BONZIE's dreamy sound is captivating as it is resonating. From rock to folk to surrealist pop, there isn't a genre she hasn't touched. We sat down with the singer-songwriter on her single, "Citrus," to discuss her journey into music and more.
Tell us the story behind "Citrus." What was the inspiration behind this track?
BONZIE: It's really hard for me to say much about where the song came from without really directing the listener's imagination and limiting what it means for them. It's so important to me that the song lets the listener feel whatever they feel and doesn't restrict them to a single narrative. That's where I think the magic happens. The inspiration was kind of infused into it, so what you'll hear is the result of that.
What is your creative process like?
BONZIE: My process varies from song to song. It usually begins with my instrument and me and whatever emotion or situation is present. I usually just play and sing, and it sort of happens. For "Citrus," I did more manual dissecting of my instrument part before singing to it, which was different for me but was refreshing. Once in a while, I'll start with lyrics.
Growing up, who were some artists that you listened to that may have influenced your sound?
BONZIE: I always loved singer/songwriters, especially people like Joni Mitchell and Judee Sill and the songwriters of the time like KT Tunstall and Feist. Those artists really inspired me to want to write myself. The idea that they were writing their music themselves was very exciting and made me feel like I could participate in the conversation of music. I also just really loved and appreciated albums as a unit, as a piece of art. As a kid, I had a CD player and would listen to some albums over and over. There was a time when I was like eight years old when I listened to Ciara's Goodies album front to back over and over. Good times.
You're known for pop music, so to you, what is THE quintessential pop song?
BONZIE: Pop, to me, means something very much representing the time, even if it's referential to the past. I also think "pop" could be described as having a certain indescribable balance to it, as a singular piece, when you step back from it. I think some non-pop songs are very poppy! Right now, a current quintessential pop song to me would be "Cops and Robbers" by underscores!
For someone just getting to know you and your music, how would you describe your sound?
BONZIE: Freedom indie! Maybe?
What's next?
BONZIE: I'm making an album! I keep playing the new songs at shows, so I'm looking forward to putting them all out there this year. It's self-produced by me, featuring performances by musicians and friends I really respect. I'm really excited about it.
Samantha Fong
"At 15 years old, I begged my mom to take me to Walmart to get Taylor Swift's debut deluxe album and I never turned back. This was my very first entry point to stan fandom. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee I was exposed to a ton of music - from rapping 3 6 Mafia to bopping to Justin Timberlake's solo discography. Now, in LA have a day job working in nonprofit development, but by night, I'm a full-fledged fangirl. I'll listen to generally any genre, but I'm a sucker for a good pop song. If you ever need someone to scream sing Carly Rae Jepsen's E·MO·TION with, I'm your girl. No, I still have not gotten over the One Direction hiatus. Please continue to respect my privacy. Twitter : samfonggg, Instagram : samantha_fong"
