Where are from? And how’d get into music?
I’m from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. We immigrated to Montreal, Canada, when I was a teenager.
Music was always a very big part of my daily life since childhood, but no one in the family was an artist in any type of way. I was just kind of drifted into it as a child because I would spend hours watching music videos instead of cartoons basically, and later on around 10 years old, I got into metal and alternative music in general and kindly asked my family to find me a guitar teacher as i was starting to get tired and it was quite painful to pretend to play guitar on a broom lol.
So, as I was raised in a block apartment, my uncle had a friend who lived three doors down the block and who was a drummer in a metal band, for the next year, I basically had the most incredible ride into metal culture and universe in general. I was obsessed, and it was most definitely not a phase, hahah.
Which artists were a major influence on you coming up?
Slipknot, Tom Yorke, The Cure, Billie Holiday, Björk, Aphex Twin, Bauhaus, Deftones, Fiona Apple, 2pac, Korn, The Smiths, Prince, Nine Inch Nails
Who are some of your favorite artists currently?
Tirzah, Molly Nilson, Poppy, Rosalia, Moses Sumney, Ethel Cain, Erika de Casier, Sampha, Kilo Kish
How would you describe your style and sound?
I think that my sound most definitely depends on what direction the project is taking for that moment, also most it depends on what I’ve been consuming musically at the time of the production of that project. As a producer and songwriter I think those things unwillingly bleed through at some capacity or other. But if we generalize phonetically I’d say that my music is both a mix of heavy but yet melodic, atmospheric but yet cut through and to the point.
“Breathe In” is an experience, how’d you craft it?
I appreciate you saying that, “Breathe In” felt like an experience cause it most definitely was for me hahah. I had a breakthrough moment I think as an artist and most importantly as a human being where I kind of sat down with myself and had to have a heartfelt conversation as [to] what are we actually doing, are we turning this into a career, is this what I want to do for the rest of my life, weight down the pros and cons but to be honest the contemplating wasn’t too long hahaha.
Music is literally one of not many things that still give me a purpose in life so it was a no brainer. After that I kind of also decided to be brutally honest about my journey and life in general when it took up to song writing, I always wrote since a kid, I have a very vivid imagination and can quite paint up a whole mood but with this project I kind of just decided to full blown talk real experiences, real emotions, raw facts and really about what I’ve been through as an artist, woman, a person in recovery, a person that struggles with the outside world and its morals and demands in general.
When it came to production point of view, I’m a very visual and auditive person so i right away knew that it had to be striking and first and foremost take myself back to the roots, so I knew right away that I have to go breaks and metal, I had to go vinyl sampling and straight up good old hip-hop, I needed that soulful jazz.
It’s a frenetic track.
There is beauty in chaos I think, I mean look at me hahaha. I’m sure a lot of people didn’t think I’d make it through, but yet I did. I think as long as there’s purpose, stamina but most importantly feeling and emotion evoked, the right people will get what you’re trying to deliver, let it be musically, visually, and so on.
We say you have to be fearless to be a creative, do you agree?
Absolutely, it’s just vulnerability is still seen as a bit of a weakness these days and honestly I don’t care if people say that times have changed, it is in human nature to be scared to be viewed, analyzed and perceived from a vulnerable point of view. I think that being fearless is something we learn through our own journeys and for a reason, as through them we gain the capability to be able to stand up and protect ourselves.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2025?
Honestly I already started working on the next project following this EP hahah. It is a beautiful new journey I’m embarking on which I’m very excited for. That kind of continues this calling for me to be more authentic, to be more myself and keep on exploring.
