GENEVIEVE ARTADI - Interview

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Tell us about Genevieve Artadi.

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

My favorite thing to do is write songs, then record and perform them.

It’s fascinating and fulfilling to take part in an idea becoming part of the world. I love Los Angeles, I’ve always felt it was home. I’m generally optimistic with a tendency to get preoccupied by sad thoughts at night. I’m a lot like my parents, I love to laugh and watch anime, and I’m really good at Dr. Mario.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Your last full-length release came in 2020 with the project titled 'Dizzy Strange Summer.' The project deals with several complex human condition-centred narratives, such as on the track, 'Livin' Like I Know I'm Gonna Die,' or 'Edge of the Cliff.'

Can you talk to us about your intention with the project?

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

‘Dizzy Strange Summer’ was me in a phase of trying to get free.

I wasn’t even fully sure of what that meant but I knew there was more sense of freedom to feel. Whatever weirdness arose in myself or in circumstances, I said “I allow it. Let’s see what happens.” It felt good to make an album with songs that honestly revealed my lost self in searching mode. Some things I did were unhealthy though, and I learned that I don’t want to lose my voice or sacrifice my heart in order to write cool music.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

The album cover for the project is fascinating.

How did that come to be?

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

For ‘Dizzy Strange Summer,’ I was looking through my photos for some kind of cover idea and I realized I had a lot of pictures of me passed out in ridiculous ways. I had also just seen the Japanese movie “Hausu.” I knew the songs held a strange combination of darkness, humor, and confusion, so the I thought colored images of me sleeping over a spiral felt right.

The cover of ‘Forever Forever’ is a slice of my face close up from a photo by legend B+. The songs on this album are unified by classic-sounding instrumentation, so I wants the cover to invoke 60s or 70s album covers.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Talk to us about the video, ' All I want For Now.'

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

I animated it in Cinema 4d with my limited skills.

One of the few things I’ve drawn is a stick figure with a TV head with an egg inside the TV. I thought it would be cool to use that character in my little love story. It’s just two TV heads dreaming of each other and connecting in space.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Does spirituality influence your creative process?

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

It does now.

I meditate every day just to not feel insane.

The practice leaks into everything I do. With writing or recording, I do let thoughts take me for a ride, but I tune into presence to not get too tense, which helps me identify what ideas not to cling too hard to. Also it influences the song’s lyrical themes.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Describe your creative process in as much (or as little) detail as you want.

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

Most often, I open Logic and write with a tiny midi keyboard in bed or maybe in a chair. Broad concepts for mood, style, and structure are there. I make the drum groove or lay down chords, then melody, then maybe some lyrics, then do the same for the next section, add more sections, transitions, and details, then finish the lyrics.

It usually takes me about a week to make a demo. Then I record it with musicians who make the songs even better.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Can you tell us about the new projects you're working on and your creative intention with these upcoming works?

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

My next album ‘Forever Forever’ comes in March.

I recorded it all in Mexico City at El Desierto studio in a week with amazing musicians that I deeply admire and trust. I wrote half of the songs for my composer-in-residence project with Norrbotten Big Band in Sweden, the other half newer songs.

It was a blast. It’s a love album. Far more peace to it than in the previous album.

There’s a new Knower album coming this year as well, which I am so excited about. And the next solo album I’m halfway into is going to be an anime-rock inspired album.

I’m having so much fun writing in this style I don’t care if anyone even likes it.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What do you want listeners to take away from your music?

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

I don’t have any request or demand because who knows how someone is going to relate to my most intimate feelings and thoughts, and the peculiar way I express them. But if someone does connect, then wow, I’m so grateful.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What's next for Genevieve Artadi?

GENEVIEVE ARTADI

Touring, making more videos, improving my voice technique, writing songs, spending time with family, meditating, drums and archery, and learning Muay Thai.

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