My name is VEDA BLACK, I am a queer black musician and producer making music in my flat in South London. I am all about vulnerability and honesty and this can be heard throughout my brand new EP titled Sad Girls Club and my previous releases.
With most of the tracks on the EP and how I create in general, I start the process by jamming a basic structure and chord progression on my guitar and then I sit down at the computer to produce the track and really bring it to life.
I had a lot of fun with this and for the first time really allowed myself to let my guard down as an artist to mirror the themes of the EP.
There were no limitations or nothing that was too out of the question for me in terms of managing the creative process. For me this was most obvious in the lyrics as there was a lot that I needed to say to myself, and so it required me to be extremely honest with myself.
I didn’t want anything to be lost in translation. As usual, arranging backing vocals and harmonies is always my favourite part, but this time I also fell in love with synths.
The project was inspired by the urgency to express the mental and physical journey I had been on over the past few years and about cementing and feeling confident about my identity. It speaks heavily about connecting with others and relationships in all forms from platonic to romantic.
It then became much more than that as it was the first time I had taken the decision to fully produce my music. The project is a homage to all the other sad folks who are able to take comfort in knowing that it really is okay to not be okay and that we are allowed to sit with those uncomfortable feelings.
For me, although I may have always struggled with my mental health for various reasons, I have put massive pressure on myself to always be the funny friend and I have struggled to express vulnerability. This project essentially set me free from those constraints and I hope it can provide the same support to listeners.
The project was a very impromptu decision. I started to fall back in love again with wanting to release music after a bit of a break. After the reception of “Call It Love“, I decided to throw together several new tunes that I felt inspired to write at the beginning of the year.
My confidence was restored and I decided it was time to stop being so precious and attached to my music. “Serious” and “Sad Girls Club“, the title track, were both written towards the end of last year and I felt they complimented the other songs perfectly.
Recording and producing the tracks from my home felt the most natural to me as this is the space that I am most comfortable in. In turn I thank my neighbours for putting up with countless vocal and guitar takes…
I honestly really enjoyed writing, producing and playing guitar on all five tracks on the EP. However, “Several Coffees Later” was a very fun track to make. I am obsessed with the deep sea and outer space and so I wanted the arrangement to reflect that.
In my mind, the synths and the bass, played by the fabulous Chewbeats, when meshed together make me feel like I’m floating through the Milky Way. I really pushed myself to be a little more confident as a guitarist on this track and of course my favourite part is always to layer backing vocals as much as possible – because you can never have enough!
As for what is next for me following the release of Sad Girls Club, I’m going with the flow really, which is something I can afford to do as an independent artist who is not managed or signed and is really doing everything on my own.
Releasing this project has definitely been my proudest moment. It has given me the confidence to keep doing so and to remain authentic. I definitely have a lot more in the vaults that I would like to release and intend to do so, so if you liked Sad Girls Club, definitely keep your eyes peeled.
Listen to my Sad Girls Club EP below!
