In terms of collaborations, “What You’ve Done” by Ferry Townes and Liz Gillies is sonically perfect. The song is gentle throughout, almost like a lullaby as the two take turns melding their smooth, silky vocals into one synchronized harmony. It’s a special song from two dynamic singers in the industry, a submission that feels like just the beginning for these two.
You may recognize Liz Gillies from your television screen growing up. Starring as Jade in the Nickelodeon show, Victorious, or more recently as Fallon Carrington in The CW’s Dynasty, Gillies has become a familiar face for many…and while Victorious gave us a glimpse into her impressive vocal prowess, she deserves a career in the music industry with her own solo work.
Ferry Townes is a rising voice in the indie scene, where she paints colorful tapestries with her voice describing struggles as a woman, love, and more. She’s already had a massive year with releasing her debut album, Side Effects of Happiness, which captured fans’ attention by her raw honesty, witty lyricism, and sheer songwriting capabilities.
With their single, “What You’ve Done,” comes a poignant track that exudes a melancholic sadness and yearning. It’s a no-frills single, where their vocal abilities shine in place of a slew of instruments backing them…and it works perfectly.
It’s an exciting time to be a listener of both artists. For Gillies, this is her first real submission as a solo artist, where her work isn’t tied to another project. For Townes, she continues to solidify herself as a top contender in the indie music world. Both have a solid place in this industry and by joining forces, it shows just how talented they truly are. You can listen to the track here:
Ahead of their single release, Popdust got a chance to ask both Gillies and Townes a few questions about “What You’ve Done.” Check it out below!
PD: Congratulations on “What You’ve Done!” What was the inspiration behind the song?
FT: Thank you! We actually didn’t discuss what the song was going to be about before we started writing it. This song wound up basically writing itself. When it was done, we both ended up with something we loved and related to.
PD: How did you two find each other for this collaboration?
LG: We met through a mutual friend a couple of years ago and we’ve been writing music since then. I think we have a similar approach when it comes to songwriting and a lot of the same musical influences so it’s always been a very organic collaboration. Julia is an extremely talented singer and songwriter.
PD: Liz, this is your first single in a while. How did the process of creating this track differ from your past musical endeavors?
LG: The majority of what I’ve released musically has either been tied to and written for a specific project or they’ve been covers. This is the first original song I’ve released that wasn’t either of those things. I write music all the time and have for the majority of my life but I infamously never put anything out. Julia and I actually wrote this song almost exactly a year ago. One day I just realized there was no reason for this song not to be released. We were still listening to and loving it a year later, so I figured that was a good test. I also felt our collaboration made a lot of sense and I really like our sound. I think production is what ends up giving me cold feet most of the time so I loved that this was just guitar and vocal. It’s just a simple, pretty song with no bells and whistles. A lot of my favorite songs are the same way. I hope people enjoy it.
PD: Ferry, after releasing your debut album this year…what made this collaboration particularly special for you?
FT: I was excited to get to write and share music that was heavily folk influenced. + it’s very cool getting to explore that space with Liz. I feel so connected to the song we ended up with.
PD: What was your favorite memory making “What You’ve Done?”
FT: Listening to the day-of demo we recorded, on repeat. I must’ve listened to that file 20 times a day.
PD: What’s next for the both of you this year?
FT: Really fun stuff.