Hiya Gretchin thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today, grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide to become a soloist?
It felt very natural! I have always made music so this just felt inevitable. Although I have always been a soloist, it’s always felt like a collaborative project which is more fun!
Introduce us to you and your musical history?
I’m Gretchin and I started releasing music in 2016 (yikes) but in 2019 I took a hiatus. The music I used to release was more electronic pop/ R&B and it didn’t feel like me anymore. Over lockdown, I began to collaborate with my brother Joe and we started to write and produce together. This new music definitely feels like a rebirth and it was so much fun to make.
What’s one question you’re sick of being asked when interviewed?
Ooh, I wouldn’t say I am sick of this one but it’s definitely the one I get asked the most. “Where does the name Gretchin come from?”
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories?
I love the idea that pigeons are robotic government spies lol… cause pigeons are creepy af so it would make sense.
Did you buy anything you don’t need in the pandemic?
Rollerskates!! I fell so hard one time and never put them on again.
What useless party trick do you have?
I can sing every High School Musicals song in order of appearance.
What was the most fun you have had on stage?
Sometimes at shows I teach the audience parts of my songs and get them to sing it with me- that is always very fun!
What was the worst experience on stage?
Probably when I was studying music at college. I had to get up and sing a jazz standard and the guitarist started in a different key than I was expecting and it was… disastrous.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about?
I can not ride a bike. They say “it’s like riding a bike” because you don’t forget how. Well, I did.
If you had to describe your music to an alien how would you describe it?
All the best sounds put in a blender and it will make you dance, cry, and want to fall in love.
What makes you stand out as an artist?
I think anyone who writes very autobiographically is standing in a lane of their own because no one can have your exact experiences or points of view. And in doing that, your music is more human and relatable. I like to think I am doing that!
Right now, what’s pissing you off the most?
The cost of living in the UK constantly rising.
What’s your favourite song to play live and why?
At recent shows we have been performing a cover of Paris Hilton- Stars Are Blind. I always love doing a cover at shows because I’m a very small artist so mostly the audience is built up of people who don’t know my songs yet! I love seeing their ears prick up and watch them start singing along. And that song is just so camp and incredible.
I hear you have a new single, what can you tell us about it?
Yes! My new single Petals on the Dash is the first song I’ve officially released in 3 years! It’s about accepting my queerness without shame for the first time, falling in love and discovering myself. It feels like the perfect re-introduction to Gretchin because I am not the same person I was the last time I released music. I am an out queer person, existing loudly.
Talk me through the thought process of the single?
I think the beautiful thing about this song for me was how organic it was. Some songs you agonise over and almost overthink them to the point of it not being an enjoyable process anymore. But this song happened so naturally and quickly! We just wanted it to feel fun and effortless. We took alot of inspiration from the 90s and early 2000s music that we grew up on which gives it this nostalgic feeling I love.
What was the recording process like?
I made this song in my bedroom with my brother and it was the first song we ever recorded together! We were playing around very naively and learning about producing and recording music as we went. So it is very special for many reasons and I think you can hear that child-like joy when you listen to it.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the single?
Learning not to take everything so seriously. I was a teenager when I last released music and I really tied myself up in knots getting so anxious about what people might think or how “well” the song would do. Working with my brother, someone who is so close to me and knows me so well, really taught me how to relax during the whole process. To just have more fun with it, shout ideas out and just see what happens!
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Not at all. I think right up until release there are always things you think “oh we could have added that” or whatever. But I honestly love it so much, that I wouldn’t change it.
What are your plans for the year ahead?
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
We are going to be playing lots more live shows! A new single will be coming in a couple of months and hopefully an EP at the end of the year. We can’t wait.
CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE HERE