Q&A with emerging alt pop producer and singer, I’MMORTAL

We sat down with I’MMORTAL, who has just dropped her third single ‘KILLED U IN A DREAM’ under her own label, Immortality. Based in both New York and London, I’MMORTAL is a multifaceted artist, blending genres as a music producer, vocalist, visual artist, and creative director. She made her digital debut in August 2023 with ‘Versace Spaceship‘, a tech-house track. This was followed by ‘Supervillain’, an upbeat electropop song released in October, which gained recognition from esteemed publications like CLASH Magazine and Earmilk. Despite her recent entry into the music scene, I’MMORTAL has been steadily increasing her streaming numbers, monthly listeners, and securing numerous organic playlist spots. Her first two singles have collectively amassed 50K streams across various platforms.

Stream ‘KILLED U IN A DREAM’ and read the interview below.

Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?

Hello:) I’m doing great. I’m just having a chill day at home working on new music. 

To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?

I would describe my sound as eclectic alt-pop with an emphasis on texture and sound design.

What are the 5 most influential albums that have influenced you the most?

The five most influential albums that have influenced me the most are both Britney Spears’ Blackout and Circus, Sevdaliza’s Ison, Lady GaGa’s The Fame, and Rezz’s Mass Manipulation.

Which other artists are you into at the moment and why?

At the moment, I’ve been in a cycle of revisiting the early-mid 2000s. I’ve been listening to a lot of Ciara and Gwen Stefani from that era of music. Growing up, I wasn’t exposed to a lot of American pop culture, so I am a bit late to the party, and am still trying to discover what I truly love listening to. I am absolutely addicted to the production of that era of pop music, and especially love how much space the drums and other instruments intentionally leave in the track. I’d love to emulate that, and hopefully take on a more minimal and intentional approach to my own production. One of my biggest composition lessons is that sometimes less is more. 

Additionally, I am (always) listening to club music. I currently have Cobrah’s Feminine Energy’ on repeat because I love the vocals and the pulsing bass. Cobrah always makes me feel so confident in my own skin. There’s also a house producer/DJ named Capozzi that I’ve been listening to. Her basslines are always make me want to dance, and are so texturally satisfying. I’m learning to combine my love for house music and pop music, and am aiming to release some dance pop tracks in the near future. 

Tell us the most striking differences you’ve noticed in the music scene in New York vs London. 

I have not been in London for a long enough time to notice any huge differences. However, personally, I love the electronic music I’ve experienced here in London a little more than NYC. I love the dance music played at the clubs here, and I also just like UK Garage in general. 

Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound? 

It’s not a piece of equipment, but a granular effects plugin called Portal by Output. I always run vocals and instruments through Portal to get the stretching and smearing effect. To me, the grainy stretching and smearing effect creates the feeling of bending time. Can’t live without it!

What would you say some of the challenges artists face today in the music industry?

I think a challenge artists face today is creating longevity. People’s attention spans are getting shorter due to social media, so it’s becoming harder to hold people’s attention for a longer time. I would like to just focus on producing tracks that are authentic to me at my own pace, and hopefully that will resonate with people.

Where do you gather songwriting inspiration? 

I gather my songwriting inspiration from my own life, but also from random moments throughout the day. Oftentimes, I’ll hear an interesting phrase from a conversation or from a movie that I think would make for a cool song, and the song will usually expand from this one idea. I always know the title of the song before beginning to work on it. 

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?

My MO so far is to always start with the hook of the song, which is usually the chorus of the song. The song expands from there, and I start to write the verses to support the chorus. Sometimes a prechorus is needed, but sometimes it’s not really needed. I like to go back and edit song structure for a period of time once the first demo is done. I also like to make multiple versions of one song with different styles of production and tempos just to explore the possibilities of the track. 

What’s the best gig you have ever done and why?

I have not done any major gigs yet actually, and would love to start playing shows in London soon 🙂

If you weren’t a musician what would you be? 

I would probably be a visual artist. I love music videos, and would probably be doing something in that realm. 

Do you have any particular gigs or festivals that you dream about playing? 

My dream festival to play at is EDC or Electric Zoo! I love colorful costumes and lasers, and it’s always such a good vibe in the crowd. Visuals are so important to me as an artist, and one of my favorite parts of electronic music festivals is the elevated use of visuals. I’d love to create that amazing sensory experience for others.

If you could perform alongside any other band or artist, who would it be? 

I would perform alongside Sevdaliza or Fka Twigs. I come from a theater background, and I have a deep appreciation for avant-garde performers. I love eye-catching stage designs, and I love when artists do interdisciplinary or mixed-media performances. 

Do you have any information regarding upcoming releases, projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about? 

I will be releasing the music video for ‘KILLED U IN A DREAM’ in a few weeks after the single is out. It’s a really exciting performance video with really unique use of CGI and 3D elements. 

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