We had a chat with Brisbane-based emerging artist ALBI. about her new single “LVR GRL”, and more
Inspired by her personal experiences navigating love and life as a young woman in her 20’s, Brisbane-based emerging artist ALBI. is known for creating captivating music that blends multiple genres such as pop, R&B, drum & bass, electronic and hyperpop.
Having spent the past few months quietly working on new music, today she returns with the empowering club-fuelled electronic-centred pop anthem “LVR GRL”. The track produced by Guildford, UK-based producer Song Higginson, was inspired by connections she had made when she realised no amount of love she had for a person could help them into loving themselves.
She effortlessly combines pop and electronic with sprinkles of drum & bass, and delivers gorgeous melodies and infectious chorus that encourages self-love and celebrates the importance of setting certain standards when it comes to love to ensure you’re loved the way you deserve to be.
Read our conversation below:
Hey, how are you doing ALBI.?
I’m doing amazing!! LVR GRL is finally out, I’m still reeling off my first live performance last weekend. It’s all good vibes right now!!
Nice! How did you come up with your name?
My name was actually an accident. A few years ago I was trying to come up with my stage name and I had no idea what I wanted. I’m driving in a car talking about it with a friend, listening to music. The car has one of those screens on the dash that shows you the name of the song, the artist it’s by etc. at one point I look on the screen and think I see ALBI. “oh my gosh ALBI., I’ve never heard that name before”. The friend pauses, looks at me confused… “That says ALIBI”. Dyslexia strikes again! A little embarrassed I sat there thinking about ALBI. and how it sounded cool. I searched up the meaning and found that it’s an Arabic term of affection that translates to ‘my heart’. I knew right away that was it because songwriting is one of my greatest passions and everything I do comes from ‘my heart’. I also love two syllable names and thought it would look cool on a poster or something so here we are!
What inspired you to start creating music?
From my first concert at 15 (Justin Bieber Believe Tour, don’t judge me) I just knew that music and performing was something I had to do one day. I’ve never seen myself doing anything else other than music. Music has been there for me in my darkest and loneliest times, it’s also been there for the happiest ones. There is something so powerful about the impact music can have on people’s lives. I’ve felt it first hand and there’s nothing I want to do more in this life than to create that impact for others in my own special way.
How would you define your sound in your own words?
This is tough for me to answer because I’m purposely trying to have a sound that stands out without sounding too much like a certain artist. BUT — I think if you could make a cupcake out of PinkPantheress, Charli XCX, Justin Bieber with Ariana Grande sprinkles, you’d be pretty close! Fusing the worlds of Garage, R&B and Hyperpop is goal for now!
You’ve just released your new single “LVR GRL”, what’s the story behind the lyrics?
‘LVR GRL’ was born after I realised there’s no reason to stay in a situation with someone where you’re getting mistreated as a result of their inability show up and love themselves. ‘LVR GRL’ reflects the moment I learnt that I hurt myself every time I try and love someone into what I think they could be. It celebrates recognising that just because you love someone, it doesn’t mean they’re good for you. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to expect and stand up for the love you know you deserve. I learnt this the hard way but made a catchy song about it so you don’t have to!
Your vocals and production are a perfect match, what was it like working with Song Higginson?
Working with Song was an absolute dream. It almost felt too easy! With the UK/AU time difference it meant late sessions for me over zoom but working with him felt like I had a genie in a bottle – I said what I wanted and he made it happen, even better than I expected. The perfect match of vocals and production is the result of the seamless dynamic and creative energy we had in the sessions – I cannot wait to get back in the studio with him! LVR GRL is just the beginning!
Talk us through the creative process.
I won’t lie, some of my best ideas start as shower thoughts. I don’t really like to force myself to be creative, it’s a lot more intuitive for me. I might come up with a random melody that I can’t get out of my head while cleaning my house or have lyrics pop into my head while I’m driving. Of course I love to sit down and just write songs too but I find my favourites are always the ones that start as a random idea at the oddest time. I also like to tell myself that ideas ‘expire’ so if I don’t turn an idea into a project it expires and isn’t cool anymore. It actually really helps me get out of my perfectionist mindset and release songs I love instead of letting them sit on a hard drive forever because they’re not perfect. Visually I like to think of every song having a colour that matches its vibe. In the process of making a song there’s usually a colour that sticks out to me when I’m listening to it. This works as my starting point for coming up with visuals, styling, cover design etc. Pinterest is my best friend and I love everything I do visually to have a Y2K influence. I was a Bratz doll girly growing up, can you tell?
What are you most looking forward to from the rest of the year?
I’m just so excited to make more music, work on collaborations with other cool artists, stretch out of my comfort zone when it comes to my creativity, perform more live shows … speaking of, the thing I’m probably most excited for – London friends, keep your calendars free in October, I can’t say too much right now but keep your calendar free in October!
Stream “LVR GRL” below:
