Following the release of her latest single ‘Villa & A House’ LOCK caught up with Prague-based pop and R&B artist Gianna Lei to discuss her new dreamy release and inspirations behind the captivating single.
Your latest single, Villa & A House, marks a shift toward a darker, moodier sound. What inspired this evolution in your music, and how do you feel it represents your growth as an artist?
Through different phases of my life, my music taste changed here and there but the darker pop sounding artists have always stayed. I also feel most connected to myself when I’m exploring that sort of sound. It feels like an extension of me and the older I get the more authentic I want to be.
The title Villa & A House started as gibberish but eventually transformed into a song about dreaming of an ideal life. Can you tell us more about how this concept emerged and what it means to you personally?
Yes it did! When we were writing the song, I was in a viscous circle of overthinking my future, constantly. I thought I had no chance of a fulfilling life with my chronic pain. So I think I desperately needed some escapism through my music and the instrumental that my producer Morten started sounded exactly like a dream to me. So I let myself dream!
Personally it means a lot to me, especially now that I’ve had my third surgery and after years of being in pain I finally do feel better. The song gives me hope but also sadness that I did feel like I could never have a stable life.
You’ve spoken about how living with a chronic illness inspired parts of this song, particularly the theme of longing for stability and an ideal life. How has your personal health journey influenced your songwriting and your outlook as an artist?
It definitely has influenced my writing and my outlook. My chronic illness ruined so much for me but it has totally changed and perfected my writing I would say.
Being in bed all the time I couldn’t do much but I was listening and analyzing so many songs / records. It gave me time to read and broaden my knowledge. Music has been such a healing entity for me so my outlook as an artist is to just let it keep healing me and hopefully others too. Life is so short, and you never know how long you’ll be able to enjoy certain aspects of it so I really encourage anyone to go for what they’re longing for as much as they possibly can.
You worked closely with producer Morten Bergholt on this track, and you’ve said that the beat came together in about five minutes. What was it like collaborating with Morten, and how did his production style influence the sound of Villa & A House?
I’ve worked with Morten for about 2 years already and since I’ve started working with him, I’ve basically only worked with him haha. I think we’re very aligned musically and I feel comfortable to try different sounds and topics.
He created and crafted the sound of the track fully! I told him what kind of vibe I wanted and he had it done in minutes and it was perfect. I started top lining, writing lyrics and we ended up with one of my favorite songs ever.
Your music is known for taking personal experiences and turning them into universally relatable anthems. How do you approach that balance between telling your own story and creating something that resonates with a wide audience?
To be completely honest, I don’t usually sit there during writing sessions thinking okay, how will other people connect to this. As of now, I don’t have the biggest platform yet so I do believe it has to truly resonate with me first so that I can feel connected to my music.
I believe people can find their own meanings in the most personal of stories! So I really allow myself to say whatever I want and whatever I’m feeling in that moment.
Your talent caught the attention of the Czech Eurovision selection. How did that recognition impact your career, and what have you learned from being part of such a highly competitive musical platform?
The recognition I would say helped me find more fans and expanded my network! I am super grateful for that but it was brutal for me.
The performance was not the best due to many factors but I learned so much even though I did get my fair share of hate online and I was extremely sad about the way it went down.
But particularly I learned to trust my own instincts and stop people pleasing at my own expense. But most importantly to always keep improving myself and pushing for more!
As an artist based in Prague with an international background, how do you find the Czech music scene compares to other countries?
I think Prague has a lovely music scene but its mostly focused on Czech music. As my own songs are in English it does heavily limit my opportunities but I’ve tried my best to integrate and make it work!
I had to go back to Prague due to my health cause I moved back to my parents as I couldn’t take care of myself anymore.
Now as I’m getting better I’m definitely planning to move as soon as it will be possible for me!
With the release of Villa & A House, can we expect more music in a similar vein, or are you exploring different themes and sounds for future releases?
I am staying in this darker/moodier sonic lane for sure! So you can be excited for that!
What advice would you give to other young musicians who are just starting out and looking to find their voice in the industry?
I would tell them just to start. Not to overthink whether they should do this or that or not do this or whatnot but just simply start. Everything else will fall into place, with every release you’ll get closer to yourself and find your voice!
So many people wait so long to start because they think they’re maybe not being good enough yet or whatever but this is the only way to get better. Failures will help you as much as successes will!