Bec has named it her “fiercest, most manic work to date”.
“I think it’ll always be something that is really important to me. Coming out to my family and friends has changed my life, so putting something to song has been interesting. . . I’m just really proud, I spent a year and a half on it, and I got to work with some of my favourite musicians including Japanese Wallpaper and Oscar from Holy Holy.”
The song ‘Stranger’, which she calls her most honest piece yet, is accompanied by an evocative video clip which she worked on with director Tanzer. It explores feelings surrounding self-image and body dysmorphia.
“For me it was important to be transparent and vulnerable, more honest with what I was going through,” Bec explains. “Maybe a year and a half ago I wouldn’t have been able to talk about it. I think normalising conversations around anxiety or body dysmorphia is really important. The more we talk about it in a healthy way, the more we realise that we’re not millennial snowflakes as much as we think.”
Self-image has been an important subject in Bec’s music. “I think the way we see ourselves informs how we feel within our own body, and how we interact with ourselves and with others. It can be a really positive thing, or a really damaging thing. . . The moment you are transparent, and see it as a way to connect with other people, that can help shift or budge a bit of the negative depress-a-tron. . . I think that (humour) can be a good starting point for opening up difficult emotions or difficult conversations. On this record I’ve tried to have moments of tongue-in-cheek and moments of earnestness.”
When asked about her writing process Bec replies, “One of the best pieces of advice someone’s ever given me was to write the conversations you’re too scared to have, or that you wish you could have, so I’ve kept that in the forefront of my mind when I was writing this album.”
“When I started out, acoustic guitar was all I could write with. . . I didn’t even imagine what any of my songs would sound like with drums in them.
“The moment I started working with a producer, Tony Buchen, he brought in a bunch of musicians. For me it was really opening up a door of possibility.”
Bec’s visual aesthetics evolved during her time living in Glasgow. “I saw so many cool Euro acts, that really influenced a lot of what I do and don’t like. I’ve always loved early '80s dramatic theatrical film clips, Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper, and all those cool queer stars. In Europe, artists consider stuff like atmosphere, lighting, and triggering lights with drums. . . They want everyone to be fully submerged in a musical experience. I made a conscious decision, realising that really excited me, to hold myself to creating that in my live show and music videos.”
Bec’s advice for young queer artists trying to build a career is worth taking note of.
“I reckon finish songs, play as much as you can, learn to say no, make sure you get paid, surround yourself with good, honest people that hold you accountable.”
