Renowned for her captivating sound that seamlessly blends pop with a nostalgic grunge flair, Canadian alt-pop sensation, renforshort, is back in the spotlight with her latest single, ‘serpentine.’ This marks her first official release since the debut of her 2022 album, ‘dear amelia.’ We caught up with renforshort to discuss her new music, creative journey and of course, her FAULTs.
Can you share more about the inspiration behind your upcoming single ‘Serpentine’ ?
I wrote serpentine when I was alone in London writing for the month. It was February/march and London was cold! I was totally alone and on my free time I would just walk around the city. That is where I found solitude in my environment. All the things I was made aware of just by being alone. The types of trees, the people leaving for their morning commute, the frozen and thawing soil in the park (dependent on the weather lol) and the feelings i had shifting from fear and loneliness, to joy and comfort. Walking alone was a perfect distraction from the isolation I felt. That comforting loneliness is what inspired serpentine.
Serpentine’ carries a personal and reflective tone – does being so open about your inner thoughts come naturally to you?
It is definitely a learned skill. I could never just sit across from someone and spill my guts. However, I can if theres music behind me. Thats how it feels natural. I think it’s so scary and feels like a burden to everyone else to be so open. But it always ends up being quite comforting to me.
‘dear amelia’ received significant love and support – do you feel pressure to top its success with your upcoming releases?
I trust in myself that my music is only improving. I try not to feel pressure, but the nature of this industry is living with and utilizing that pressure. Its never gonna disappear so I try to use it to my advantage and figure out what I could’ve done better on past projects to make the next one the best it can possibly be.
What’s been the most significant change you’ve seen in your creative process between your debut and now?
I honestly think it’s pretty much the exact same. I’m big on being in an environment that inspires creativity. If the space is not right, the music will not be as good as it can be. I try and be consistent because that is what’s worked for me. The biggest change I think is being forthcoming about that so that I’m not wasting anyone else’s time.
What’s one message you want to convey with Serpentine?
Being alone in moderation is very important at least for me. Being able to do that is very difficult for people. Whether that’s being alone too much or not at all. It’s such a liberating feeling to be able to connect with your thoughts in a healthy nonjudgmental way, something I thought was impossible until I changed my surroundings. So I would say, don’t feel guilty about wanting alone time and seeking out an environment that helps you thrive alone.
When you look back on your creative journey, what’s been the most challenging hurdle to overcome?
I think being assertive was always difficult for me. I was scared of pissing people off and feeling like a burden. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the most important thing you can do to be able to create something you feel so proud of and is true to yourself, is to be assertive and speak up when something isn’t right, or is right!
What more can we expect from you this year?
A lot of music, content, communication, art, and happiness!
What is your FAULT? (Personal flaw)
I can be pretty lazy which Is annoying lol