Many paths in life seem to have a fairly straightforward route, many, but not all - and especially for those called to create - there's rarely a roadmap. You might have a general idea of where you're meant to be going, but every path is unique. And simple daily grind of earning a living is usually your first obstacle.
I came from humble beginnings to put it mildly. Growing up in a family affected by addiction in a post-soviet country scared by years of an oppressive regime - barren, broken, corrupt - but ultimately, free. In my early twenties I made the decision to move to London. I knew that the City would offer me a chance to work while diving into various part-time music courses. And boy did I do them all - Pop, Jazz, Contemporary, Gospel, Musical Theater - you name it, I probably did a course on it! Every course was an attempt to get closer to the music that called for me. An essential journey in search of your own distinctive sound.
But courses come with a price and London - well, to simply stay afloat, you have to work constantly. So, I did. Often feeling more like a cog in a machine than a creator of anything..
The first lines for ‘Gold’ came to me while cycling from one catering job that I started at 7am to an evening shift at a pub that was going to finish at midnight. I stopped at a red light, deeply and painfully aware of how little authority I had on my own life when suddenly the lyrics just came to me: ‘Every minute every second every hour of the day, my time does not belong to me, but to the money I make’..
I wrote the full verse and the chorus that same night after my shift and then shelved the song for quite a few years until one day, it was screaming to be brought to life. That's when I sat down to finish it. The final touch came when I teamed up with one of my favourite people and an amazing producer I've been working with for years - David Ezra. Together, we brought the song to life. David had recently gotten his hands on a new synth, and as soon as we started experimenting with it, we knew it was the perfect fit for the track. It was like the song was waiting for that exact sound all along.
I'm sad to admit that due to lack of funds and life getting in the way I shelved it for a further few years. In the meantime David left the UK and so I ended up traveling to him to Athens to finally complete it. I am beyond relieved to finally have it out. From the forgotten corners of dusty hard drives and into the world. There's no greater relief than setting your art free. Out on March 1st.