Having already made her mark with a string of impactful offerings in recent months, Irish artist Erica-Cody is back to her best once again with her stunning new single 'grl, don't do it!'.
Accompanied by a dynamic self-directed video, 'grl, don't do it!' sees her in fine form throughout. With its rich and shimmering alt-R&B textures, pulsing atmosphere, and her own captivating vocals at the helm, she is certainly looking to get us up and out of our seats with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Piano! I’m a huge Stevie Wonder fan, he’s the reason you fell in love with music.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Everything. My parents were big old school hip hop, R&B, neo soul lovers so naturally that’s what u gravitated towards. But my grandmother was a big jazz lover, I was also obsessed with Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash for a hot minute. So yeah, you could say eclectic.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Justified by Justin Timberlake and Dangerously in Love by Beyonce. The CD’s never lived to tell the tale they were rinsed!
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Video by India. Arie or When we get by - D’angelo
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Usually my ideas come to me when I go for walks or when I’m in the car. Experience is a big inspiration for me. When I live is when I write and the more freedom I have the better the song. Obviously some days are more productive than others but I try not to force it. For the most part, when I take the pressure off is when the songs write themselves.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Sasha Keable, SAILORR, Elmiene ,Coco Jones, Kwn, Merges
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Stevie Wonder
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Connecting with people. A song written in a bedroom, to be played on stages and made accessible to people to connect with and enjoy is a beautiful thing.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Waiting for mixes, edits, masters, demos - just the admin process. It can be long but good things come to those who wait lol and being solely independent and self managing has had me practice patience for sure.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I studied vocals at BIMM and one of my favourite music business lecturers James Byrne said “don’t be a d*ck!” one day and it stuck with me ever since lol. You never know who you’re going to be in rooms with, or who might need your help/advice vice versa some day. It really costs nothing to be nice, especially when you’re a heart-on-your-sleeve type person. Also, comparison is the thief of joy. Do your 10,000 hours, and enjoy it. Far too often when I was starting out, I was so hungry for a spot I’d be comparing myself to other artists asking questions like “why didn’t u get booked?” Etc etc. it was a waste of energy because looking back it just simply wasn’t my time. It’s only now, almost 10 years in, that I feel ready more than ever.
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Erica-Cody's new single 'grl, don't do it!' is available to stream now. Watch the new video for it in the player below.