Happy new year!
For the first Monday in 2021, we’ve got a whole EP for you to enjoy from former BIMM London student Carmen. Listen to “Love or Loneliness” and find out more about the track below.
What was your inspiration when you began writing the track?
I wrote it a few months after going through an intense breakup. I was single for a few months and casually dating here and there, but then I realised I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted to love anyone. I was probably just lonely. As soon as I had that epiphany, I sat straight on my piano and wrote it.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
Absolutely. My main inspirations are Nina Simone, Alicia Keys, Emeli Sandé and John Legend. I love their melodies, the storytelling in their lyrics, and of course the vocals. They’re incredible. I learn a lot from them.
What is key to your sound and how do you make your music stand out?
I always try to make sure it’s about the lyric first. I take my songwriting very seriously and I hope that with every song, whatever the genre, I have something of substance to say. My personal formula is having soulful vocals on pop melodies.
How does your songwriting process work?
90% of the time I sit on my piano and come up with the chord progression first, then the melodies, then I write the words. There are rare occasions where I’ll have a line and write the entire song around that, but it’s usually the music before the lyrics.
Describe your sound in 3 words…
Feel-good, soulful pop. I kind of cheated there, but please let me have it!
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
It was a training ground for me. I got to learn everything there is to know about music and the music business. It opened up my mind to a variety of genres, and that’s where I was able to find my sound and fine-tune it to what it has become today.
What’s next for you?
I’m always writing, and I wrote a lot of songs over lockdown so you can expect new music in the next few months. Also, more visuals and just more content in general to push my name out there as much as I can. Hopefully, live shows come back next year and I can do those too.
