INTERVIEW: Imogen Mahdavi releases single 'Crowd of Thoughts': "It is a reminder that my life has its own timing, its own path and great things take time"

Jun 22

Jun 22 INTERVIEW: Imogen Mahdavi releases single 'Crowd of Thoughts': "It is a reminder that my life has its own timing, its own path and great things take time"

UK singer-songwriter Imogen Mahdavi released her debut single ‘Doormat Darling’ last year, attracting praise from a number of influential publications such as i_D and Clash. Another single ‘Rock the Boat’ followed and at the beginning of June, Mahdavi released her first music of 2020 with the moody, soulful single ‘Crowd of Thoughts’. Produced by Grammy winner Eddie Serafica, the song is leans into a number of genres, with its gentle piano melodies underpinned by a shuffling electronic beat and the soaring chorus being the sounds of 1990s trance to mind, all held together by Mahdavi’s authoritative, unique vocals. Written during a time Mahdavi found anxiety was overruling her ability to make decisions, she says “I wrote this in a period of life for me which was testing my human spirit and just wanted to make a piece of music I could find comfort and hope in.” An engrossing, immersive listen, it is the first hint of what promises to be a remarkable debut EP from Mahdavi due later this year. We recently spoke to Mahdavi to find out more about her career and music.

Hi Imogen! Thanks for taking the time to chat to us. How have you been coping with the world of isolation and quarantine?!
My pleasure thanks for giving me this opportunity! I have been as well as can be, my friends and family have all been safe, so I am incredibly grateful! As for mental health it is an up and down battle of trying to stay present and not worry too much about the future. I have been taking each day as it comes. Having this single released has been a blessing as I am waking up a little more excited every day to see if it has formed new connections with people that I cannot currently see or be with.

Congratulations on the release of your latest single ‘Crowd of Thoughts’ it is beautiful! Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind this track?
Thank you! I wrote this song when I was feeling exhausted by my anxiety. I felt like my imagination for the future was overpowering my ability to enjoy the life in front of me. It is a reminder that my life has its own timing, its own path and great things take time. We spend so much time in our heads worrying about making the right decisions and I vowed to spend more time listening to my body.

You worked with Grammy Award winner Eddie Serafica on the track, can you talk us a little through the creative process for the track?
Eddie is wonderful, we have worked on a few tracks together and ‘Crowd of Thoughts’ was our first collaboration. I did not have anything planned before the session and hit a creative wall, but somehow on the tube journey to his studio all the words poured out on my notepad. I felt immediately comfortable when we met, he was like an old friend. I sang the entire top line and the first chords he put his hands on just felt right. The foundations of the track were done within like 10 minutes! Then we spent the rest of the session adding layer upon layer of instrumentation and a million harmonies.

Is there a particular message, or theme, you like to project with your music?
I think romance is a sonic quality I enjoy. I found my voice listening to jazz singers but love intricate modern production. Thematically I write more about the relationship with myself and my aspirations of connection with the world far from me. As much as I love music about romantic love, I do not think there is enough music about being romantic to yourself and your loved ones. To take care of the life you want to build.

Your debut EP is due to be released later this year, what can you tell us about it?
’Crowd of Thoughts’ is the catalyst for the EP, so you can expect themes of mental health and healing. It is centred around my fear of death and the endings of precious moments. It is not an ominous sonic scape but more how I want to make the most of everything I have been given. I have collaborated again with Eddie and a few other amazing musicians/producers. It has a bit more of a live sound and is as dreamy as I could possibly make it! I have been inspired by my favourite 70s albums and it has choral elements!

What role did music play in your life when you were growing up?
Not a whole lot to be honest! My parents did not play a lot of music in the house, it was a quiet self-discovery for me. Anything I found that I liked I would play on repeat on my iPod, close my eyes and pretend I was the one singing it! I was a bit of an attention seeking child so performance was always prominent, I loved dance, but it wasn’t until I moved to London from a smaller city (Cambridge) that I was able to explore pursuing this as a career.

Were there any particular musical artists that you looked up to when you were a kid?
I wanted to sing like Bing Crosby when I grew up, but in terms of obsession I of course loved Britney Spears! It was all quite juxtaposing; I think that is where I am always trying to find a happy medium. I want my sound to be elegant and deeply personal but also accessible. Merging the indie and pop world has been done brilliantly by Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys etc. but I’m always challenging myself on that line between because at the end of the day I want my music to connect with as many people as it can help. I think pop music always has room to push through a hidden and less obvious gem.

What was it that inspired you to pursue music as a career? Was there a ‘light bulb’ moment, or did it happen organically?
I do not remember ever wanting anything else. Every time music was played, I would move to it or join in singing and had such pure fun. I started writing silly songs when I was about 5 and kept practicing until it did not feel embarrassing to share them anymore.

How did you develop your career, from first having the idea of being a singer to where you are now?
I read about how artists I admired got started and I just copied that as much as I could. I had no friends or family in the industry and no money, so it was a lot of open auditions just to mingle but nothing came from it other than a thick skin from all the rejection ha ha! I met my manager in a bar on a night out from a bad date. The development in my creating then came from reaching out to anyone I found on social media. It can feel desperate at times but if you believe in your art remember that someone else is waiting for their inbox to be filled with an opportunity.

There has been so much debate in the past year or so about gender equality and sexism in the wake of #metoo. What are your thoughts on how women are treated and portrayed in the music industry?
We have a long way to go, that is for sure. I think there is a little more safety in knowing men who are trying to be allies are now more aware of the scale of sexism, but the solidarity I have felt from other women is the most important thing. We need more women in leadership roles, not just as artists. We need more female producers given a spotlight, more female photographers, more women on A&R teams and label executives, especially at the early stages of a young female artists career. The more women on a set, especially when in charge, immediately makes me more comfortable. For my debut music video 80% of the crew was female, and I have only ever worked with two male photographers who I trusted. Seeing women’s art through a woman’s gaze is personally more interesting to me and I am my best artist when I feel mentally taken care of and physically comfortable. That is not to say I do not enjoy working with men, I have been lucky to have collaborated with some legendary men, but until it is 50/50, we need to push ourselves even more. Moreover, we need to push inclusivity of black women and women of colour in leadership roles to. It is not enough to have 1 in 10 people on your set or project be non-white, that’s a personal pledge I want to work towards because more than anything the talent is out there and I want to help create and share it.

What’s up next for Imogen Mahdavi?
Well if the apocalypse does not come (ha ha!), then I would say a lot more music and visuals this year. Next year I hope to be touring and building a community of artists and fans who find a safe and loving home with my music.

‘Crowd of Thoughts by Imogen Mahdavi is out now. You can download on iTunes and stream on Apple Music or Spotify.

To keep up with all things Imogen Mahdavi, you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.