Words by Brooklyn Gibbs.

FMM: Congrats of the release of Awake! How does it feel to have this track out there and what has the reaction been like to it so far?

Mo•Louie: Thanks so much! It feels both invigorating and terrifying. There is freedom and release I feel when I release a track out into the world. It’s like a baby you have tended for and watch grow, and you are there for it every step of the way. Then you let it go to do its own thing, which is also terrifying, because you never know how it’s going to be perceived. It also means that I can move onto the next thing, keep evolving, and give birth to more babies (laughs).

The reaction has been great! I think people seem to really appreciate the song’s position of being both alternative and commercial. The responses to the imagery and visualiser have also been super positive.

FMM: What does being awake mean to you?

Mo•Louie: Ooffff… for me, it’s quite scary, but also makes me feel super creative. It can mean anything from having too much coffee, too many thoughts, or being mentally ill, such as myself (laughs).

FMM: I love the meaning of Awake - the experience of overthinking so much that you can’t sleep. I think it’s something we can all relate to (laughs). Do you mind sharing a bit about your experience and what inspired this release?

Mo•Louie: Thank you. I think everyone can relate to being consumed with thoughts and not being able to shut them off so your mind and body can relax. For me, it’s extremely personal. I suffer from Major Depressive Disorder with psychotic symptoms. When I have an episode, my mind begins to race, then it turns into being awake for days. If that continues, it can lead to psychosis, which is a condition that affects the way your brain processes information.

It causes you to lose touch with reality such as seeing, hearing, or believing things that aren’t real. Once my body gets to that stage, sleep is impossible. I’ve been admitted twice to the Melbourne Clinic for that reason, so not sleeping for me is unbelievably frightening. When Your Girl Pho, Dirty Versachi and I write the song together four years ago, we were all coming from different experiences of not sleeping, and that was mine.

While I was producing the track, I wanted to emulate my mind losing touch with reality through the music by adding crazy synths and sound design, weird samples, a constantly pulsing beat, vocal manipulation, and a fantasy outro with layered vocals and parts.

FMM: Thank you for being brave enough to share that. Taking that in, it’s clear this is a very vulnerable and personal track. How does it feel to share such a personal experience publicly through song?

Mo•Louie: I feel both vulnerable and empowered. I feel like I’ve gotten something off my chest, like maybe I can normalise it when other people sympathise or relate to my experience.

FMM: In saying that, do you have any advice or insight you would like to share with those who have listened to Awake and felt they could relate to your experience?

Mo•Louie: It’s a tough one because different methods work for different people. Try to just acknowledge how you are feeling without judging yourself, pick up things that calm you and relax you. Some things that helped me were seeking medical advice, finding a good therapist, exercise, meditation, yoga and time. It takes time to teach your brain to calm down, so it’s important to not be too hard on yourself. Fear is very real, but it is just a feeling, and feelings come and go. Sleepless nights are always going to happen. Our brains are extremely powerful.

FMM: You started writing this track four years ago and then picked it back up and revived it. What has changed over the past four years?

Mo•Louie: I began studying music production three years ago. I re-visited Awake for a uni assignment because I’ve always loved the song and I wanted to add my own production to it. As I was learning more skills at uni over the years, I would apply it to a bunch of my tracks, including Awake, so as my production skills were developing, so was the song. I began feeling more and more confident, not only with my production skills, but also with addressing dark things that happened to me in my past.

FMM: The lyrics and accompanying visuals are very dark. However, I can’t help but bop to the sonic elements and I’m really vibing to this beat! I understand you produced and mixed this track yourself. What’s your process like?

Mo•Louie: Bop away my friend! I feel like some of the best songs that people love to bop to can have extremely dark messages like Can’t Feel My Face by The Weeknd, One Way Or Another by Blondie, or Chandelier by Sia. I think expressing a traumatic experience through creativity is very therapeutic. Instead of that trauma having power over you, you can reclaim it by turning it into art. That’s what I feel like I did with Awake. I can talk about my experience a lot easier because I’ve gone through that process.

FMM: Your single launch is coming up on May 20. How exciting! What can we expect from your single launch? I believe you’re recreating the visual live? That’s going to be something people won’t want to miss!

Mo•Louie: Super exciting! I haven’t had my own show for over three years, so it’s going to be great! I have a few special guests jumping up for some tracks which I am soooooooooo excited for! The stage will be decked out in drapes and candles, creating a moody, romantic setting based on my visualiser. The show will take on a more theatrical approach to my previous shows and have some fantastic synth sounds that will caress and jar your ears too (laughs).

FMM: What’s next for you?

Mo•Louie: Well now that the world is opening up again, probably birthing more musical babies into the world, ha! Playing more shows, hopefully touring and producing more tracks for myself and other artists.

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