When I started, I quite obviously had no clue of what I was doing. I always thought that my voice and ideas were somehow weird and not pleasant to listen to. Yet, someway, somehow,I HAD to do it; I had to write and sing. I was so charged emotionally that Music not only became a let out, but also a necessity for me.
You know all of those challenges new graduates go through once they get the award? Well, I was in London when all of that happened. I was literally in the middle of the jungle while living and going through all of those experiences. It was chaotic, but Music gave sense to all of that.
Basically navigates through my lens and mind of that time, while I explore growing up and finding my life’s true calling, despite the chaos. The whole EP came out very spontaneously.
I was trying to get to work with several sound producers to make it happen; and I remember becoming increasingly frustrated with being ignored by some of them, because at that time I could still not play an instrument well enough to write chords myself (I am still very grateful for their work though). I thought that EP would have never seen the light of day. But once I met Denis through a friend, magic happened; he was able to explore and create new sounds and arrangements from scratch right away, just by listening to the vocal melodies and lyrics I had composed. Most importantly, he understood what I needed to express at that time. Even though I am trying to explore new sounds now that I am learning more about my voice and potential as a musician, I still look at this EP with pride. I did not leave London until it was ready, spending every dime I had saved on it. It reminds me of my purpose; of me being relentless; and for that I will always be grateful.
I started writing the verse and chorus of the song on a beat made by another producer. The H20 and the skin rush I spoke about in the lyrics? They all relate to the stress I was experiencing at that time. I then lost contact with the guy, which made me deeply frustrated because I had several melodies I wrote ready to be
turned into songs by then. I had no confidence about being able to play another instrument, let alone daring to produce demos. Moreover, I thought that if I was not working with the same sound producer on all tracks, I wasn’t allowed to go to another professional to create new music arrangements for the songs and finish the job. I was SO naive, man. God bless Max Roche, a former work colleague who is also a rapper and upcoming producer in London; because thanks to him I met Denis Gajetic, the ultimate sound producer of Basically. Like a magician, he immediately created new arrangements for all of the lyrics and vocal melodies I had created for the EP. He made me feel involved and included in Basically’s production, even though I was still not a music student at the time. It motivated me to then take upon my current studies in Italy the same year. There is a reason why this song is the first track of the project: it’s my clear statement about choosing music as a career to pursue, no matter how hard it gets.
This one is so special to me. I remember writing the lyrics with an old little keyboard in my former flat in Muswell Hill (yes: I unsuccessfully attempted to write the music XD). I was looking at the window and this beautiful wet tree in the garden was then lightened up by the sun; that image alone inspired the lyrics, written in about 20 minutes. Guitarist Kit Keenlyside then created the first draft of the arrangement; I loved it so much that I asked Denis to not do too much overwork on it. I remember feeling very liberated and free in my singing when we recorded. Itcaptures my look onto my London experience; it was harsh, but it drew the path of a lifetime for me, with the sun of wisdom.
One word - naughty. I wrote this song about a woman having a one night stand with a very cool guy. I couldn’t help but think about the liberation a woman might feel about navigating through dating without too many implications. Even the funky music of this song reflects that feeling. I wanted it to sound fun and still vague enough to not be fully understood.