After the roaring success behind her much-loved Liam Bailey collaboration 'All Or Nothing' earlier this year, London-based producer Gabriella Bongo is now back once again to deliver her vibrant sophomore single 'Someone Else'.
Teaming up with vocalist Alexander Mills for her newest release, 'Someone Else' brings back more of that stellar DnB-inspired energy she is quickly earning a reputation for. With its bold and electrifying textures set to some soaring vocals throughout, she continues her ascent as one of the more exciting names on the rise right now.
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 over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Piano - I tried guitar but it wasn’t my thing and I could play a bit of drums but didn’t feel like I could get much emotion out of them. Piano not only allows me to be as expressive as possible but it also serves as such a good base to study melody and harmonies for almost every song.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Honestly I listened to everything - Pop, RnB, Grime, House, Afrobeats, and obviously Drum & Bass.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The Defamation of Strickland Banks by Plan B.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This is hard but the first one that probably comes to mind is “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I like the room quite dark for some reason. Other than that I try and keep it as effortless as possible. I feel like the more I think, the harder it gets to create something due to the pressure.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Foals, Tems, Hybrid Minds
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Rudimental
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Feeling like you’ve outdone all your previous songs when you’ve made a good one. Noticing yourself getting better and how far you’ve come.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Your work/time being undervalued. Particularly if you’re quite young, no matter how good you are. It happens quite regularly.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t go to for advice. Music is subjective and therefore my life is just made a lot easier when I know whose opinion I care about and whose opinion I don’t care about.
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Gabriella Bongo's new single 'Someone Else' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.