So excited to welcome Atlantic Records own, GALXARA to our On The Rise class of 2020! This incredible artist with her stunning vocals and unique style, is certain to capture audiences everywhere! Check out our interview below!
Credit: Jimmy Fountaine
For readers who aren’t familiar with you and your music, can you share with us how you began your musical journey?
I’ve been singing & performing for as long as I can remember. It was just an instinctual passion of mine, I always had to have a melody coming out of my mouth or be putting on a show for my parents. There was never a Plan B for me when it came to my career- I 100% no doubt knew I had to be a singer/performer, and it was just really about how I was going to make it happen.
Give us an insight into the world of Galxara! How do you personally connect with the persona you’ve created?
People have assumptions or ideas that Galxara is some made-up character or alter-ego of mine with some crazy back story but really Galxara is just me. She is the best version of myself, of course, I’m always striving to be better & grow, but Galxara is the artistic, futuristic, outspoken, crazy version of myself that I long to be. There is a sense of confidence I get when I put on the makeup & the outfit and get ready to perform or record and I truly am embodying the person that is Galxara, but at the end of the day, she is still completely me.
All of your visuals are stunning! How did you decide on a specific aesthetic for your brand?
To be honest I am still figuring out what works and what doesn’t but I just wanted my visuals and aesthetic to be comprised of the things I like. I am the strongest advocate for owning your UNIQUENESS & not being afraid to be DIFFERENT from others, so I of course wanted to showcase visuals & art that I wasn’t really seeing in the pop space. I love sci-fi moves (The Matrix, Interstellar, Planet of the Apes, etc.) and obviously, I love the cosmos & the unknown, so naturally, I wanted to incorporate those concepts and energy into my own artistic world.
What was it like getting to be among other incredible women on the BIRDS OF PREY album?!
It was such an amazing opportunity and experience that I’ll never forget. Being on an album with ALL BADASS FEMALES is such a statement for not only music but for women. It was such a fun time working with Saweetie and filming the music video, attending the screening, and just being part of the message that WOMEN CAN RUN THE WORLD so it was truly a blessing.
Growing up, was music present in your home? Do you attribute the music you listened to as an influence on your own music?
Growing up music was most definitely present in my home. My dad is an avid music lover from New York and my mom comes from a very musical family in Nicaragua so many different styles of music were always circulating around my house. My mom is a forever fan of the timeless divas like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, etc. so I definitely was inspired by having big, harmonious vocals in my own music, and my dad has always loved all types of music like classic Rock N Roll, EDM, pop music, Latin music, so there was a lot of diversity that I was able to pick up on and use in my own creations.
Take us through what a typical songwriting session looks like for you?
If I’m writing with songwriters/producers that I haven’t met before a typical session starts off with us all breaking the ice and trying to get past the awkward stage of never having met before but being thrown into a room together to create a piece of art. We usually talk about our days or anything important going on in our lives which then leads to them asking me questions about my artistry and what I’m looking for in my project or any vibes/songs/inspirations I’ve been really feeling. From there on out it really just depends on how well I click with my co-writer and the producer and if we start moving smoothly, usually writing a banging chorus first, then verses and pre-choruses. Personally me as an artist I prefer working with producers who can produce fairly quickly and match the melodic/lyrical pace because it allows me to get a better image of what I’m gonna get after I leave the studio and if there are any changes in melody or production that I want to make. It’s definitely a very hard job & quite a challenge because 9 times out of 10 you get an “okay” song, but it’s that 1 time where you get that great record that makes it all worth it.
Your single “Jealous Of myself” is incredible! How long did it take to complete that song?
That song was actually pretty much written in 1 day. I wrote it with Oak Felder and my long-time trusted co-writer Michael Pollack and it was such a fun time. We had just written my first single Waste My Youth and I was really inspired by the percussion styles in songs by N.E.R.D. & OutKast so I wanted to create something more up-tempo and fun. We were messing with concepts & titles and I wanted it to be something empowering and promoting self-love so Michael was actually the one who brought up the idea of “I only get jealous of myself” and I fell in love with it. After that it was pretty easy to write everything else and develop the song creatively, I think we had one more follow up session after that day to just finalize some ad-libs and gang vocals with the whole crew at the house but other than that it was a straight shot. It definitely was such a fun & exciting song to write because there were no boundaries and we could explore everything!
How have you been during quarantine? Do you feel more or less productive at home?
During quarantine, I’ve been doing alright. It’s allowed me to really take a step back and figure out the meaning of all of this & where my priorities should be regarding music, my relationship, my family, etc. I have been able to stop and take a look at myself and where I could be doing better or where I need to give myself a break. I am naturally a very driven and ambitious person so it is hard that I am not able to just run to a studio or the Atlantic office to get all my work done, but it has allowed me to take back control over my music and artistry and really dive into what I want to be doing and what used to be just a distraction. I do feel partially less productive at home because it is so easy to just start waking up late, moving slowly throughout the day, putting off work for the next day or after that and just watching Netflix constantly but also it is nice that I have full control over my work and what I’m doing because I am fully involved and aware of all my responsibilities and am limitless in my creations. I am pretty proud to say in this quarantine I learned how to basically use Logic, I learned how to record my own vocals for writing sessions over Zoom, I filmed an entire quarantine music video in my home for a single coming out June 24 and I’ve actually learned how to play Call of Duty on my PS4 for the first time so it’s safe to say I’ve been much more productive than I thought I’d be at this time.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19pp2jNapL4&w=854&h=480]
You’ve been taking a very active roll in protesting for justice for the black community, can you share any organizations or petitions our readers can take part in?
Yes for sure. I think the Black Lives Matter movement happening right now has been something building up for years and decades and with that disgusting video of the murder of George Floyd that was the tipping point for a lot of people. I am hurt to say that for so long I didn’t want to acknowledge or stand up for the lives of black people because I simply did not know the whole truth of what was going on in our country but there is no denying it now. Racism is a pandemic and my generation must not stop until we have claimed justice for ALL black MEN & WOMEN whose lives were lost because of racial discrimination. I am grateful to be apart of this crucial time in America because I am determined to make a change, whether that be in 1 year or 5 or 10. This is a movement, not a moment and I just really want children and young people to know and remember that.
blacklivesmatter.com is a website with all-encompassing information about the latest news, how to help and where to donate for these organizations
colorofchange.org is a website that is dedicated to instilling change in societies where black people help back until justice is real, they have many petitions to sign and options for donation
justiceforbigfloyd.com has a petition you can sign to fight for justice for George Floyd by demanding County Attorney Michael Freeman to put all 4 men behind bars who were responsible for the murder.
bit.ly/25andbeyond is a campaign accepting donations to help further the expansion of services to support black LGBTQ+ people in the fight for black lives and to help create and build education funds needed to transform communities so they don’t have to rely on police and prisons to thrive.
Lastly, where do you hope to see yourself musically in 5 years?
In 5 years I hope to have completed a national or worldwide tour (or two), I hope to have attended and performed at the Grammy’s, I’d love to have a song with Daft Punk or co-write a song with Lana Del Rey, and honestly, I would just be pleased to know my music has touched the hearts and souls of people enough that I get to perform and connect with them IN PERSON so we can share a moment of pure bliss just enjoying the fantasy of the infinite and limitless world I have created.
Credit: Jimmy Fountaine
CONNECT WITH GALXARA: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SPOTIFY, & YOUTUBE
