EBONY Interview - Always Surrounded By Music
Meet EBONY, one of newest exciting acts to appear into the electro pop scene! The Northern Beaches, based producer and vocalist recently dropped her stunning debut single 'Skin & Bones'. We spoke to EBONY about her relationship with music, her single, and of course cocktails!
Futuremag Music: How'd you initially move into music? What's your relationship with music been like throughout the years?
EBONY: I've been a dancer most of my life and there was always a bit of singing involved with that, so I moved into singing that way - and pretty much as soon as I started singing, I started songwriting too. I just loved writing lyrics and after doing it for quite a while, I wanted to be able to turn my lyrics on paper into fully produced tracks. So from there I pretty much completely immersed myself into production and music in general. My relationship with music has been really broad. I go between working on my own music, working with other people on theirs, watching gigs and even working as an event coordinator at festivals like Splendour and Falls. I'm just always surrounded by it in some way.
Futuremag Music: Can you tell us about your debut single 'Skin & Bones'? What was the inspiration behind the track, and the process of producing the track?
EBONY: 'Skin & Bones' is basically the product of everything you want to say to someone who has just broken your heart that you can't put into words in a conversation. It's about moving forward after realising you've temporarily lost a part of yourself in someone or something toxic.
'Skin & Bones' actually started out somewhat as a poem, I just blotted down all these thoughts. I was working on a random beat at the same time and ended up giving the poem a melody and combining them with this beat I started. The lyrics and the basis of the instrumental just seemed to suit each other perfectly. Then I just kept working on it from there.
Futuremag Music: Are there any hidden details or aspects you'd like people to know about the single, or the production process?
EBONY: One of my favourite aspects that I guess is hidden, is that some of the percussion components are actually random field recordings of cutlery and glass etc. that I recorded in my own home. I didn't originally write the track with the intention of releasing it so I sort of just went to town experimenting with new stuff like that.
I considered out-sourcing another producer to collaborate with me on finishing the track when I was about 3/4 of the way through it and didn't know which direction to take it, but I decided it was such a raw, personal song that I wanted to push through that creative block and just finish it on my own, and I'm really glad I did.
Futuremag Music: If 'EBONY' was a cocktail, what would be in it to best describe yourself and your music?
EBONY: Oh that's a good one. Well I want my music to make people feel things and not be afraid to show human emotion, so lets chuck some vodka in there which pretty much does just that. I'll throw in some fruit, let's say strawberries, for the components of my music that are delicate and sweet. But then let's blend the strawberries with some ice and whiskey for when my music is a bit dark and downbeat.I wanna be relatable and make an audience feel connected to me, like strangers in a girls bathroom do after too many tequilas, so add in some tequila. Top it off with some mint because who doesn't want their music to be described as mint.
Futuremag Music: What does the future hold for the EBONY project?
EBONY: I'm working on an EP at the moment to follow Skin & Bones, which I am really excited to finish and put out there. More music releases, collaborations, live shows.. I'm very excited to hit the ground running with it all.