INTERVIEW: bexx
UK’s self-proclaimed “deranged alt-pop princess,” bexx, is unabashedly pouring her heart into every project she does. We got the chance to sit down & chat with the passionate artist to discuss the music she has been working on & what to anticipate from her this summer (& also maybe some Eurovision discussion.)
Photo by Elena Torrano
Hey bex, how’s it going?
I'm doing good! I'm taking a break at the moment, on a songwriting trip in LA. I'm having a day off from the studio today but I have tentative plans to go line dancing later.
Are your songs you're writing for an upcoming release?
I think that's to be determined, you definitely won't hear them this year. I do have an EP coming out at the end of July though! It's a collection of songs about heartbreak and dating and chaotic emotions.
I was single during 2020-21, which was pretty lonely. Then because that had been so difficult, going back into dating afterwards felt really high-stakes and intense, and inspired these quite intense songs.
How are you finding LA compared to london?
It's hotter, and it's unfeasible to try and navigate on public transport so I've had to very quickly learn to parallel park on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car. One thing I prefer: I can go for a pre-session hike really easily at Runyon or Griffith Park, you don't really get the same vibe when you're just walking up the hill into Wimbledon Village.
I came here wanting to be in sessions and write as many songs as possible, but I'm finding that with it being my first time here I actually need to be a bit more chill, just get my foot in the door and meet more people.
I know you're a big eurovision fan, what's your opinion on the winner?
I have a real soft spot for Loreen, I think “Euphoria” is the best Eurovision song of the 21st century and “Tattoo” was one of my favourites this year too. It's a beautiful song, and the staging and vocals were really good too. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram though, I was posting about Käärijä [from Finland] a lot. My two favourites came first and second, so I'm happy. I did think France and Spain would do really well too though, and clearly I was wrong about that. I am a bit disappointed about how the UK did too, but I've decided it's camp that we reverted back to being bottom two with Germany.
I was quite disappointed to see so many countries award 12 points to Israel— I mean first of all, there's no way you think that's the best song in the competition. Are you joking? Secondly, we all agreed Russia should not compete in Eurovision after the invasion of Ukraine, so maybe let's keep that same energy for other countries who are bombing their neighbours.
Can we expect to see bexx representing the UK?
Probably not, now that I've said that. I do adore Eurovision though, and I'd die happy if I'd represented us. Even if it meant getting nil points. Also, I speak two European languages fluently, other than English. Some others less fluently. The press tour could be unmatched in UK history.
I love that because you can't vote for your own country, it feels like there's very little nationalism involved in Eurovision. This year so many people were waving Finnish flags, I was tweeting the Finnish flag and saying "Käärijä supremacy" and I've never even been to Finland. We actually do take a bit of time to learn about other cultures while we're doing it. This year I learned about Finnish drinking culture and toxic masculinity. Please stop me from going on about Eurovision.
When can we hear new music from you?
June 16th I have a single coming out, it's called “I'm Disgusting!” It's kind of a love song to someone I was dating last year. It's about letting yourself be vulnerable again through the temptation to be cynical and say that love is gross.
Does the person you wrote it for know it's about them? How do you negotiate that?
I don't speak to them anymore and I am not sure they even know the song exists. No one's ever asked me "is that about me" before.
It's funny, when I wrote “I'm Disgusting!” last July, I had such intense feelings then by the time we started recording the relationship was experiencing a slow death.
Is it strange to release a song that doesn't reflect your life anymore?
I guess. But equally I'm more interested in whether a song reflects my sound, and the kind of journey I want to take people on. I love that “I'm Disgusting!” is playful and upbeat and comedic, and that it also points to a deeper fear of opening up.
If we want to be really pretentious about it we could talk about the death of the author! Once I've put something out into the world it doesn't matter what I think about it or whether it reflects my life. It just matters how people relate to it and what they take from it.
What are your summer plans?
I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say, but some very cool shows. I've got a few prides, I'm playing my first big festival at Splendour in Nottingham, and another festival with ButeFest too.
My Grandma lives near Wollaton Park, which is where they run Splendour, and she's been telling me for a while I should be playing the festival. I did try to tell her last year that's not really how it works, I can't just go and play because I'm local, but now I have a better answer which is "yes, Grandma, I'm playing this year.”
Mark your calendars for June 16th to hear bexx’s upcoming single “I’m Disgusting!” & see below for more details on where you can find her next!
WHERE TO FIND BEXX
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