PARIS PALOMA IS FEELING CACOPHONY WITH UPCOMING NEW ALBUM
British singer and songwriter Paris Paloma is known for her powerful and aggressive journal-like lyricism, and we can expect no different from her upcoming album Cacophony, available everywhere August 30th. I got the chance to chat with Paris about her upbringing, some of her favorite songs and what she has in store for us with her new project.
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up in Derbyshire?
Definitely the time spent out in nature. I have so many childhood memories of going on walks and hikes up Thorpe Cloud in Dovedale, in the rain mostly. Or growing up at my grandma’s cottage, she had a beautiful garden and a porch overlooking the fields where my sister and I would befriend the sheep.
Your debut album “Cacophony” comes out this month. Talk to us about what we can expect from this project and the overall process of creating it.
It’s a very vulnerable project, and a collection of songs from the last few years that illustrate my journey through mental adversity, and have become a lot healthier. It speaks a lot to trauma, grief, and inner reflection that helped me come out the other side. What draws all these songs together is that they were written out of necessity at the time, for me to articulate something or understand something, as writing is my coping mechanism and emotional outlet in that way.
You’ve already released a few songs from your upcoming album like “yeti”, “as good a reason”, “labour”, “my mind” and “drywall”. From these songs, which one would you say best sonically represents the album and why?
I would say “my mind (now)” as releasing it felt like such a declaration of the tone of the album. It’s a song about trauma, about the moment after which you will not be the same again, and that’s why it’s the first song on the album; the rest of the songs exist in the wake of it.
How did it feel when your song “labour” hit over 100 million streams on Spotify? How did you celebrate this accomplishment?
I feel like it didn’t sink in for a long time, no one is built to comprehend that level of visibility for one song so quickly. I was just so moved I think, and felt so seen by so many. I feel like I didn’t really celebrate it properly until the year anniversary, when we released labour (the cacophony) and added all the fan’s voices to it. I wanted to give back to them what they had put into the song in the first place.
What did you learn as an artist from opening for Maisie Peters? Did you take anything away from performing for a crowd that wasn’t your own?
Maisie is such a dedicated artist, I learned a lot from her confidence and stage presence, especially each night when I’d join her to sing “history of man” which was a core memory moment for me. It was interesting playing a crowd different to my own, but they also exist in an adjacent world I think. It made me have to be a lot more intentional about the story I was telling, as I knew they were all new to it, so it built up my confidence a lot in that way.
This summer you’re going on tour in Europe where you’ll be hitting the stage in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam – just to name a few. Which city are you most looking forward to visiting? What can fans expect from this tour?
I’m really looking forward to returning to Amsterdam, as it will be the same venue, Paradiso, that I opened for Maisie at, which is such a beautiful venue. I also just really enjoy Amsterdam as a place. I think the fans can definitely expect to meet lovely people, as that’s one of my favorite things about my gigs, how the fans often make friends and community with each other and have a magical time
For anyone who’s never heard any of your music, what’s the first song you’re playing for them?
Maybe “the warmth“, which is my most recent release!
A lot of your makeup looks feature a detailed glitter eye or wing liner. Talk to us about some of your favorite makeup looks and how you come up with these unique looks.
I’m really inspired by makeup from the ballet. I did ballet for a long time and have always been obsessed with the aesthetic of its costumes and makeup, the double winged eyeliner is something inspired by that, same with glitter as it’s purpose is to make the audience see you and your expression from far away.
What’s your must-have skin care products?
I do like a good face mask on a self care night.
Aside from your debut album and tour, what else do you have planned for the rest of 2024?
A lot of writing, I’m already thinking about future projects! I’m so excited for this album to be out, as whilst I’ve come so far, it feels like the start of a journey.
TEAM CREDITS:
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Photographer: Jennifer McCord (@jrcmccord)
Hair Stylist: Maarit Niemela (@maaritniemela_hair_)
Makeup Artist: Ruby Yu (@rubyyu._)
Wardrobe Stylist: Leith Clark (@leithclark)
