Q&A: BEXY
Christchurch-based indie-pop artist BEXY is definitely one to watch. Known for her spectacularly captivating vocals, dreamy, stripped back sound & vulnerably intimate lyrics that tug at your heartstrings, the songstress has had millions of streams on her tracks including “You Don’t Lie”, “Take Me Back” and “Wish We Had History”.
Most recently, she’s dropped her mesmerising indie-pop/rock single “You Expect Me Not To Be Inlove”, and we’re lucky enough to be premiering the incredible music video - check it out below!
We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey from when you first started singing and creating music!
My dad is musical and comes from a musical family - he was in a band when he was young. So there were always musical instruments lying around the house, and I naturally gravitated towards them and then started teaching myself guitar. I remember my first ever song I wrote was a song about being grateful for my hands, eyes and legs. Haha and then ever since then I just kept writing.
When I was young I was bullied a bit, life happened and I struggled with my self esteem + have always been very sensitive. I was that kid that cried a lot, always had a million things to say, a million questions and just over thought absolutely everything. In fact I really haven't changed haha.
During early childhood I spent a lot of time alone. It gave me time to play guitar and write music. Songwriting has always been really personal to me, my therapy, a way to understand and express my emotions and feelings. I never used to like singing in front of people, I've always found it terrifying. So I only started singing properly and consistently in front of people around 3 years ago!
When I perform now I still feel incredibly sick but it disappears once I get lost in the songs and I end up loving it.
Congrats on your latest single “You Expect Me To Not Be Inlove” - we’ve got it on repeat! Can you tell us a little bit about the meaning behind this song and what inspired you to write it?
Thankyou! This song is me just telling you the exact stories that happened to me.
For example the first line: “Snuck out for late night walks with you, meet at the driveway. Called the cops we saw a couple run in the ocean screaming and crying”. ***Please people don't come for me*** D: But this person and I used to sneak out during lockdown and go for social distance walks late at night. This one time we were walking and we suddenly heard this couple having a big emotional argument. One of them started running into the ocean fully clothed and we were so worried so we called the cops.
I always write about my own specific experiences, which is quite funny because it means whoever I write about tends to know. I always write purely for myself to begin. It comes from a very pure place, plus life is filled with ideas and content! I have this running joke with friends that maybe I subconsciously create chaos in my life so I have things to write about haha or when something hectic happens I’m just like “it's fine, it's fine, it's great content!” hahhah
I have always been an avid journaler. As well as having my notes and voice memos on my phone filled with random thoughts, important moments I want to remember, melodies, drunk thoughts, and 2am poems. I basically just have an assortment of my chaotic brain documented throughout all my things. I frequently go through the chaos and try to dissect it. It can make song writing like a puzzle - I find it very fun and healing. The pieces are all there but I just have to figure out where everything goes and what it all means.
But basically this song is just about being friendzoned. And how much it SUCKS.
One of our fave tracks of yours is “Bury Me In Flowers”! Can you tell us about the concept of this song?
Hey thankyou!!!! This song is weird. I was honestly just jamming in my sunroom and it just kinda happened. When I originally wrote it, I was just feeling very very infatuated with someone. It's taken on a life of its own for me. Relates to my life in different ways in different seasons.
I have a demo version with production similar to my single ‘You Don't Lie’ and I think I may release it - I love it a lot.
Side note: I should most likely stop using the word flowers in all my songs but yolo
Haha no, we love flowers! Another song of yours we’re obsessed with “THE POEM SONG”! What were your main highlights working on this track and the music video?
Thankyou!!! Well it was the first time writing a song with my producer and wonderful friend Will McGillivray! We started that song a year before we even finished it which was interesting in itself. Whenever I hear it I can totally tell that Will wrote it with me. He has such a signature and iconic way of writing melodies and lyrics. He's one of my favourite songwriters/musicians/humans/singers and he sings backup vocals in this song. HIS VOICE IS SO HEAVENLY. I cannot wait for him to release his solo project! But yea that song really helped me through a tough time so it means alot to me.
THE MUSIC VIDEO WAS SO FUN. My mum has just bought a new Lumix camera. She's following her passions and dreams of film making/videography/directing. She's been involved in the TV industry for over 30 years as an editor and producer and now she's taking another seat at the table. All her experience means she gets the creative process and understands what looks good, so she picked up how to work this camera very quickly!
This year I decided to just have complete control over my content and creative process. Mostly because I was finally feeling confident in my ideas/myself again. I feel so comfortable shooting videos with mum and we just get each other. We are both learning together as well, which is super cool. There's something about just using the resources you have in your hand! It forces you to get creative!
One of the reasons I love this industry is all the different creative processes that make up a project. Before I dived into music, I was very focused on photography/videography/graphic design/editing and was studying a design communication degree. Until I accidentally drowned my camera in the ocean and randomly decided to buy a guitar with my insurance money, drop out of study, and move to Perth with no idea what I was doing with my life.
But all those skills I learnt and loved have stuck with me and I’m still very passionate about them! So I’ve loved having the confidence and passion again to create all my creative content myself and having Mum help me bring everything to life is such a blessing!
The video for “The Poem Song” was basically us just being spontaneous. I had a rough idea of what I wanted and then we just played and rolled with it without any expectation! I love what we did!
That is so special you get to work on the creative content with you Mum! So, can we expect more music from you soon? 👀
YES. I am releasing a bunch of new music this year. Debut EP! And maybe 2 If I’m lucky! And then TOUR.
We can’t wait to see your perform on tour! Who would you say are your biggest inspirations in music?
My favourite artists are the ones who are so diverse and groundbreaking yet they still have this incredibly distinctive core sound. Like their vocal tone or story telling! People who just push themselves to the limit and channel their creativity towards curiosity and playfulness in every aspect of their art/projects!
If I had to pick at the moment: Prince, Melanie Martinez, The Weeknd, Lennon Stella, Dua Lipa, Jimi Hendrix, Harry Styles, Gracie Abrams, Tyler, The Creator, Joji, The Japanese House and Stevie Nicks. Okay the list could just keep going on so I shall stop now.
If there’s anything you could change about the current music industry, what would it be and why?
Wow okay … good question … sheeeekers. I’m so new to the music industry, the last two years I've learned so much and it's been A LOT to take in. Lots of good and bad and in between. It can be an odd industry really ...
But I do think Spotify should pay artists more money per stream. It's like 0.005 cents or something per listen. A lot of fans would happily pay more. I know I would pay more for my favourite artists per stream. Maybe even when a song gets on someone's personal playlist on Spotify / a loyal fan not a passive fan; the song increases in value? Idk something like that.
I know there's this idea being thrown around in the NFT world. But it would be cool if bigger more mainstream platforms caught on.
But in all honesty I’m still ignorant to so much in this industry and I'm just trying to navigate it the best I can with focused and pure intent. There's a lot of hard and important conversations being had within every industry and people are demanding change about many many things and it's exciting.
Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you especially love or connect with?
GOSH the amount of good music coming out of NZ is awesome and it makes me so happy. I want to list every single person arghekjhbelekajc kjlfjbdejxba. “The Local List Aotearoa” playlist on Spotify is packed filled with NZ talent but … Marlin’s Dreaming. Songs like “Cheeky Kids”, “Need You” and “Outwards Crying” - one of the first bands to really inspire me to start pursuing music. Semesi’s songwriting is super special and I reckon that dude is going places!
Recently found Molly Payton! Her song “Warm Body” is genius.
The Mild Orange boys are fantastical. Their album “Foreplay” makes me feel like I’m a 90 year old woman seated on her front porch in a rocking chair drinking a mojito watching the sunset, thinking about how much I miss human contact because I’ve isolated myself from the rest of the world by living in a cottage in the desert, in the middle of nowhere.
There's plenty of other artists that deserve more recognition like IPSY, MCK, nic and reuben, LA WOMEN, Jack Berry, Balu Brigada, Heavy Chest, Judah Kelley, Juno Is - and there's so many more!
What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?
Well I've been living in Sydney for the last 4 months and I’m coming back home in a week. I've missed it. Which I did not think I would say. I’m going back to my home town Redcliffs, Christchurch.
I just love my morning routine - I wake up for the sunrise and head over to Lyttelton and get a coffee and then take my doggo Samson for a walk at the bays round the peninsular. It's so dreamy. We are so blessed in NZ.
We really are blessed! What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far and what advice do you have for new artists out there?
Great question! I could say soooo much here hahaha. Mostly because I'm still learning and most days feel like I'm not sure what I'm doing. I have a long way to go!! So this “advice” is more just me ranting to myself haha.
I think a lot of people wait for “the perfect moment” to “feel ready” to have the “right resources”. But all you have is RIGHT NOW and you can only be all that you can be today. I don't mean that in a limiting, self destructive way. I mean this in an empowering way. You are the best you can be RIGHT NOW. You can't be anything more than what you are. So just do it.
I still have to tell myself this all the time!! I'm only human, so I'm going to make mistakes, I'm going to make shit stuff sometimes, I'm going to do and say the wrong thing. But I’m learning to embrace it. I'm flawed and imperfect and that's okay! I think if you love what you do, you work with focused and pure intention and stay true to yourself, then it doesn't really matter!?!? “Failing” is so much better than doing nothing. The more times you fail, the closer you are to succeeding right!?! (Note to self: Stop reading so many self help books lol)
I believe we are all given gifts and talents for a reason!??! A purpose!?! I remind myself all the time about how lucky I am to be born into the Western world, privileged, with resources and opportunities at my fingertips to achieve anything I set my mind to. PLUS how blessed I am to have found something that gives me so much passion and purpose. It's an absolute privilege and I do not want to take it for granted.
The influence you can have in people's lives, the way you can contribute to something bigger than yourself. It's one of the most powerful industries out there. I feel so honoured to be a part of it. It makes life very very interesting and meaningful.
And remember: You are important. You are rare. You are a blessing. You are so so worthy and loved.
Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?
This responsibility is overwhelming AHHHHHHHH hahahaha GOSH. Asking me these kinds of questions will never get you a straight answer.
Maybe I would say “Stream BEXY on Spotify” hahhaa. This is what I offer to the world. I mean this is my purpose? Music is the only way I truly know how to connect with myself and others. This is how I help people feel seen, heard and understood??? Then I have a more sustainable voice to influence people who I connect with and collectively we can all make change in the world in a positive way?
AHHHHHH I don't know. Maybe I just say, you are loved.
My brain is fried and I am now going to go treat myself to a croissant and a long black. Hahaha thankyou for the great questions!!!
LOTS OF LOVE!!
Hahaha that sounds delish and thanks so much for answering our questions BEXY! Make sure to keep up with her on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or Apple Music.
