Exposed Vocals just caught an interview with ‘angelicaa’
First and foremost a singer/songwriter and guitarist, angelicaa combines her rock roots, like Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, Cat Power and PJ Harvey, with her influences in the rise of electronic music.
Grungey and soulful, her debut EP captures teenage angst and growing up feeling different. angelicaa finds beauty in that struggle and creates something that is moody, sentimental, and ultimately, uplifting.
Her look is also key to her ethos; reclaiming pink as a symbol for androgyny, empowering herself as a woman and challenging expectations of gender.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelicaa_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/
Full Circle Documentary: https://vimeo.com/174860350
Music links: http://smarturl.it/3dv2ix
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
angelicaa: London born and bred! Without sounding cliche, I’ve wanted to make music since I can remember. The earliest memory I have and something I believe to be a catalyst, is when I was about 5 my Dad showed me VHS footage of Jimi Hendrix playing his notorious 1967 Monterey Pop Festival show where he˜sacrifices his guitar on stage by setting it on fire. I ve always had this obsession with the electric guitar; its sound, its presence, its power. I was lucky to have an open-minded and broad education in music from my parents, a lot of classic rock, 70s funk, 90s trip hop, Grunge, I could go on and on. While the sonic element of music hit me from an early age, I always remember being fascinated by CD covers, awards shows and music magazines. I would religiously watch Top of the Pops every Friday as a child, and I remember on a rare family holiday abroad in Italy at this beautiful hotel I was just glued to the MTV video repeats! I guess this fascination with music as an art form, as an industry, as a cultural force has always been within me.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
angelicaa: Well Angelica is my name but I added the extra for a bit of visual fuckery and I suppose to have the feel of a kind of stage name.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
angelicaa: Well having grown up listening to and making tapes, to then having a disc-man, to predominantly using my iPod classic, sometimes using my phone for streaming, downloading from YouTube and buying from iTunes, I just think we now live in a world where we have a choice and I believe that is a privilege. Everyone has their own system with music, that s why you ve got the vinyl revival, iTunes purchasing, streaming platforms and illegal downloading. It s all relevant, but music listening and artist profit has changed hugely! It s different when you re a new artist with no money and it s your source of income. In that sense I think it s fair to make people pay for music, but in all honesty, I am more concerned with as many people hearing my stuff as possible in it s highest quality than making a profit at this point!
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
angelicaa: I am relatively new to the game and starting up myself, so maybe I ll get back to you on that one in a year or so haha.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
angelicaa: Yes of course, everyone does. It s how you own that mistake or make it look purposeful or power through it!
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
angelicaa: Not yet, but in a sense it s the part of my career I look most forward to. I try to travel abroad once a year and I ve just got back from Colombia. The idea of travelling, playing your shit and spreading your message to different countries is the dream, to be honest.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
angelicaa: I am always writing down lyrics, song or album titles and video ideas. I have a note entry on my phone so I can add anything at anytime! Something that really gets me going is watching my favourite artists perform live in different environments, YouTube is a gift for that. My process varies and has definitely progressed, I ve learnt to be more practical with my songwriting, like using a cool section or riff written years ago with something brand new. Voice-memo recording is essential, the worst thing is forgetting a melody or a hook, it generally never comes back to you! I have always written predominantly with my guitar, often riffs or chords before melody, but as I ve got into my 20s and more assured of my overall message and sound as an artist, I now can work the music around lyrics with something I really want to express. I m definitely more aware of the power that words can have now.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
angelicaa: Website is on the way! My debut EP is about to be released on all the key platforms, iTunes, Spotify etc. Right now my song ˜Nail Polish is streaming on Soundcloud and the video will be out really soon on YouTube too, which I shot with a super talented friend at our art school studio. As visuals are really important to me, I use Instagram a lot. Think pink!
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
angelicaa: Probably loads, but for me kitsch can be great! I DJ with one of my best friends and we mainly play queer venues in London, so what partying in these places has taught me is the powerful art of unashamed tack! Boney M, Spice Girls, Heaven 17, 2000s pop. But yeah Justin Bieber is definitely something I like to blast out in secret!
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
angelicaa: Travel, go to Japan, spend time in New York – a place I feel such a connection to but have only been once. I make art films, so with time off music I d make a properly funded documentary with a small crew and get it screened all over the place! I d definitely buy a lot of pink clothing.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
angelicaa: I work with one producer at the moment, we recorded my debut EP together over the past couple of years. We usually start off at his home studio using the Maschine for beats and recording live guitars and vocals, then as the tracks progress we re-record the vocals in proper studios with engineers. I think with the next EP we want to have more guest musicians, including my guitarist, Lewis Kemmenoe, who I graduated with at Central St Martins. He s got quite a unique sound, I think!
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
angelicaa: Well this is my first release and I am lucky to have the support of an independent label, but as a huge music fan myself I see the power in the old and new school methods. Lewis and I are about to start the gigging train as we ve been rehearsing a lot this summer, and to me nothing beats a new exciting live act you see for the first or tenth time! The cool thing nowadays is you can put it all online, so things can be documented and nothing is missed. My social media presence is quite important to me, what I have to say about political things on Twitter or just my aesthetic, my lifestyle, and my collaborators as you see on Instagram and Facebook. The internet is a very powerful hub and free in more ways than one. So to answer your question I m just doing my thing on different platforms, hoping the public responds!
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
angelicaa: It s between Peaches, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, PJ Harvey or Marilyn Manson, and I can t decide! They re all artists I worship for more than just music; its their stage presence, their strength, their unashamed individuality, their politics, their pop cultural contribution. As guest guitarists, I d have either Anna Calvi or Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains. All alive, I just realised. Where? Either a classic American venue like Radio City Music Hall or MSG, The Grammys or Glastonbury!
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
angelicaa: My self-written debut EP is about to come out and I like to describe the sound as Grunge-Pop! The title is a double-entendre, ˜and so is like an introduction to something but it can also ironically imply, ˜Yet another new artist! And? So? Who cares!’. I m going to be out gigging mainly in London, playing the 3 EP tracks and unreleased stuff with my bandmate Lewis. I m really excited for people to hear me and see me. I m also about to start editing an art film I shot out in Colombia which will eventually be available to watch on my Vimeo page.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
angelicaa: Being a visual artist and making documentaries full-time. Although, I wouldn t ever not be making music!
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
angelicaa: The cool memory is Pink – Missundaztood, produced by Linda Perry. I was obsessed with Pink when I was 7, I just thought she was a badass bitch with an amazing voice and I still think it’s a really great pop album. It’s ironic because now the colour pink is my main visual outlet of communication; my hair is pink, my clothes are pink, my aesthetic is pink. It’s come full circle! The not so cool memory is Atomic Kitten – Right Now. Both albums bought with my mum in the big Shepherds Bush Tesco and I can’t remember which came first.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
angelicaa: Well I started recording this EP in my second year of university where I studied Fine Art. Things became more serious as I signed to Brilliant Tunes in my third year, which is a very hardcore year with the dissertation and degree show. It can all get quite stressful but honestly, it can give one real purpose. I definitely like to keep busy, maybe it s the London in me! Saying that, it does feel great to be able to focus fully on my music now having graduated. It s nice to have breaks from one so to clear your mind focusing on the other. My art practice is secondary for the time being, but the great thing with music and art is that they have an intrinsic relationship.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?
angelicaa: Live shows, visuals, DJ sets, new music and videos, a new film! A few of us who just graduated together at St Martins are thinking about curating a group exhibition with a live event in London.