Local musician JOON speaks with Lara Zammit about her latest single and highly-anticipated upcoming album
Can you speak a bit about your journey into music? What led you to it and what do you find most alluring about making music?
I’ve loved listening to music for as long as I can remember and even used to fantasise about singing from a very young age. As I grew older I used to buy small, quirky instruments and dabble for fun but I never believed in myself enough to learn and go for it properly until I was involved in a car accident when I was in my early 20s.
I quickly realised how precious life is and that I did not want to live one with regrets. I decided to stop wasting my time and taught myself how to use audio software, and I never looked back. Making music makes me feel free. It’s the best way for me to express myself.
I am quite a private, shy person but music has helped me get comfortable in my own skin and become more confident. With music I am able to let go and am not afraid to communicate what I am feeling inside, nor do I feel any constraints. When I make music, I am in the moment and I forget everything else.
Your debut single E.T. has garnered considerable attraction, being selected as the soundtrack to the first Animal Crossing digital fashion show hosted by Vogue. Your latest single Good Times also seems to be getting much attention, especially in view of the promise of an upcoming debut album. Are the sounds of Good Times indicative of what we may expect from the upcoming album, or can we expect an array of different sounds and styles from your album?
You can expect an eclectic album. At least to me it is, since the songs were written at different stages in my life over the past 10 years. The album will consist of some fun upbeat tracks like Good Times but it will also consist of some tracks that I had written for a club setting and will also include a few intimate, more personal songs, such as Orqod, which is a song I wrote around five years ago and the first one I have written in Maltese.
I really hope music and the arts are taken more seriously
How do you go about the process of composing and producing music?
Most of the time I start with a synth sound that moves and inspires me to hear more of it in that moment. The sound tells me what to play and then I sing what feels right on top of it. Singing simple, catchy vocal melodies is my favourite part of the process.
Most often the words fall into place as I am creating too. I usually compose and produce in a way that happens naturally rather than plan what I want the song to be beforehand. Otherwise it usually sounds forced.
You are also the co-founder of the Malta Sound Women Network. Why did you feel the need to form this non-profit organisation and what are its aims?
Malta Sound Women Network (MSWN) aims to bring like-minded women together – to share knowledge and skills in music and sound technology, production and audio-electronics. There are various reasons why composer Jess Rymer and I decided to start MSWN.
We’ve both experienced being outnumbered by our male counterparts in music technology courses. This can be very exhausting over time; a women-only professional space can offer respite and even act as an antidote to the phenomenon.
Also, access to professional bodies and forums can often be more difficult for women due to the often-surprising levels of sexism and the general lack of awareness around inclusivity. Moreover, most sound technology spaces are male dominated and can therefore be intimidating to women entering those spaces for the first time.
We want to create a safe, collaborative space where we can share our experiences, learn from each other and support one another.
How would you describe the local music scene in which you operate and what are your hopes for its future?
The local underground music scene is quite small yet constantly growing, improving and is pretty diverse. There’s a lot of musicians that have something to say and I love to hear and watch them say it. Music is not an easy industry: we are often underpaid, or not paid at all, and we do not have many decent venues to choose from. You really need to have a passion for it to do it here and I have great respect for anybody who tries. I really hope music and the arts are taken more seriously and that we get to have more spaces to be able to express ourselves further, collaborate more and build a stronger community.
Listen to the single Good Times at italiansdoitbetter.com/joon/