Winona Oak Talks Sharing Grief on Heartbreaking EP ‘Void,’ the Reign of Swede Pop & Extra (Exclusive Interview)
Winona Oak delivers an unflinching glance at the grief that she’s qualified taking into consideration that the loss of life of her mother on her new EP Void.
Out Friday (May possibly three), the undertaking is the most up-to-date from the Swedish songstress, who fans will recognize from her duet “Hope” with The Chainsmokers.
On it, her wistful voice and evocative lyrics are at their most heart-wrenching as she processes the loss of 1 distinct of the closest guys and ladies in her life to most cancers.
For occasion, concentrate monitor “Who Would I Be” is a soaring anthem that finds her dreaming of a opportunity to leave her nightmares driving in favor of a happier story. Poignant and relatable, it is great music with the most coronary heart.
“I am actually quite pleased of this EP. It is been the worst yr of my lifetime. So I just cannot think that I location it all jointly somehow. I do not recognize how I did it at instances,” she told us in an exclusive job interview.
Forward of the EP’s release, we caught up with Winona to speak about her resourceful strategy and how it felt to share these kinds of an intimate all round physique of carry out.
She also spoke about the reign of Swedish hitmakers in the new music sector and weighed in on if she was fascinated in operating with The Chainsmokers once more while speaking about a foray deeper into dance songs underneath the moniker Oaks. It is by now yielded collaborations with the likes of Martin Garix and Robin Schulz. Could a “Hope” sequel be in the lengthy term?
Head inside to see what Winona Oak had to say and to spend focus to Void in full…
Just Jared: It is extraordinary that you have created something so amazing with all the trauma that you knowledgeable.
Winona Oak: That indicates so a lot. It is been absolutely, seriously, genuinely hard. But I consider new music is so therapeutic in so lots of approaches. It is like a therapy session, almost… Crafting and just possessing it all out there.
Pretty much all the things that you continue to preserve on the inside, just getting it out and venting. So I consider it is also a great way of like, processing all the feelings and all the substantial stuff.
JJ: Does it really really feel healing for you to have released the music?
WO: I consider so. I come to really feel like I am sharing elements of me with the whole planet. And I actually really feel like a huge quantity of persons that are heading by way of the related components have been reaching out to me. It is just, it is amazing to share 1 factor that other people can hyperlink with. And we can sort of have all this darkness, like we can have it with each other in a way. We share it.
JJ: Was it at any time complex to visualize releasing the EP taking into consideration the reality that it is so intimate and sort of fragile?
WO: I recommend, each equally of course and no. I’d rather just make about what I’m going by means of and hold it trusted and keep it accurate than just composing about stuff that I can’t relate to appropriate now. And best now I’m just in such disaster like everything’s sort of upside down. And so it would come to really feel uncommon for me to [write about anything not authentic]. So I really feel it is eye-catching to share each the mild and the hefty. I have so lots of components on my head all the time that I just want to get, get out there.
But it is really hard merely simply because it is so fragile. Like you talked about, it is like remaining so wholly vulnerable and, and nearly like naked, you know? Displaying your rawest thoughts and all the deepest traumas with the planet. It is scary simply because persons currently will frequently like come across items and judge you, but they will do that each way.
JJ: Is there a tune that you are most enthusiastic for men and women to listen to on Void?
WO: Oh, it is so hard. I was actually, really energized to share “If I Had been getting to Die” with men and women. I’m just quite, really delighted that it is out in the planet. But I visualize all the items is… it is just all the tunes on it.
JJ: There’s a cinematic great to the tunes. I study that you imagined it like the soundtrack to a scene in a film. Is that something that you ordinarily do with your songs? Do you photo scenes for them for them?
WO: Yeah. If I spend focus to a song… When I make it, and I listen to it, and I can see what sort of motion image it would be in, or like a motion image scene in front of me… Which is when I know that I take pleasure in the track. It is like a test nearly – if I never ever get any photographs, I know the music is not fantastic ample. I actually also adore building songs with films on silent.
Just from time to time, you know, just obtaining eye-catching motion images in the track record when I’m writing for inspiration.
JJ: Was there something in distinct that you uncovered oneself observing routinely although you have been getting carrying out the job on the EP?
WO: I actually like Positive aspects of Remaining a Wallflower. The motion image is so lovely. And even The Notebook. And Euphoria, just acquiring Euphoria on the history.
JJ: When you hear to a song, the initially matter that you detect are the lyrics? Who would you say you are some of the lyricists that you receive the most inspiring right now?
WO: There is so a number of superior writers. I adore Billie Eilish, the way that she and her brother make tunes. They are so like so raw and like metaphoric. I assume Lana Del Rey is an excellent author. She’s extraordinary.
And then Christine and the Queens, Tove Lo… And so lots of outstanding writers.
When I was younger… I continue to am obsessed with Leonard Cohen. His writing is extremely poetic. I just take pleasure in that storytelling writing. It is when you can sense the lyrics in your soul, and you know that the writers sense what they create about.
JJ: Would you say that staying back once more residence in Sweden has changed the way you answer your audio at all?
WO: Unquestionably mostly simply because I come to really feel like writing in LA is distinctive. I have unbelievable producers and writers in LA that I adore carrying out function with. But I think ideal right here it is just added peaceful. And it just arrives much more the all-natural way.
In LA, I assume it was extra like, let’s produce a strike. Like what’s typical appropriate now,
JJ: So significantly so a fantastic deal great pop new music arrives from Sweden.
WO: Yeah, it is ridiculous. And possibly we’re so bored listed right here merely simply because of the climate [laughs]. Or possibly, like the melancholic… It is very Swedish. The darkness and melancholic vibe.
JJ: You have launched however a further artist job and are releasing dance songs beneath the recognize Oaks. Can you consider about carrying out a additional collaboration with The Chainsmokers?
WO: I would certainly do 1 much more tune with them. It is been 5 years. I visualize you can do as a number of music as you want if you uncover a collaboration that operates. Yeah, I would totally do a unique music with them. Which is on my listing.
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