Galore Darling: Femme Tells Us How She Gets High Without Drugs
Check out the interview with up and coming artist Femme, who’s been touring with Charli XCX and her performances have been getting the attention and compliments they deserve!
Interview & photography by Angelo Kritikos
Where do you feel most creatively fulfilled? Producing, writing, performing, creating the visuals?
I guess the moment where I feel I get it back is actually when I’m on stage. Something just changed in the last few months. Suddenly after “Fever Boy” we were going to shows and loads of people were coming to see me and they know the songs. It’s that kind of moment that I realized there’s people in the crowd singing my songs that I wrote. It’s always amazing to be confronted with that in a live scenario.
What is your art background?
Since a kid I always sung but I didn’t start writing music until I was about 16. You get to a point in the English school system where you have to choose what you want to do and what you want to concentrate on. I really almost went and did art. But doing art meant I would have to stay in my hometown for another year to do the art foundation course- then you go off and get your degree. I got to a moment where I was like, I think I could see myself coming back to art later in life. I felt that music was ‘now or never’ otherwise I would never do it.
You create the music, you create your own visuals- Do you do your own hair?
Yeah look at it! Of course I do my own hair. Hopefully I’ll get to the point where I’ll have a bigger budget and I’ll be getting it done.
Your video for ‘High’ has such a cool editorial look. Do you visualize a video concept when you’re creating a song or does the idea come later?
Usually along the way. The production side is so intertwined with my writing process. I try to be quite visual with my lyrics. The video ideas usually come about midway through that process. With ‘High’ I basically wanted to recreate that idea, that feeling, when you are high. I didn’t want to do the obvious drug reference, you know, because people can get high on anything. You have a moment when you can’t come down. It’s like when I get off stage, without a doubt, I can say that I am high and I’m not taking drugs whatsoever. With all my videos, it’s quite gorilla filming. I have a friend who helps me shoot the videos. We shot the high video in 4 hours. I started editing it that night because I was so excited.
Your album is expected to release this Spring. Is there a favorite track you’ve made thus far?
I guess the newest track I make is always usually my favorite. I made a new one that I play live. I actually finished it just a few days before coming on tour. It’s called “Romeo” and it’s really fun. I’ve got this other one, which is kind of similar to “Fever Boy” but more silly. I kind of wanted to make a fun tune (like the Loco Motion) that can have a matching dance routine. If you have liked what has come so far, the album is an extension. More sunshine beats, summer jams, I think people will dig it.
Were there any speed bumps you encountered when entering the music biz?
It’s really tricky to pin point because this year has gone so quickly. I put my first single out as Femme in July (2013) so it hasn’t been that long. It’s always interesting. I guess the biggest speed bump that’s reoccurring is the idea I should be making my album with several different producers or co-write. It wasn’t until “Fever Boy” came out and people connected with it and started chatting about it. People in the industry reacted like ‘F*** this is great. She CAN produce.” Before then, it wasn’t talked about. It was more questioned like ‘Oh, you make your own tunes…?’
