After spending the last few months building and cultivating her sound, Brighton-based artist aakira fae is now ready to introduce herself to the wider world with her dreamy debut single 'butterflies'.
Honing a wonderfully sweet and immersive aesthetic for her initial offering, 'butterflies' makes for a beautifully warm and endearing introduction to her sound so far. With her sweeping vocal style spread across a shimmering acoustic-led production from start to finish, she is kicking things off with a brilliantly captivating opening number here.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
i have been singing since before i can remember. i don’t remember falling in love with singing, but i do remember always feeling this sense of peace when i sing. it’s always felt so right in my body.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
when i was way younger i was absolutely in love with McFly, they were my gods hahah. i grew up listening to a lot of Duran Duran, ABBA, Queen, my parents loved the 80s. but it was My Chemical Romance, Ben Howard, Bon Iver & Taylor Swift that got me through my teens.
What was the first album you remember owning?
the first album i remember owning was Room on the Third Floor by Mcfly. it was my literally prized possession haha, i sang that album back to front too many times to count.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
street you live on by remi wolf - that song is so heartbreakingly beautiful & the melody is just insane to sing ugh i love it how did she do that.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
i don’t necessarily have any rituals i go through when i write music, but i usually always write when i'm feeling something big. i wasn’t taught how to express my feelings as a kid, and writing has always been that emotional outlet for me.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
i'm always loving me some Dominic Fike, Biig Piig, Billie Eilish, Souly Had & im literally always playing SZA i can’t get enough give me an IV drip already.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
ooohhh ummm this is a good question okay i think i would lose my silly little mind if i got to open for Billie Eilish, i feel like her fans would really vibe with my tunes but also i would just die happy knowing i got to support such a talented, beautiful legend.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
i LOVE performing. getting to sing my music live, creating magic with the musicians supporting me, the effervescence of the crowd, hearing my songs being sung back it me, it’s a feeling like no other, i’m low key addicted.
And what is the most frustrating part?
the feeling like you’re never doing enough, not enough promotion, not writing enough, not releasing enough. it’s a pressure. i’m not sure where it comes from, probably social media & the idea we need to create create create, but it’s exhausting. i just wanna frolic in the sunshine & sing my songs you know?
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
it doesn’t have to be perfect. my friend & producer Alex Collins has told me this time and time again. when you’re getting an idea down, it doesn’t have to be perfect or sound good, even. just get it down, don’t judge it & the rest will come.
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aakira fae's debut single 'butterflies' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.