FARRAH FAWX INTERVIEW: Virginia-born, LA-based artist is a dynamic force, effortlessly blending rap, house, and pop. With her new project ‘But Did You Die’ due on May 16th, it’s time to get familiar…
What five words define your sound?
Maximalist. Futuristic. Affirming. Culture-Clash. Unapologetic.
Tell me something unique about your creative process?
My creative process has evolved a lot since I first started making music, it’s mostly simplified now. I always go with my first idea when writing or I move on. As a chronic overthinker and Libra (laughs), this helps me avoid trying to force or calculate what isn’t there. Sometimes days later, an unfinished idea I abandoned gets stuck in my head, and that’s my sign to revisit it. Another thing is, I don’t write to beats; I prefer to be in the room when the production is happening. I usually lay down melodies before the drums and help shape the drums around my vocal. Lately, I’ve noticed I no longer create in rooms alone. I think this shift is because I’m not making music just for myself anymore. Having the ability to feel and see someone else’s energetic response in real time is an important part of my process. I’m an extreme empath in this way.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
Oooh, this is a tough one, especially with all the music I’ve been releasing lately. I believe it all represents where I’m headed as an artist. But I’d say ‘Hi My Name Is’ is a great introduction.
What inspired you to make that song?
I started working on ‘Hi My Name Is’ the day after landing back in LA from London. I was at my producer Stari’s house going through ideas. This was the day after Notting Hill Carnival and that energy was still heavy on me. Coming from Virginia, experiencing London’s Carnival completely reshaped my understanding of music and the intersections of culture. This song became a merging of worlds for me – I wanted everything I identify with to coexist in this wild, in-your-face way. Around the same time, I was working with Spanish artist Carly Gibert on her project. I played her the demo in the car, and she was instantly game. ‘Hi My Name Is’ is this melting pot – Jungle meets Trap, my Southern flow, a Spanish artist jumping in, and the beat switching every eight bars with no hook. On paper, it shouldn’t work but at the same time, it just feels right. It challenges everything.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
There’s one song I really hope sees the light of day that I created with a good friend of mine, Miraa May, an insanely talented artist and writer from the UK. It was the first time I’ve been able to talk about my ex and first love, who took his own life 10 years ago, and reflect on the impact he had on me in all the best ways. For years I struggled to find the words or write anything that did justice to what he means to me. But working with Miraa, someone I’m close to, in a home studio that felt more personal than a big, sterile studio, created the perfect circumstances for me to feel safe enough to cry and reflect. It turned into this beautiful record that I love.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of great moments on stage, and honestly, I can’t think of a bad one. One moment that stands out was in San Francisco recently, recording with artist/DJ Aluna and her label, Noir Fever. We’d been in the studio all day before her headlining show at 1015 Folsom, and I played a new track I’d just finished for my project. Aluna heard it and immediately said, ‘You’re coming out to perform this tonight.’ The energy at the show was so fun and intense. Being on stage with Aluna, in a packed room full of people who came to dance, made it an insane experience. Seeing the new music received exactly how I intended was really fire.
What is your favourite song to perform?
My favourite song to perform is a toss-up between ‘Dollar Bamboos’ from my last project and ‘Slippery’, which is actually my next single but I’ve been teasing it in my live sets for the past year. ‘Dollar Bamboos’ is really high energy – I flip the ending to do a call-and-response type beat at the end where the audience gets involved and it’s fun to experience. While ‘Slippery’ is my cute cunt moment where I get to lose myself and feel sexy on stage and tell everyone to touch themselves.
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
Brandy made me want to make music. Dipset’s ‘Diplomatic Immunity II’ album made me want to rap. Specifically the song ‘Get from Round Me’ that Jha Jha had on there.
What’s the meaning behind your name?
There was an actress in the original Charlie’s Angel film, Farrah Fawcett, that was always known for her hair. I had this friend who would call me “Farrah Saucett” because I was constantly changing mine. My hair has always been a canvas for me. I ran with that and added “Fawx” because let’s be real – you can’t name a Black woman with “Fox” in her name who wasn’t badass – Foxy Brown, Vivica A. Fox, Foxy Love, Foxy Cleopatra – every single one of them was untouchable. That’s just the energy I want to give and be a reminder of.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
Probably making music.
What’s success to you?
Success is having the autonomy to fully control your own happiness.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Sometimes, a single encounter can change the course of your life. In 2017 I met a man named Samuel on Skid Row – where he was living, which is a dense homeless area here in Los Angeles. We spoke for hours about the Celestine Prophecy, Rosicrucianism, and other books and spiritual concepts I had never heard of at the time. The next day I ended up buying a one way ticket to Jamaica by myself and backpacking across the island before heading to Europe to do the same for a total of five months – my first time out the country. That experience changed how I saw the world — and it changed how I heard and approached music as well as broadened my goals within music.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
I’m mostly active on Instagram and Tiktok (@FarrahFawx for both) but for the last year, I’ve been building a community outside of social media where I connect more directly with fans and supporters through email. It’s not an automated thing or a formal newsletter. It’s me personally sharing new music, asking for opinions on what should be my next single, getting feedback on video edits or just letting people in on what’s next. I started this to create a deeper connection beyond what social media allows and to give the people who support me a real space to be part of my process. Anyone who wants to join can DM me their email or message me through my website, FarrahFawx.com.
Photo by Ivan Guajardo
