Written by Sophie Wyatt
Based in Brighton Town, singer-songwriter, producer and queer-creative foxgluvv has today released her latest project ‘Lesbians On The Beach’. Described as ‘unapologetically DIY’, the artist brings a new level of aesthetic pairing to her work. Determined to keep fighting for more representation for both women and the queer community within the music industry, foxgluvv uses her music to make a stand, whilst also inviting listeners into her inner thoughts. Haste is lucky enough to have sat down with foxgluvv to discuss her latest tracks, in particular her track ‘2 Cherry Margaritas’ which is being premiered right here with Haste!
After finding a love for music at a young age (with the help of McFly and Scissor Sisters), the flourishing artist found her musical future falling into place. Working hard to reach where they are today, foxgluvv explained that while so many see music as a ‘pipedream’ she does it purely for the love of doing it and doesn’t base her happiness off of success. Once we got a feel for the beginning of their musical career, we jumped into the topic of ‘genre’. Genre is long outdated and artists like foxgluvv are proving this with their multi-layered music.
‘When speaking about genre, I struggled with that for so long. I went to college and was surrounded by metal heads and rock dudes and I kind of just always felt like if I ever wanted to make something that was pop-adjacent that that wasn’t real music, or it wasn’t viable. Unless you want it to be super-cheesy-four-chords-music, which is great, love that. But I struggled with what to categorise myself as for a long time, because I like so many different genres. I think I ultimately decided to blend all of them together and make the songs that I enjoy. And that was a big moment for me – realising I can make something that’s not strictly one thing. You don’t have to fit into a genre, you can just take inspiration and do what you want with it.’
It’s no shock that being a female artist in a predominately male industry comes with more than enough obstacles. But foxgluvv explained to us that they have the added pressure of being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
‘I think the main obstacle is not being taken seriously compared to other people who are at my level, but are straight. I have these two things that mean I’m not taken seriously because I’m a woman, and then I’m also not taken seriously because I’m a lesbian. It’s like… what do I do with that?’ she laughed. ‘I think there just needs to be more space for people in the LGBTQ+ community in music. I think we’re seeing that happen and a lot more commercial success. But there’s still a long way to go, it needs to be more inclusive and diverse. It’s nice to see more recognition coming through and to be given more opportunities – I just think a lot more needs to happen.’
As previously mentioned, today saw the emerging artist release their latest project ‘Lesbians On The Beach’. The two track body of work explores new sounds and beats while also eluding back to foxgluvv’s signature sound. We asked foxgluvv to explain a bit more about the project and how it came to be.
‘I firstly came up with the title ‘Lesbians On The Beach’ because I thought it would be funny. I was thinking that when you hear that title you might automatically assume that the music is going to be a bit raunchy or sexy. I wanted to take that assumption and twist it to have a song that’s quite soft. Talking about intimacy, and love and talking about a love in a way that’s not necessarily explicit. Because I think with lesbians that’s always the assumption – this fetishized male gaze. It’s not, it’s valid and it’s love. I just wanted to write songs that were showcasing that in a fun pop way.
With the music video I wanted emulate this soft and beautiful feel, but also have this other side of a queer relationship. Having the intimacy but also having the fun and the vibrancy and connection. That’s how I got to releasing the songs.’
Premiered here on Haste, foxgluvv’s video for ‘2 Cherry Margaritas’ encompasses both their spirit and also the tracks feeling as a whole. Perfectly merging as one, it’s clear that foxgluvv’s interests lie not only in music, but also in visuals.
‘The visuals with all of my projects are what I initially envision at the beginning. When I was at uni and getting drunk with my mates, filming videos, I was always thinking about how we could make it look cool like the timescales and the sounds. I’ve never wanted to upload something that I’m not entirely proud of both sonically and visually. I think it ties it all together.’
Finally, we wanted to know what is to come after this project. Being close to the beginning of their musical career still, we’re on the edge of our seats waiting to see what foxgluvv has up their sleeve for the future.
‘So, this project, Lesbians On The Beach, is the first project that I’ve produced and worked on as a producer fully. Before this I was co-producing. It’s nice for me to take the steps forward now and what my brain can create musically. I think moving forwards, my main goal is for me to elevate that and grow as a producer. And hopefully an album at some point!’
Head over to foxgluvv’s Spotify page to hear her other track ‘You Love Her’.