Gabrielle Macafeeās latest single āDance Myself to Deathā is out now and it is exactly what you need to lose yourself on the dance floor. A night we all need. The moody powerhouse vocalist combines her love for the strange darkness in the movie Midsommer and her desire to make us feel good in this high energy dance ballad. Synthy vocals paired with deep beats come together to bring us out of ourselves and into our feelings.
Macafeeās ability to transcend us into new worlds is what makes her music so interesting. We look forward to hearing her upcoming projects. She is one to watch. We got to talk to the singer songwriter about what home means to her, looking for inspiration and working on āDance Myself to Death.ā
What sparked the idea for Dance Myself to Death!? What was the writing process like?
The inspiration behind āDance Myself to Death!ā struck at a strange moment, I was at a grocery store with my boyfriend and creative partner Kyle after watching Midsommar.Ā Somewhere between the produce and dairy isle I asked āwhat if we wrote a break-up song about Midsommar?ā Underneath all the gore and folk-horror of the film is a story about a breakup, so Kyle and I built the song from that.
The first version was moodier and darker, but we werenāt totally inspired so we let it sit for a while. But after becoming obsessed with Dua LipaāsĀ Future NostalgiaĀ and Jessie WareāsĀ Whatās Your PleasureĀ I wanted to inject a bit of disco into the track. And now here we are!
Where is home and how do you carry it with you?
Itās so funny you ask that, as I am sitting in my freshly moved into apartment in Brooklyn. Iāve moved around quite a bit the past few years so Iām constantly grappling with the idea of āhome.ā Thereās the address you write on your taxes, but then thereās the place you lay your head at night. A friend gave me a book years ago, āLetters to A Young Poetā by Rilke. I take that with me whenever I know Iāll be in a certain place for a long time, thatās how I carry home I guess. Or wherever I can cry without anyone bothering me!!
What’s your favorite thing about being a musician? What’s the hardest part?
My favorite part is watching the evolution of my own artistry, itās like watching someone grow up; there is a good deal of embarrassment and forgiveness involved.
The hardest part is fighting with the inner critic! Sheās a bitch!
Where do you go or what do you do when you’re looking for inspiration?
To be completely transparent, inspiration has been hard to come by the past year and a half. During the pandemic I worked at a small restaurant on a family run vineyard, I found a lot of inspiration in food and wine that I previously found in people.
āDance Myself to Death!ā and the other releases mostly deal with themes of healing and the solitude that accompanies it. I suffered a traumatic brain injury about 6 years ago and healing has been at the forefront of everything I do – itās a continuous process that churns a lot of pain and self-awareness up.
Who are some of your musical icons? Dream collab?
Gosh, so many. I absolutely adore Bowie, Fiona Apple, Donna Summer, Joni Mitchell, Lady Gaga, and FKA twigs. My dream collab would have to be Sir Elton John, he knows good artistry and collaborating with him would just truly be an honor. Oh and Gaga. Iād die.
What are you looking forward to?
Iām looking forward to so much, Iām currently surrounded by moving boxes, back in my favorite city on the planet, with one of my favorite songs Iāve written on the horizon. I also have another song coming out in November, probably my favorite one yet.
Iām looking forward to new people hearing my songs. Iām starting fresh and I couldnāt be more excited.
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photos / courtesy of the artist
story / Vogue Giambri