A Q&A with BEKS

Club pop energy with fearless lyrics…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
I set out to make my new EP Hard Gloss without compromise, without lyrical negotiation or bending the sound to follow what’s trending. It was a risk – a leap of faith I had to take to find that confidence in myself and in my ability to create an EP that I would want to listen to over and over and over. Collaboration will always be a big part of my music, but personally this solo project was important for my own identity.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The hardest part was going all in on myself. Having written songs for a lot of other artists’ projects, I’ve become conditioned to work as a writer in a somewhat diplomatic way. However, when it’s all your own work, there’s nowhere to hide. I had the freedom to fully indulge my imagination, using lyrics to paint an abstract visual to tell my stories – but no one to validate those ideas.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves what do you enjoy most about producing your own material?
I worked exclusively with London-based producer and writer Palmr, who I really connected with. He helped refine my crazy lyrical ideas, balancing metaphors with reality – and we really had a lot of fun doing it.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
I want to empower my fans – to soothe, to make confident music that gives my listeners strength and comfort that what they’re going through is somewhere I’ve been before. In a moment of setback, what’s meant for you will come back to you.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
This was the first time I went into the studio without any demos – all I knew was that I wanted to create something relevant but not following a trend. The universe gave me a huge setback on the morning I was scheduled to write the EP – actually, an hour before I stepped into the studio. I consider this a blessing, because even though it hurt, it was the fuel I needed to gas me up and ignite a new range of emotions that I could channel into my songwriting.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
An artist that’s continued to inspire me throughout all my musical iterations is Peaches. She’s got that grit – I like artists that are a bit dishevelled, a little untamed, that say the things you shouldn’t. I’m also inspired by Charli XCX and have been for over 10 years. Charli has always been punk to me – even though she makes electronic music, she’s almost like the anarchist of pop, and having grown up in punk bands, I’m drawn to that.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
I’ve been thinking a lot about Brazil ever since seeing Lady Gaga perform there recently. I’d also really love to tour my home country, Australia. I’ve been working abroad for so long between LA and London, I’d love to see what the response to my journey would be back home and connect with some of my fans that have been with me for years.

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
Listen to ‘Who You Kidding’ from my new EP Hard Gloss because I think everyone’s going through, gone through or about to go through a setback – and it gives you that immediate bounce-back feeling.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
I want to be part of a culturally significant moment with my music. When I DJ and play a song that everyone knows – a hit – I see how transformative that is on people, and I want to create that. I want to create that, whether that’s for my solo project or for another artist. Anything else is cream on top.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
‘Stay blessed diva’

Find out more about BEKS at instagram.com/hi_im_beks