FEATURE: Spotlight: Twinnie — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Twinnie

__________

I definitely will…

move to bands and male artists when it comes to this feature. The thing is, there are so many phenomenal women in music coming through right now, that it means they are in my thoughts! Twinnie is someone whose music I have known about for a while. The moniker of actor Twinnielee Moore, she is an English Pop-Country. In 2021, she founded the global music collective, I KNOW A WOMAN, whose primary mission is to standardise mental health therapy across the music industry. I have always loved her music! I am going to bring in a couple of interviews that she has been involved with first. You can go and see her perform live. Twinnie is in in Glasgow tonight (21st) and London on Saturday. As a successful actor and traveller, there is this itinerant soul inside of her. I can imagine how she is more comfortable on stage and touring than most artists. I have been thinking about Twinnie and whether, in conjunction with her music, she has considered deeper acting roles and doing what artists like Lady Gaga have done and going into bigger things. I can imagine she would be great in a short film or a project that she gets to write or direct. An amazing talent, her debut album, Hollywood Gypsy!, is one that I really love, she is going to go very far. The album title brings together that clash of her traveller background against the very different world of acting and glamour of California. He new E.P., Welcome to the Club, is one of her best works. I think she is an artist who sounds more confident and astonishing with every new release!

I am going to start by bringing in an interview from On Magazine, where Twinnie talked about her music loves and the amazing artists she has played alongside. I can see her career getting even bigger and, before long, she will command her own headline shows on some very big stages:

“HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING MUSIC?
I have been singing and writing since I was 4 but I started playing musical instruments when I was 7.

ANY PAST BANDS OR COLLABORATIONS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
I have been very fortunate to work with amazing artists such as Bryan Adams, Brian May & Roger Taylor (Queen), Robin Thicke, Harrel, Michael Buble, Casadee Pope and Kylie Minogue.

GIVE US 3 REASONS WHY WE SHOULD TRACK DOWN, LISTEN AND DISCOVER YOUR MUSIC?
I would say my songs provide some escapism no matter what mood you’re in. I bet I have a song you’ll like. There’s no one else called Twinnie so by default I think everyone should check out my music.

WHERE DO YOU SOUND BEST – FESTIVAL, CLUB, BEDROOM – OR SOMEWHERE ELSE?
I always love intimate gigs because you can hear the lyrics more rather than a bigger venue where sometimes the voice can get lost.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MUSIC PIRCHASE?
It was a compilation of Now This Is What I Call Hits. I can’t even remember who was on it but I’m guessing it was the Spice Girls as I was obsessed by them.

SO, WHEN IT ALL GOES RIGHT AND YOU’VE GOT A BOTTOMLESS PIT OF MONEY AND LONG QUEUE OF HANGERS-ON, WHAT WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST MUSICAL INDULGENCE?
I know this sounds weird but I’m not a flashy person. I have never been one for designer labels or diamonds. Honestly if I could pay my families mortgages off that would suit me”.

I don’t know if many people are aware of the Country-Pop market in the U.K. We have a big Pop scene here, though many assume that it is just in the U.S. that you get Country. To be fair, I can imagine Twinnie recording out of Nashville or spending some time there writing. Someone with that Yorkshire blood who feels very at home in London, she does have this sort of mixture of feeling rooted but also not tied to a particular place. I think this comes across from a musical perspective. She has her own voice and style, but she also mixes styles and sounds to create this wonderful brew. I want to move on to Six Shooter Country’s interview from May. They looked ahead to the release of Welcome to the Club:

“This June, you release your new EP, ‘Welcome To The Club’. It’s a collection of tracks with some important messages, dealing with themes and topics such as inclusivity, mental health and acceptance. With such delicate subject matter, was there any sort of apprehension about putting a work like that out there?

The only one [track] I was apprehensive about was ‘Dying Inside’ because I’m not used to releasing ballads. I think that one, for me personally, is deeply personal and it left me feeling a bit vulnerable and raw. But, as a whole, I wanted to highlight the human experience. That’s what ‘Welcome To The Club’ is: a metaphor for welcome to the world and all the feelings that we all go through, and highlight the fact that we’re all more similar than we are different. The song goes ‘some days are down, some days are up’ but we all ultimately need love. That’s what we need as humans. I thought the whole concept was cool and I enjoyed filming all the videos and doing a short film because I wanted to reach more people. It’s been amazing the support around it.

How did the EP come together? Did you set out to write these four songs with that overarching, interlocking theme? Or did you just start writing and saw that this was the direction in which the project was headed?

I always think ahead, which is one of my problems. I’m never really present as I’m always thinking all the time. For this I had an idea. Hollywood Gypsy, my debut album, was released during the pandemic and that was all about my two worlds, my cultures, clashing and what it means. It was just a really good introduction to me and all my issues and everything, it was a good way to get to know me. I wanted to extend on that.

I’ve been going back in two worlds, from Nashville to England quite a lot, and I thought that was interesting because it really mirrored my childhood of growing up in a traveller community and a normal community. There’s just so many things in sync; and extending on my journey, my personal journey, but wanting to highlight the emotions that we all go through, as humans. I don’t think I’d ever done that before purposely in my music.

When I wrote ‘Welcome To The Club’, I knew that it was a jam but it had a deeper meaning and I thought it would be cool to highlight in the video different types of people, different backgrounds. We shot it in Freedom Bar, which is the bar that I spent my teens in when I first came to London. I’m so used to going back and forth to Nashville that I wanted to highlight all the artists here, pop and country, who then feature in the music video and then did the same in Nashville. ‘Welcome To The Club’ takes you on this journey that we’re all human but also my personal journey from England to America. Every song after that – or before that, I should say, as the film is in a different order – you’ll see one half which is the break-up that gets me into therapy and then every time I go to see a therapist we talk about a different issue that then leads into the different videos.

I’ve never seen it done in a film before. I’m sure it has been in a proper film but [not] in a music way and I thought it covered a lot of what it means to be human.

Was that always the idea with this EP? To create that film and make it a wider, visual project too?

Yeah, I’m such a visual person. Even my first album, you probably don’t do a video for every song, that’s not really the norm, but I was hellbent on doing a visual for every song. The video element allows the listener to get to know you more, visually, and what you’re thinking and your character and mannerisms. I was like ‘if we’re going to do this, they all need a video’ so I wanted to work out a way in which they all tied together. That was always my plan.

What was the filming process like for all that? With each of them pieces of a short film, was it the case of treating it like that and getting it knocked out all at once?

I’ve worked in TV and film, that’s my background, so I knew you do a storyboard and map it out. I directed it as well. It was amazing to see everything that I’ve had in my head come to life. That was the best. Out of everything, that’s where my joy comes from. I enjoy creating and writing the songs and walking out the room like ‘yes, we’ve got a good song’, that joyful feeling. When you’ve had something up here [in your mind] and and it comes to life and you see the final product and you’re like ‘wow, I did that’. Regardless of how well it does in terms of streams or numbers, I’ve created something that’s out in the world and I’m super proud of it.

It was a very intense shoot. We shot for six days, it was a lot of organisation and I did everything. I’m such a control freak and I knew what I needed, so [everything] down to have people got water on set, things like that. I had an amazing team, don’t get me wrong, they were all brilliant. The styling, the hair and make-up, the crew. I shot it with Fraser Taylor, who was assisted by his brother John Taylor, and those two guys were the perfect fit for me. They knew how they wanted it to look because they were in the band The Young Guns – I think they’re about to go back on tour – and they were amazing because they knew how my brain works as an artist. It was a great week, I was exhausted afterwards.

During the pandemic, you kept busy. Not only did you release an album but you also launched ‘I Know a Woman’, a global music collective. How did that come about and was that something you’ve always wanted to do?

I wouldn’t say it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I think because I’ve been part of an actor’s union, and I think because the music industry can be a bit, you know, it’s not as transparent as it should be. I see my friends in the music industry who are artists, producers or writers and I see how hard [it is for them]. It’s hard anyway, full stop, whether you’re on the business side or the creative side. But it’s two different parts of the brain and I think creatives struggle because they’re putting a piece of themselves out into the world and that comes with anxiety. Whether you get praise or criticism, you’re still going to get someone’s opinion and, half the time, artists don’t create art for the sake the of everybody else. It’s more a form of therapy and they just do it.

I was finding during the pandemic that there was so many people struggling and I was like ‘why are these artists struggling when they’re on massive labels?’. I don’t care what people say, it doesn’t matter how famous people are or how much money they have, they’re still human beings and they should have the correct tools and support. I think it only gets worse when you get to that sort of level. I was seeing it all over and I couldn’t turn a blind eye. It’s something that I’d gone through and had therapy and I was like ‘why is this not standard?’. So I set up this collective to battle that, because my primary mission is, and it’s ongoing, to standardise therapy within label and publishing deals. For artists and creatives that are signed, it should be that if you’re struggling then you get to talk to someone for free”.

One of the best E.P.s of this year, Welcome to the Club announces a superb British talent who has a worldwide fanbase. I think Twinnie will relocate, at some point, to America to record. She has this incredible and natural acting ability too, so I wonder whether balancing T.V./film with music is on her radar – or whether she wants to focus on music for now. A live presence who delivers exceptional shows, go and check her out if you can. I will end with an interview from September, where Twinnie was asked about her new single, Bad Bad Bitch. Again, it shows her getting stronger and building on the promise of her debut album:

“A real-world traveller with a gypsy heart and a storyteller’s soul, singer-songwriter & actress Twinnie delivers vibrant lyrics and effervescent melodies through her vivacious soundscape.

Following the UK success of her 2020 album Hollywood Gypsy, a mainstay at Radio 2 with an “Album of the Week” accolade, her upcoming track ‘Bad Bad Bitch’ is a self-affirming bold offering that boasts self-confidence and female empowerment.

Set to be released on October 7th, ‘Bad Bad Bitch’ has already enjoyed viral success via TikTok & left fans in eager anticipation for its release.

Twinnie has kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the journey behind the upcoming single & its viral success on TikTok. You can find the full interview below.

Hey Twinnie, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself?

Twinnie: Thanks for featuring me on your blog. I’ve been on stage since I was 4 and have always loved music. I released my debut album ‘Hollywood Gypsy’ in 2020 just as the pandemic was starting which was great timing haha. The response was so amazing and something I’ll never forget. I finally toured the record last year and then released my EP ‘Welcome to the Club’ this summer. I also spend much of my time in Nashville where I regularly perform and write, and in 2021 I founded the global music collective I KNOW A WOMAN.

When did you first discover your passion for music?

Twinnie: As I said above, I’ve always loved music and had a passion for it especially storytellers like Carol King, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and Billy Joel. For me, it’s all about the lyrics and I’ve been drawn to that since I was very young.

Have you always known that you wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?

Twinnie: Yes definitely. I began performing when I was 4 years old. I didn’t know anyone in the music industry though so I found my own way through various jobs whether that be performing in the West End or backing dancing for other artists.

How would you currently describe your musical style?

Twinnie: I’d say it’s pop influenced by storytelling lyrics. I have a very eclectic taste in music and don’t really conform to musical genres myself because I think it limits creativity. I like letting the song do the talking and the listener decide.

On October 7th, you will release the song “Bad Bad Bitch”. How did the idea for the song come together?

Twinnie: I think it comes from a place of just wanting to be upfront and honest from the off, especially when it comes to dating. I don’t like games and this is me, in a tongue-in-cheek way, laying my cards on the table and showing every facet of myself with humour.

How would you compare the creative process of this song to your previous releases?

Twinnie: It’s pretty much the same, I always write from an authentic place, whether that’s from my personal experience or my views on what’s going on around me and ‘Bad Bad Bitch’ isn’t any different.

The song recently attracted a lot of attention on TikTok. How did it feel seeing the song going viral?

Twinnie: It’s been amazing to see it getting so much attention, my nieces are now more famous than me lol. To be honest that was a huge factor in releasing the song at this time and I’m so excited for it to come out.

If listeners could take anything away from this song, what would you like it to be?

Twinnie: It’s a fun track that has humour, It’s my take on what all relationships experience at some point the good and bad side of your partner.

What advice would you offer to someone who is looking to pursue a career within the music industry?

Twinnie: Don’t feel discouraged by the no’s, you’re going to get a lot of those unfortunately but that one yes can change everything. I also offer support via I KNOW A WOMAN – iknowawomanofficial.com so please do reach out to us if you’re in need of support, guidance, or advice”.

A superb talent who can bridge the worlds of Country and Pop and provide something fresh but familiar at the same time, keep an eye out for her! Many may know Twinnie from her acting work, but her heart and passion is with music! That is what she was born to do. I know she will make music for years and years to come. The love she has for it is infectious and clear! If you have not introduced Twinnie into your world, then go and spend time with…