Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: So I grew up in Birmingham and have only recently moved to London. My parents have always been into music and there was always music playing no matter where we were. At home with the radio or speakers on, in the car with the CD player. I was introduced to a wide range of sound, from my mum playing Diana Ross, Al Green and Aretha Franklin to my dad playing The Beatles, T Rex and David Bowie. I was also brought up by the late 90s, early 2000s music so there was always a lot of Mcfly, Jlo, destiny’s child going on.
Q: What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover Gaby K?
A: Just that my music reflects my life right now, it’s very much in the now,
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Right now I think the two most inspiring artists for me are Olivia Dean and RAYE, I think they are amazing at what they do, both very different artists and so incredibly talented. I feel their music is so raw and personal and that’s how I want my music to come across as well.
Q: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new single, “What Have I Done”?
A: Myself and my situation. I got involved with someone I knew I had no future with but continued to see them anyway, eventually falling in love with them. I wrote this song as like a rant to myself about knowing the outcome wasn’t going to be good but still carrying on anyway because at the time it felt good and I didnt want to think about how ‘future me’ would feel.
Q: What was the creative process like for writing and producing “What Have I Done”?
A: So when I wrote this song it was a different environment to what I’m usually used to when I write. Most of the time I write in a naturally lit room, it’s the daytime and I am in a calm state with a cup of coffee. For What Have I Done, it was in the evening, I had a glass of red and I was very upset and angry with myself so I released these feelings through writing the song. I basically wrote it that night and honestly made me feel so much better. I spoke to my producer about what the song was about, how I felt about it, how it became and just what I wanted it to sound and feel like and within the first session we found it. We just built on the base and because it was so raw for me at the time it was just so easy to feel the sound and what worked and what didn’t.
Q: How does “What Have I Done” differ from your previous music in terms of style and sound?
A: I would say it has more of a raw, soulful feel. It is part of a group of songs I have been writing that are a literal narration of my life in the last year so there’s a lot of raw feelings there.
Q: Were there any specific musical influences that played a role in shaping the sound of the track?
A: I wouldn’t say anything specific, I think I got some inspo from Jessie Reyez and RAYE mostly.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Anderson .Paak, I think it would be so much fun writing and producing and actually be such a good track but I do change who I would want to collab with on a weekly basis.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: To stay consistent with what you are doing and to have trust within yourself and your own opinions. You can always ask for advice but doesn’t mean you need to take it every time. Most of the time you already know and feel what the answer is, so go with that.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: I would say trust in yourself and your gut. If you feel something works then go with it and if you aren’t happy with something then speak out. This is so important when working with other people, I feel I let others take the lead as I thought they knew more than me but actually I knew what I liked and didnt like and that is most important.
