Hey Ula, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. Could you tell us a little-known fact about yourself?

Hey, thanks for having me! A little-known fact, hmm… well, I did use to have a pet chipmunk as a kid, but that’s probably not what you’re asking about. I suppose a good fact might be that outside of being an artist, I’m also a full-time sound engineer and work in various recording studios in London. I love working on other people’s stuff just as much as my own.

What was the inspiration behind your bold debut ‘So Kind’?

Hah, the track is very much about a celebrity crush I had a while ago. It was very silly, and I almost felt quite embarrassed by how excited I got about it. I remember not wanting to annoy my friends by talking about this crush, so instead, I exaggerated the delulu and channelled it into my songwriting.

There’s stylophone, heavy bass, warped textures—how did those seemingly disparate elements come together?

About two years ago, an old friend of mine invited me to his studio in Vienna. I showed him the track, and we found this old stylophone in the abandoned basement of the building. We thought it was pretty funny and didn’t think too much of it, but once we came up with the melody and put it against the chorus, it just worked too well not to keep.

Your lyrics seem to straddle sarcasm and sincerity. What story or mood were you channelling when writing them?

The sarcasm wasn’t supposed to be as prominent as it ended up being—hah! The track was supposed to be ultra-dramatic and exaggerated for sure, but the real fun began with the visuals. The crowbar I’m holding (so threateningly) in the music video was just something I found in my parents’ house on the day we were filming. They were getting the house renovated, so there were various tools just lying around. And the hammer on the single artwork was also a last-minute addition. Together, they added this whole other slightly creepy and drastic layer to the song, which originally was supposed to just be cute and dramatic. I loved how it came out—it makes the whole vibe a little unsettling.

How does producing your own work change your relationship with the music?

As many artist-producers can probably vouch for—it can be hard to maintain perspective and not get lost in too much detail when producing your own stuff. Definitely happened to me many times before. I find there’s something really rewarding, though, about being able to say—this track, the result—that’s all me. I really did it all.

The single feels like it belongs in a parallel pop universe. Are there specific visual artists or creatives who influence your work?

Hah, there was a lot of talk about David Lynch with the visuals for this EP. Interestingly, that didn’t really come from me, but from the photographers I’ve worked with—and well, I couldn’t say no. It definitely fits my music. Personally, I didn’t really take much inspiration from visual artists as such, but a lot of promo ideas came from my favourite musical artists and their visuals (especially Allie X, who I adore!).

What’s next for you?

Next single! Out in August 🙂 It will be veeeery different from ‘So Kind’, but hopefully it will receive just as much love.

Thank you so much for sending these questions over. I’ve really enjoyed answering. Hopefully we’ll chat again soon!

Follow Ula on Instagram.