Q&A: Cecily

Auckland born and raised alt-pop artist Cecily is a much-needed breath of fresh air. Representing the introverted bedroom artists, she fully embraces her lone wolf nature and authentic self, and DGAF about “who she should be” (we love that!). She chats to us about her latest honest and edgy project “Thinking About M(EP)”, her biggest inspirations and more.

We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey from when you first started singing!

I have been writing songs for an extremely long time. I was actually 11 when I first performed an original song (it was on stage at a school fair).

Congrats on your incredible debut EP! What would you say are the main themes you wrote about in this EP?

The underlying theme is the 5 stages of grief. I feel like this EP represents my individual journey, not as a singer but as a person. It deals with betrayal, heartbreak, anger as well as happiness. Being a young person is tricky to navigate and I have certainly made many errors and this EP was an opportunity for me to write about them.

“Awake” is one of our absolute fave songs and it’s been incredibly successful with over 250k plays on Spotify alone! Can you tell us a little bit about the meaning behind this track and what the writing process for this song was like?

This song actually makes me laugh because I wrote it very begrudgingly but now it’s one of my favourites. I actually have an unreleased song named “Asleep” that I wrote prior to “Awake” but my label told me that “Asleep” would not meet pop radio criteria so they asked me to write another “happier” song similar to “Thinking Bout Me”. So I took my favourite song I had written (which, at the point in time, was “Asleep”) and wrote its antithesis but my label ended up loving it so we released it as a single. At the time I wrote “Awake”, I was in a long distance relationship so it was me, essentially, being mad at timezones and wanting my significant other to shower me with attention.

What were your main highlights working on the EP?

Definitely getting to experiment with production. I have been writing songs on the piano for years but it wasn’t until I was signed that I had the opportunity to work on the production with a real producer and everything. It transformed my works and it made me fall in love with music all over again because there is absolutely nothing sexier than a deep 808 drum.

Who are your biggest inspirations in music?

This may be a bit all over the place because I do listen to a wide range of music. I looove ABBA and their songs are all just incredible. I also love empowering female voices like Kate Bush, FKA Twigs & Robyn. I also listen to a lot of rap music because I do kickboxing so I love the style of Childish Gambino, Kevin Abstract, Megan Thee Stallion & Rico Nasty. Recently I have gotten into K-pop and I admire the group Seventeen because they have a unique songwriting style and the fact that their songs are written with choreography in mind gives them a flow that I was unfamiliar with up until last year when I got into K-pop. 

If there’s anything you could change about the current music industry, what would it be and why?

There’s a lot I have to say on this subject. I’m a young female. I think that one day I will share my experiences but right now I have to keep focused on the creative side and not on the industry side because it can tear you down if you let it.

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you especially love or connect with?

Funnily enough, I recently met up with an Auckland based rapper called Hans. who happened to be a geography student of one of my mum’s friends and I have been listening to his music lately. New Zealand never fails to amaze me with its 1 degree of separation law.

What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?

I think our reaction to COVID was super admirable so right now I am so grateful for that. I really love when Silo Park opens in the summer, that area is neat.

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?

Your best song is always the most recent one you’ve written. Don’t stop writing, don’t stop trying to perfect your art. Don’t just be a singer or a producer, cultivate your own creative world. You can always be better. 

Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

99% of what people say to you is a projection of their own insecurities. Don’t let their words break you down.

Thanks so much Cecily! Make sure you keep up with her on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or Apple Music.