INTERVIEW: Carla Wehbe talks new single 'is forever off the table?': "I like people to feel like they're not the only one going through something."
Interview: Jett Tattersall
Image: Ash Lim
Carla Wehbe is quickly becoming one of Australia’s most promising new talents. Launching her solo career in 2020 with the synthpop, 1980s throwback ‘Don’t Tell Me’, she released her debut EP Half Past Nine the same year and late last year signed a record deal with Warner Music.
Last week she released the single ‘is forever off the table?’, her first new original music of 2022. It is a stunning piece of pop music that transforms from a gentle piano ballad into an extremely distinctive, rollicking glam rock-pop stomper that sweeps you away in a constant tumble of sublime melodies and a ever changing soundscape. It reflects a period of time when Wehbe says “I was desperate for anything to hold on to, that might give me a sense of security, comfort or a just feeling that told me I was meant to be here.” ‘Is forever off the table? / Cause I’m the edge of fatal / Why can’t we try?’ she sings.
Wehbe is an artist who is utterly captivating, with music that is unique yet comfortably familiar and a flexible voice that conveys power, emotion and vulnerability with ease. Her music is heartfelt and honest while still allowing you to be swept up in the pure joy of it all. She has everything it takes to go far and should be on your playlist right now. We recently caught up with Wehbe to chat more about ‘is forever off the table?’ and her future plans.
Hi, Carla! You have a glam pop stomp ‘is forever off the table?’ out, you've gone full retrospective space cowbane, it’s amazing. Talk to me about this beautiful creature.
It was written in March last year at a writing camp that I held in Kangaroo Valley. I wrote it with some of my best friends surrounded by nature. It was just a really good environment to write. I had the title ‘is forever off the table?’ in my phone in a note and I had had in there for a while but never really gave it much thought. Then we started mucking around with some melodies and I suggested the title, and they really loved it. It kind of just effortlessly happened. I actually wasn't 100% sure if I would like it when we were writing it, but then [producer] Xavier Dunn went away and did his little magic on it and when I heard it for the first time, I was like, ‘wow, I love it’. It's one of my favourite songs I've done so far.
What was it about it that you initially weren't sure about?
I was recording vocals and I just wasn't feeling my vocal takes, but I hadn't heard it in its entirety at that point. So the first time I heard it was when we had a listening party that night and that's when I was like, ‘Oh, cool. I actually really love it’. Usually I have input in the production and stuff like that but [Dunn] just nailed it completely. I didn’t have any input to be honest.
Gorgeous. The writing here ‘there is no Paris / I live with my parents / And I'm in bed sleeping with my denial.’ I love it! You're championing that insecurity and beauty and the fragility that we all go through, but no one really wants to put forward.
Yeah, for sure. It's a tough one!
You do this with your music, and you always seem to be giving people a buddy and a moment of ‘don’t worry, we can say it, it’s okay’. Where does that come from? Has that always what music’s done for you, and so that’s the kind of music you'd like to put out?
I always like to be the person that makes people feel comfortable and that they're not alone. Just generally, if I feel someone's feeling some kind of way, which I usually can pick up, I like to make them not feel that and feel that comfort. So that translates in the music a little bit, I like people to feel like they're not the only one going through something. Even though some of the ideas in my songs are very specific and maybe not universal in all the lyrics, the main theme is still fairly universal. I like to keep it broad enough so that people can take what appeals to them or relate to themselves, in their life.
You're known for some of the greatest synthpop that we have today, and you also kill a stripped back and acapella performance. And now we have intergalactic glam rock elements. What is it for you that truly makes a song?
First and foremost, integrity. If you don't believe what you're singing or writing about, how is anyone else supposed to. Even though I like exploring or creating fantasy worlds, it's still very relevant. The theme is still very relevant to myself and what I've experienced. I just think you gotta love it. If you don't love what you're doing then other people probably will not
I like that. This new single comes, as all your tracks do, with some incredible visuals. Talk to me about your journey into space via a trailer park for this video.
I was connected with Kyle Caulfield, who directed edited, special effects, everything this guy is insane. He's honestly a creative genius. I didn't give too much direction, because I felt his brain had some brilliant ideas already forming and so I wanted him to fully explore them. He would come with an idea and then I'd help mould it into what I felt was more me. I told him, ‘Space Cowboy, that's what I'm giving you so you take that and see what you envision for the song’. We worked together on creating it and the crew are incredible. You've seen the set, the RV was completely empty when we got there. The lighting, it's all so beautifully lit. It was just an amazing team to work with and it's something that I'm incredibly proud of. And happy to share with everyone now.
Oh, we love it, we’re eating it up. You are a singer songwriter, producer, occasional bassist. A total modern day one woman band, which is exceptional. You signed with Warner Music last November and released ‘hurts to love you’ as your first single with them. How has that big support and collaboration been for you creatively as an artist, especially after you're so used to doing it all yourself and pretty much going it alone?I've been incredibly lucky with Warner because they loved my vision from when they signed me. So they said, ‘we're here to facilitate your vision and help your creative side’. So I lead it and they just support and help and make it happen. I feel incredibly fortunate to have that situation with them. I love working with them, it's a good collaborative effort.
Was there ever ‘oh, shit, pressure’s on’ moments with it?
With the edit, we were cutting it pretty close to when the release was coming up. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to edits and stuff so there's a lot of back and forth. It was getting close and I was like, ‘Okay, I'm happy with this, let's just call it’ because it was like two days before the release and we had other stuff to do. That was the most pressure I felt through the whole process.
We have had some delicious music and visuals from you and I saw that you recently designed a bunch of skate decks to celebrate ‘is forever off the table?’ Rumour on the street as you also have your own clothing line on the way?
It's on the way, yep!
What else is coming up for you Carla?
More music. For the rest of the year it’s gonna be music. I want to try and do another one of those writing camps that I do, it’s a lot of fun and if I can fit it in, I will. Hopefully more shows, more music, clothing label I’m aiming towards the end of this year. I've put a lot on my plate, but I'm really enjoying it. So I'm excited.
‘is forever off the table?’ is out now. You can download and stream here.
To keep up with all things Carla Wehbe you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Listen to our 2020 podcast with Carla Wehbe here.
