By: Shayla Lee
French-American artist Uffie first made waves in 2011 with her Myspace hit track “Pop The Glock.” After the release of her hip-hop, synth-pop infused inaugural album “Sex Dreams And Denim Jeans,” fans were left wondering if Uffie would release more music after she seemingly fell off the map.
Nine years later, Uffie is bursting onto the scene once again, this time with the release of a beautiful EP titled “Tokyo Love Hotel.” From her glittery synth-filled track “Nathaniel” to the hard-hitting punchy “Papercuts,” Uffie proved that she is back (and for a good reason) with this EP.
We had the chance to chat with Uffie about her EP, hiatus, and what fans can expect from her upcoming shows.
I’m so excited to see you back with new music! It’s been almost nine years since your last full-length project ‘Sex Dreams And Denim Jeans’. A lot changes in that amount of time! How would you introduce yourself as the new and evolved Uffie?
I think the word self-respecting punk would be appropriate.
Your music fuses electronic, dance, pop, and experimental elements together to create something totally unique . Who would you cite as some of your musical influences?
It depends entirely on the day, the city, and my energy. The artists that constantly on my playlist are Animal Collective, Fever Rey, The Knife, a mixture of old and new hip hop, as well as songs I just fuck with at the moment.
Where do you draw inspiration for your music?
I draw a lot from my life. A song is not necessarily biographical, but sometimes starts with a feeling or something I’m going through or am daydreaming of and I play with from there. I’m also very into words. It sounds silly, but tweaking the order can change how something sits so much.
How do you approach creating a song? Is it generally the same process every time or is it different depending on the situation?
It varies with who I am working with. The process is a little different with everyone. When I am working with people who have become friends its the most fun thing in the world, and other times its a growing experience. Generally, it just starts with everyone chatting and getting onto the subject of what we are writing about, and we build the track and vocals from there.
Congrats on the release of ‘Tokyo Love Hotel’! I know so many people are going to be excited to see you back. What was the creative process behind this EP like? Was it something bubbling in your mind during your hiatus or did you create it more recently?
Thank you! It’s much more recent. I spent a couple years messing around with different sounds, then got into a groove and knew it was time to release. Things just aligned. The industry has changed tremendously and as an independent artist you are able to make a song and release it immediately if you want. There’s something super inspiring about releasing fresh music when it’s so relevant to me.
I think “Papercuts” is my favorite track off of the EP – the production is hard hitting and interesting, I just can’t get enough. Can you tell me more about this track and the inspiration behind it?
It’s definitely in my top 3 songs I’ve ever made… its such a special one. The producer and I were actually sick that day and hadn’t worked with any of that squad yet, so that day almost didn’t happen! We ended up writing it in like 4 hours and it was one of the best days.
I also loveeee your closing track “Nathaniel.” It sounds so glittery and synth-y. The lyrics are definitely honest and real (“I don’t wanna hurt I just wanna love”). Can you tell us more about this one?
This is actually the only song that is older/ made during my searching period. We freshened it up and it just felt like the perfect closing the the ‘Tokyo Love Hotel’ story.
You have some live performances this year as well. What can fans expect from these performances?
I’ve been playing with my DJ and a drummer its been so fun getting to bring these tracks to life. I love bringing fans on stage at a certain point in the show, it just has this house party vibe I love.
Mental health is something that is really important to us at Femme Riot and we love hearing about how others maintain balance in their lives. As a busy musician (and a busy mom), what practices do you implement to ensure your health and well-being are taken care of?
I struggle with depression and anxiety so I have to be very on it with the self care. I know if I don’t drink a ton of water and get enough sleep I feel like shit and anxiety makes it really hard to be present and give it everything. So, I try and sleep enough (which unfortunately is not always the case), eat really clean, and hydrate. Daily workouts are also life changing. The majority of people I work with are 100000000% music at all times. I need to have a fulfilling life outside of it as well. This job is not easy on family and relationships, so it’s all about compartmentalizing and balancing.
Stay up-to-date with Uffie by following her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Check out her EP “Tokyo Love Hotel” below!
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