Artist Spotlight: Freya Roy
Shot by @chip.skingley
There are so many intricate layers to the wonderment of music. Of course, there is the naturalistic enjoyment, the aesthetic quality, the bringing of vibes, and the rendering of emotion. The more artists that I connect with, the more I realise how important creation is as an output for them. Sometimes it is the only way of expressing how one can truly feel, the only way that you feel comfortable to share your tale. With her stunning six track EP, For Who I Have Become, Freya Roy emits a part of her soul, a segment of her inner most pain, suffering, joy and hope, onto the listener. It is one of the most affecting, cathartic and engrossing sonic stories of the year so far.
Freya is a British-German multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter who creates with refreshed vitality, blending Soul, Electronica and Nu-Jazz into an atmospheric and dazzling concoction of emotional resonance. After a series of pensive singles, the release of the EP was much anticipated, and it didn’t disappoint. The project oozes class, with its musical sophistication and dense arrangements a slick canvas for Freya’s ethereal vocality and empowering lyricism. It is a moving tale of adversity, embracement, self discovering and triumph, a sonically varied and thematically opaque journey that leaves you feeling revitalised, grateful and cleansed. Freya put her heart and soul into this, and you can really hear that.
I sat down with Freya to chat about the ins and outs of the new EP, the difficulties she has overcome, and finding her sound and her place in the industry.
Who and what influences you?
Anyone or anything that has played a part in making me feel anything from laughter to tears.
How did you first start creating music?
I first started out as a guitarist and I was guitar obsessed haha. I had a loop station and would create loads of ideas on this and experiment with improvisation. There was a really buzzy music scene in Norwich at the time (around 2010) and I gigged loads and had the opportunity to find out what I liked. It was a good time to grow my confidence when I was this young and it pushed me to record and get into production, and I’ve been playing around ever since.
What does your relationship with music mean to you?
Music provides a place to get lost and feel things that I can’t find anywhere else.
You’ve been through some tough times with your health, how did music and creating help you through that?
When my physical health started to dictate what I could do, music started to become my enemy. I went off to study jazz guitar when I experienced my first significant physical health struggle - I was in an environment that was male-hetero and toxically competitive, and combining this with not being able to physically keep up with playing was really damaging for me. It has only been in the last few years that I have learnt to use music as something that can comfort me through my hard times, rather than associating it with competition and negativity. Making For Who I Have Become was the beginning of this process.
How did you find your sound? Was it natural for you to musically create in the way that you do?
I have gradually found my current sound over a number of years (I think 12 years!). I started off writing mostly as a singer-songwriter, but I was really attracted to production and how this process could change my approach to creating. I produce all my music alone and for me a lot of the fun is just the discovery process. I released an album in 2019 that was very much jazz/soul, with an organic approach to the instrumentation and production. I think at this time I was concerned about making something that I could perform really well in a live setting, and did end up being able to perform the album at a sold out London show which was a very special night! Since creating FWIHB I made the decision to take down my 2019 album from streaming platforms. It was a really difficult decision but I felt that it no longer represented me and what I’m about. Now, I take so much pride in my production and composition and I don’t think about the live element, I am just focused on getting into the tiny details of a track and creating something that feels and sounds good to me.
How would you define that sound?
From always having a strong interest in playing jazz, I have slowly moved towards something that is a mix of soul, electronics and R&B, which you can definitely hear on FWIHB. I am always finding new ways of creating and therefore new sounds, and the stuff I have been making since I finished the project is becoming more experimental and slightly heavier. I’m really excited to continue this… I gravitate towards melodies and dense textures and I think this has certainly started to show itself on Track 2 of the EP Calling My Name.
How do you think you stand out amongst a busy and flourishing scene?
I think I can bring something for everyone genre-wise, maybe there is something for everyone within the 6 tracks on the EP - from gooey soul (track 5 Sowing the Seeds) to some slightly contemporary jazz-influenced bits (track 3 Naked) to drum and bass influences (track 6 Fantasies Reimagined with Gabriel Gifford and Maya Law). I put a lot of time and love into all my tunes from the beginning and until the very end, so I like to think this transmits.
Talk me through the main ideas and concepts behind For Who I Have Become?
FWIHB is a break up EP, and track by track it moves through the emotions, starting with uncertainty and ending on a high. This wasn’t intentional in any way, but as the project came together, all the tracks naturally found their own places. It’s about discovering new love and moving forwards. But for me, the timing of this release is more significant. The fact that it comes after many years of uphill battles, makes it more of a milestone for me, and proof that I can still do what I love despite my pain
What was the creative process?
I was fortunate to have lots of free time during the lockdowns. Pretty much every night, I would close my door and put my headphones on and just play around and make music. I had a few foundations with lyrics and chords, but it was hours of experimenting and building beats and reaching out to a few musicians in particular (like Greg Burns who laid down some live drums) that helped me piece the tracks together bit by bit. This is how tracks 1-5 on the EP were made. This was the most consistent amount of time I had ever had to just hone in on my production and refine things, so I feel that I developed a massive amount over the space of a year. So much so, that I actually revisited the EP, after a month-long ear break (thinking it was finished), and ended up working another whole 12 months on the project.
It feels like a really personal and resonant project to you, how did you reach a point of such honest and open expression?
Thank you! I didn’t start fully paying attention to my lyrics until this project. I went through a breakup of a long-term (and long-distance) relationship and had a lot of emotions to process for many reasons. I started journalling and found it a really good way of internalising things, and some of the stuff I wrote I ended up going back to and bringing into tunes. This is how I started find more honesty in my writing. It was quite nerve racking at first for people to hear it, particularly when talking about sex and my sexuality, but I’ve noticed a massive difference in the way people respond and connect to the music because of it.
There is such a blend of sounds and styles on the EP, how did you successfully combine these generic influences?
I really have no idea! I think the lonely late nights were a catalyst. The time in lockdown felt like a really safe place to take creative risks, so this is what I did and it seems as though it paid off!
What would you like a listener to take away from the EP?
Optimism
If you were introducing yourself to a new listener, what track would you play them?
Track 2 - Calling My Name. It’s definitely the tune I connect to the most and the one I am proudest of. I like to think that this a strong example of what is to come.
Where do you want to take your artistry?
I am beginning to branch out into mixing professionally (after many years of avoiding it and getting someone else to do it!) which I am absolutely loving. Collaborating in every part of the track-making process changes a lot of things for me and I can’t wait to link up with new artists for this.
What’s to come for you this year?
On October 6th, I am returning with a full band to London for my first headline in 3 years! Now the EP is out, I am focusing on making this a really special one and I can’t wait! It would be lovely to see you there