should be using this time to better my craft and create things that help people escape from this madness that’s going on in the world right now. Also, it helps me escape…creating music. I set up my own recording studio in my house, and so I’ve been recording my own vocals and keys and sending them to producers and being able to make music that way since I can’t go to Canada which is where my record label is located, so I’ve been figuring ways around what’s going on, but yeah it was hard at first…it was rough!
How would you say that the music from your childhood has inspired your current sound?
I think for sure I still have a little country accent in my songs that I don’t know if I’ll ever fully get away from… it’s just there you know, but I listened to a lot of gospel and country growing up but then once I got my own music taste I got into like pop, punk, boy bands and stuff and you can definitely hear the alternative side to my songs and lyrics, and then I started getting into the rave world…EDM, and that all just sort of matches together I feel like, and makes something really cool.
Cool! You mentioned raves…what is your favorite memory from a rave that you’ve been to?
I wrote a song about one of the best raves I ever went to, and it’s called Hey Molly and it was just about me finally accepting that I am attracted to girls as well, and just fully embracing it that night, and just like letting myself be free and feel what I feel and not having any guilt from how I was raised.
In your opinion, what’s more, important a melody or a lyric?
Lyrics! I’m big on lyrics, but melodies are important too, but lyrics are everything to me!
As a girl from Oklahoma, what would be the main difference to Cali, and what have been your impressions so far?
So, in Oklahoma I’m like a weird kid, and in Cali I’m not! I’ll walk in anywhere in Oklahoma, and everyone just turns and stares at me and it’s not like, why do you look so cool…like other people who don’t really know how they are, are kind of scared of people that do. So, I feel that for sure.
What kind of S***T do you like?
Well…Did you listen to my song you should know! Dancing in my room with no pants on #1…
No, I just like to unwind by doing dancing for sure…I love to dance…like I’m not good at it, I just love to dance, I love it, it’s so fun! Raving has taught me that it doesn’t matter if you’re good at dancing, if you’re enjoying yourself and having a fun time that’s it. Like it doesn’t matter if you’re doing like cool moves, if you’re just enjoying yourself, and it lets off a lot of steam for me dancing. I love to write music of course…I love to run…idk I just really love to run, I grew up playing soccer, and like running. It just releases so many endorphins for me…I love to cook, I love to read…I love cats!
Does your personal style influence your music, or does your music influence your style?
I feel like they’re kind of separate entities for me, my music I write whatever I’m feeling at the time, and just accept that, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a hit, I just write what I’m feeling, because if I turn it into a chore where I like only write things that I’m gonna put out. That’s not good for me. And then with my clothes…I’m genderfluid and some days I’ll wake up and I will feel very masculine and wanna dress masculine, and that doesn’t always correlate with songs for me idk.
What’s a magical place that you really wanna go to? If you could go anywhere…
I kind of want to go to Ireland!
How do you feel about Britney being freed…I’m just wondering as an artist, from your point of view…what do you think the future holds, not only for Britney but for other females in the industry, do you think anything’s gonna change, or do you think that this event has inspired people to talk about how women are treated…what do you think?
I really hope so…but the media still write some pretty terrible stories I feel, and I don’t necessarily feel that’s going to change, because they still need people to read their stuff but hopefully it opens conversations. There is that hate media coming in but we’re also all able to share the truth and spread that as well to counteract that, and I feel like that’s what happened with Britney, enough people were aware of her situation and pressed for her to be freed…so we do have some power with social media but then there’s always gonna be that negative media and there’s always gonna be paparazzi trying to create this story, but hopefully it opens conversations…I truly hope so.
What does attitude mean to you?
I love attitude! I don’t like a negative attitude, but I like people who are sassy…I love that!
Some people are intimidated by strong personalities. As long as it’s not negative energy you’re putting out I don’t care. If you feel strongly about something and you’re talking about it, I’m a big fan of that always!
In general, how do you see yourself growing? Aside from this new album that’s coming out. Do you have any goals as an artist or things that you would like to accomplish…what’s the trajectory?
I kinda wanna have a DJ set/live set…that’s what I’m going for I wanna get into the DJ world…I can play DJ shows and then I can do DJ/live shows and then also do live shows as well, I really wanna get into the EDM world and the rave world so I’m working on that and like mixing and stuff currently. But that’s the world that I see myself getting into, so I’m trying to focus on that.
Finally, how often do you dye your hair?
Too much! I don’t know how my hair hasn’t fallen out yet if I’m honest, I dye it like every month and it’s like a new phase for me…my hair color is like a new era of my life for me, I dye it every time I feel like a new person like a new era is coming on like I’ve realized something big, like a new Gwyn every single time. I also get really bored of how I look in the mirror, and I’m like I need to make something up here like I gotta do something about this (chuckles) So probably like every month
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