Following on from a wealth of rich and euphoric offerings over the last few years, Albanian artist KOKA returns once again to unveil her soaring new single 'Skin And Bones'.
Lifted from her forthcoming debut album, which is set to arrive in the near future, 'Skin And Bones' sees her continue her broad and atmospheric approach to the alt-pop sound. With its fresh and dynamic textures, vibrant tones, and her own captivating voice at the helm, she is certainly standing out from the crowd with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has inspired her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The piano. I started with classical piano at the age of 7. I did not enjoy learning classical pieces though. I wanted to play my own melodies, improvise…
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
As I lived in Albania, Greece & Germany throughout my young life, there are a lot of music influences there. From classical to rock, to folk, to grunge and later electronic music. I even listened to greek rock for a while (Pix Lax etc). Fell in love with Kate Bush quite early when I was just becoming conscious of existence…When i got to know Nirvana & The Doors at the age of 11, it was clear to me, grunge is quite my thing. But then bands like The Cure, NIN, Massive Attack, Portishead, Radiohead made me fall in love with deeper Synthesizer sounds. The love for that is clear in my own compositions. I keep discovering new music and the times of independent artists have definitely enriched the music library of this world meaningfully.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Nirvana - Nevermind, followed by Radiohead - OK Computer.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Portishead - Glory Box and of course, Running up that hill by Kate Bush.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I need to be in a calm state of mind. Meditation is a very necessary practice for me to make space for my muse. Mostly the tunes come between 4-6 am and i have to wake up to make voice-recordings.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
FKA Twigs, Sharon van Etten, Beach House, Neil Frances, Eartheater.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Lady Gaga.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Freedom to create, connecting with the audience.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Unpredictability.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
To keep going and accentuate those aspects in my music, that some industry people consider unusual.
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KOKA's new single 'Skin And Bones' is available to stream now. Watch the new video for it in the player below.