FAULT Magazine in conversation with Claudillea
While Claudillea’s popularity exploded after her fan favourite performances on The Voice, her ability to craft a knock-out music career after the show has everybody talking. Her recent single ‘Don’t You Know?’ is the perfect display of the songwriting, vocal and creative direction talent one needs to survive the industry and she has all three in spades.
We caught up with Claudillea to discuss her musical journey, her creative mind and as always, her FAULTs.
Has it been difficult to find space within the pop genre for a voice as unique as yours?
Thank you! I am trying to carve out the space :) It’s definitely not cookie-cutter, but I do think the pop genre is moving in that direction, away from what has been the standard for so long. There are so many examples of that… Billie Eilish, Rosalia, FKA Twigs…
Don’t You Know is centred around the mental health trauma of someone close to you, did you find that unpacking the situation through song helped you gain further understanding of what they were going through?
I myself have had my own struggles with mental health, and so I was drawing upon my experience of climbing out that very dark hole – which when I was in it, I thought I’d never get out of. Over the last couple of years, I’ve deepened my practice in mindfulness and am constantly reminded through various spiritual teachers that suffering is part of life, as we will always have ups and downs, so I wanted to write a song reminding anyone who listens to it, that it’s okay to fall.
Appearing on a show like The Voice can be a double-edged sword at times, was the transition from the show to working on your own music difficult to navigate?
The first lockdown happened the weekend after my last episode aired, so of course, any opportunities that had presented themselves vanished, but that just lit the fire under my arse to get on with things and not wait. So I got writing and started working with producers, and it’s been non-stop ever since really. I’m learning so much! Especially as an independent artist.
You worked with Vivian Full on the music video, did you already have an idea for the visuals while you were in the writing phase of the project?
I definitely had the colour blue in my mind, but not a complete visual per se whilst writing. The visual ideas came to life whilst Vivian and I brainstormed ideas.
When you’re in writing mode, are you an artist that likes to shut off from the world and not take in anything else in case it distracts your flow or do you like to take it all in?
I like to take it all in-outside the studio. For me, finding a balance between my music and “life” is really important. So whilst I do love shutting out the world when I am in the studio, once I leave at the end of the day, I want to feel and experience everything life has to offer – the good and the bad.
How would you say your international upbringing has impacted who you are as an artist?
From the different cultures I’ve been exposed to, to the music I’ve grown with, It’s influenced everything. In my eyes, there are no limits to “sounds” I can make and put out there, or styles I can embody. No one can box me in.
When you look back on your musical journey, what is the largest hurdle you’d had to climb?
The largest hurdle I had to climb was worrying about whether my music was too “confusing”. When I first listened to my fully mastered EP (TBA), I thought … “oh my god, it’s all too different”. But as I meditated on it and what I want to embody as an artist, I was reminded of my upbringing and belief in no limits.. as stated in my previous answer.
You’ve worked on a number of different musical projects and on stage, when the music industry moves as fast as it does, is it a struggle to find just one project to focus on?
It is a struggle, but I’m surrounded by amazing people who remind me to go at my own pace :)
What are you most looking forward to in 2022?
To everything! My EP comes out in 2022, and I can’t wait to perform it all over the shop.
What is your FAULT?
I’m really bad on my phone! I get so overwhelmed with all the different social apps and WhatsApp, that it often takes me days to respond to people. I am trying to get better at it…but it’s difficult! I’m lucky I have such understanding friends!!