Interview and Photos by Jordan Edwards
London-based artist girli recently escaped the gloomy English winter for a trip to LA. In addition to enjoying the sunshine, she got to work in the studio. The singer-songwriter recorded her new single “Crush Me Up,” a sun-drenched summer pop song that recalls peak Katy Perry. It dropped last week, along with a visualizer (watch below).
The track is from the upcoming album Matriarchy, due out May 17. It follows last year’s why am i like this?? EP.
In addition to making music, girli has gained a following for her voice within the LGBTQIA+ community and colorful sense of style. She also loves skateboarding, which she discussed in a Vans mini documentary last year.
We met up with girli in Los Angeles to talk about the new single and upcoming album.
How do you like LA? Do you think you could live here?
LA fascinates me. I adore the ocean, mountains, canyons and sunshine, and I love the music and creative scene here. It attracts amazing people from all over the world. But I don’t like the ego of some people in the entertainment industry here, and the importance placed on superficial things like fame and looks. It can eat you up. I do want to live here at some point though. I think LA is what you make of it.
Your new single “Crush Me Up” has such good energy. Was it as fun to record as it sounds?
Soooo fun. I made it with my friends Zhone and Maize in LA and it was such a silly fun day.
This song starts with a great synth line. Are you a big vintage synth person?
I love a huge synth sound. It’s a girli staple!
I can picture this pumping out of car windows on a summer road trip. When you make a track, do you think about how people might experience it?
I always think about where I’m going to listen to it first, because I always listen to my demos for months before the songs come out. I think “this will be great blasting in the car” or “this will be great for a main character moment looking out the window of the train.”
The song is a preview of your upcoming album. How did recording this one compare to your debut?
This album was 100 percent my direction and my choices. In many ways, I feel like it’s my first album, because Odd One Out was a record that had so many other opinions and voices influencing it, mostly those of men at my label or management. This album feels so much more authentic, and my sense of self way stronger.
Where did the title Matriarchy come from?
Matriarchy is a utopia where anyone who’s fucked over by the patriarchy and the backwards society that we exist in can take a fucking break. That includes women, LGBTQ+ people, people of color, neurodivergent folks, anyone who feels like an outsider and that the world as it stands isn’t built for them to thrive. I want my shows and music to be a safe space for them!
What’s your favorite place to skate?
In London, Hop Kingdom. In the rest of the world, Barcelona is incredible for skating.
How would you describe the skate scene in London?
It’s changed and grown so much since I first started skating. It’s become a lot more inclusive and welcoming to women and LGBTQ+ people, and there’s an amazing community of skaters that I’m a part of. However, there’s still a deep rooted issue of misogyny and gatekeeping culture leftover from decades of bullshit.
What are your plans for after the album drops? Another US tour?
I’ll be setting off on my European and UK tour in the summer, and then I’m deffo coming back to the US in 2024. Keep your eyes peeled!
girli – Crush Me Up (Official Visualiser) | Matriarchy 2024