INTERVIEW: INBAL — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

INBAL

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IT is about time I had a female artist…

back on my blog! I get so many requests from male artists – as the rest of the week will attest – so I am very pleased to chat with INBAL. She discusses her latest single, Right Mistakes, and why the filming of its video was a memorable, if cold, experience. I ask about the E.P., INBAL 1, and its multi-city recording – and what she has planned in terms of future gigs.

INBAL talks about her hometown of Tel Aviv (Israel) and what the people are like; how her life has changed since she moved from there (to London); what she hopes to accomplish in the remainder of the year; the artists she grew up around - whether there is any time to relax away from the demands of music.

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Hi, INBAL. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi, there. I’m great, thanks! It’s been quite of a hectic week, but can’t complain too much (smiles).

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m INBAL; a London-based singer-songwriter, originally from warm and sunny Tel Aviv. I’ve recently released my first two singles from my debut E.P. - which is exciting.

Right Mistakes is out. Can you reveal the story behind the song?

The song refers to the mistakes we make with us often knowing we’re making the wrong decision, and yet, choosing to do it anyway. The song takes the relationship angle of the subject; though, I do feel that this can be applied to many situations in life (or at least in my own!)

Tell me about the video. Where was that shot? Was it a good shoot?

The video was shot at the beginning of February this year, on a boat on the South Bank. It was one of the coldest days of the year and it was, obviously, shot outside - as you can see from the video. Although I couldn’t feel my feet, it was one of (the most) hilarious days as the cold really was insufferable, which led us to massive laughing fits.

Aaron Dolby, Alon (Didi); Danan and Gonçalo Malafaya Almeida were really lifting my stone-cold (literal) heart.

Right Mistakes is from the E.P., INBAL 1. Are there connected themes that go into the E.P.? What was it like putting it all together?

I’d say the connection between the four songs is that they evoke autobiographical experiences and stories from my day-to-day life - each revealing different elements of the various genres that inspired my songwriting. I really wanted to create a versatile E.P. that wouldn’t be bound to (just) the mainstream Pop structure - and play within the Prog. and Alternative genres melody and structure-wise, but with a more Indie-Pop attitude to production.

The E.P. was produced, mixed and made in a few different cities. Did you get to travel a lot whilst creating it? What was your highlight destination?

The E.P. was composed, produced and mixed in Brazil, Helsinki; London, Tel Aviv; Seoul and the United States.

So it happens that, at the time, I was going back to visit my hometown, Tel Aviv, and had to go to the States for a good few weeks as well; while Andreas, my producer and dear friend, was moving from London to his hometown in Brazil and, shortly after, followed his heart (and his girlfriend) to South Korea. While I returned to London, he was moving to Helsinki. Although it was physically challenging to work apart, I think it contributed a lot to the song and its production overall.

My personal highlight was definitely Austin, Texas. It was my first visit in the city and I absolutely fell in love. I’ve got a lot of family living in the area and seeing the city through their eyes really made me feel like spending more time there. The dancehalls, Tex-Mex; the thriving music scene and the Barton Springs are just a few of my recommendations.

Tel Aviv is where you hail from. Is the city quite busy with great new music? Do you take a lot from the people there?

Tel Aviv, like the rest of Israel, is quite of a ‘young’ city. It, therefore, carries the influence of many cultures from which inhabitants past and present arrived from - mostly European and Middle Eastern combined. This also reflects on the music scene, too. I take a lot of inspiration from local artists, as I believe this middle ground between culture enriches both sides and lets you have some sort of freedom to spice things up and experiment.

Which musicians did you grow up around? Can you each remember the first album you ever bought?

My biggest influences are Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and Björk, but I think the first album I purchased by choice was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I just really liked Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (at the age of six, I didn’t exactly know what it talked about...).

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

I hope the third single and the E.P. will get as much support as the first two singles got - and I plan to gig a lot and start working on the second E.P.!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

When I was living in Tel Aviv, I joined one of my best friend’s tours around the country. We drove for hours and, basically, spent the summer around Israel gigging from the South to the North. It’s such a strong memory as, retrospectively, I think that was the moment I had a deep realisation that music is my path. Meeting new people; that music was the only thing in common between us was a really engaging experience.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

The biggest (piece of) advice I can personally give is to trust your instincts. The more you grow, the more you’ll hear lots of different and contradictory opinions. At the end of the day, it’s your creation and you should follow your guidelines.

The best route for someone isn’t necessarily best for the other.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I do, actually. I believe part of the creation process is also knowing when to put it aside to gain a fresh perspective. I really enjoy photography, playing with my pooch, Daisy (she’s the real famous one in our family - her Instagram is more popular than mine!) and practising Yoga.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

One of my latest musical obsessions is a band called ANIMA! The song, Blood, is a real gem in my opinion.