ROMY on her solo debut album cemented by the club culture that saved her

ROMY: “My first party was when I was 16. People respected each other. it was intimate and moving.”

– I had a lot of fun wathing your DJ set at Fuji Rock. I felt a very intimate atmosphere. The songs you played such as Sonique’s “It Feels So Good,” Binary Finaly’s “1998,” and Nalin & Kane’s “Beach Ball,” were all club hits from the late 1990s. The xx also covered Kings Of Tomorrow’s “Finally” and Rui Da Silva’s “Touch Me.”

– I was in Ibiza in 1998 when those songs were released, and I’ll never forget the excitement on the dance floor when “1998” and “Beach Ball” were played at the closing party of “Cream Ibiza” at Amnesia. I was happy and surprised to see you playing these songs at Fuji Rock.

ROMY: I wish I could have been at Amnesia in 1998! [laughs]. I love the euphoric trance of the late 1990s and around 2000. Emotional trance gives me energy, and I love watching how the audience are lifting up. I’m drawn to tracks from that era, but I’m not obsessed with that era specifically. If I hear a song I resonate with, then I would play it.

– You weren’t even a teenager at the time. How did you discover these great songs?

ROMY: I listened to the radio a lot growing up. I think I started to understand that songs I feel nostalgic towards must have been on TV or on the radio. There’s a feeling of nostalgia that I get, but I can’t place it. It must have been from the media when I was growing up. It feels nostalgic to me, and I do know that I was too young [laughs]. I have a memory of recording Daft Punk’s ‘Around the World’ on my cassette player, and I kept playing it again and again. I also remember listening to Everything But the Girl’s ‘Missing’ in the car and was like, “what’s this song?”

– Around the year 2000, the club scene was booming, but so was rock music. The Libertines and Razorlight came out in the UK, and The Strokes and The White Stripes from the US. Did you also listen to rock and indie music?

ROMY： I’ve always had an eclectic taste. When I first started falling in love with music and going to gigs myself, I went to rock and indie gigs, which inspired me to play the guitar. At the same time, I’ve always loved dance music. Within The xx, we’ve always been excited to play live instruments but also incorporate electronic sounds and drum machines. It’s nice with this project to explore more the other side. I decided to see what would happen if I put down the guitar and just to challenge myself to explore electronic music more.

– What was your first club experience like?

ROMY: My strongest memory is when I was about 16 and went to a London’s queer club called The Ghetto in Soho. Although I was shy and just stood at the side of the club, being in the space where I felt like I could be myself was amazing. I was listening to the music and observing other people and feeling like representation of other queer people being themselves. I found it really moving and inspiring. The music they were playing was very big, bold pop music, but everyone enjoyed it without irony. I think it’s really important because that’s how I feel about pop music.

“Loveher” the turning point to embarking on her solo career

– From your first solo single, “Lifetime,” to “Lights Out,” “Strong,” and “Enjoy Your Life,” the concrete theme of party life runs through all the songs. Each song reminded me of important messages I received from parties I’ve been to. Could you tell us how you met Fred Again..?

ROMY: I met him after touring The xx’s last album, “I See You.” I was interested in songwriting for other artists as a way to be creative without the pressure of it being for The xx. However, I didn’t think I was going to make a solo project. But I got match made with Fred because he was producing and writing for other artists as well. It was before he released “Actual Life.” We became friends quickly and we had a lot of fun in the studio. We were writing all this music thinking, “who can this be for?”  

Then, we wrote “Loveher,” and I said, “I think this is for me.” interesting. And that kind of unlocked the whole project.

– When I first heard “Loveher,” I thought the song was singing the same thing as Massive Attack’s “Protection,” which Tracey Thorn sang. “Loveher” evloked me a similar feeling when Protection was played at the sunset when I was at Café del Mar in Ibiza.

ROMY: Thank you, I’m very happy to be mentioned in that way. Massive Attack and Tracy Thorn are my heroes. I grew up listening to their music. Of course, I didn’t try to sing like her, but Tracy’s gentle voice is very special. I think “Protection” by Café del Mar is wonderful. I’m honored to be mentioned like that.

– I felt that “Loveher” is about a moment of realization of something very important, but also about the fragility of love. Did you find it difficult to express yourself so honestly?

ROMY: Yes [laughs]. When I wrote the song, I was in the early stages of falling in love and I wanted to capture it, which was challenging. I was trying to forget that people might hear it. I was trying to write it for the person I was singing about and if she liked it, I was happy. But it’s out in the world now, I realized it’s very personal. But I’m happy about that and it feels good to be personal in the music because it feels natural.

– Fred Again.. released a song “Billie,” which is a cover of “Your Loving Arms” by Billy Ray Martin, one of the divas in the 1990s. Why do you think both you and Again.. love the 90s dance music?

ROMY: I love “Billie” too! And the original, of course.

ROMY: When Fred and I started writing for me, I played a lot of the references of early 2000s or late 90s pop dance songs that have amazing choruses you can sing along to as well as dance. Because Fred is a songwriter and a producer, he understands the power of a song you can dance to. Although we both shared a lot of love for the emotional dance music, I don’t know what it is. Both of us were just drawn to that sound.

– I listened to his set at Glastonbury this year on the radio. It was very exciting. What is it like at his parties?

ROMY: Fred’s stage is high-energy and emotional, but there are also gentle moments, and the contrast between the two is great. He is a very gentle person, and I think that part of him is conveyed to the audience.

– Is the audience mostly young?

ROMY： Not really. It depends on the party, but people of all ages enjoy it.

– Parties in the UK seem to have a wide range of audiences from teenagers s to older people. Is it still the case?

ROMY: Yes, of course! Even that extends into festivals as well, I think there is this atmosphere, if you’re all there for the music, you’re welcome. Even in queer clubs, it’s cool seeing all the different types of people there, and that they can all feel safe and at home. I think that’s special to have that and understanding more the power of the club to feel like they can be themselves when they might not be able to be on the street.

It’s okay to be vulnerable

– How was the recording process for this album?

ROMY： It changed as we worked. I used to write lyrics first, and then I would create the melody afterward. That was when I first started writing songs. But now, since doing more sessions about songwriting for other people, I’ve learned the more traditional method, which is writing a melody with some chords and then writing lyrics afterward. 

So, I tried that traditional method for this project, and a lot of the songs started with Fred and me singing together from nothing. I heard him play some chords, and I sang some melodies, and then I took the demo home and wrote the lyrics at home when I could be more honest. Most of the songs were written this way. The song Waitless was written just at home on the acoustic guitar, and I really wanted to challenge myself to take it off the guitar and put it into the sound like the rest of the album.

– What is the difference between solo project and working as The xx?

ROMY: It’s completely different. In terms of songwriting for The xx, meand Oliver work together and share songs as a way for us to experience the feelings. Sometimes it can be very abstract, while this solo project, I’ve enjoyed being more direct and just writing very specifically about a person and the time and my own experience.

– “Strong” tells us to be yourself, accept yourself, and release Yourself. How did you come to deliver this message through this song?

ROMY: I think I’m interested in sharing an emotional or thoughtful message in dance music. I’m really drawn to songs that have depth. But you can still dance to it. You don’t realize the lyrics, and then you listen to the lyrics and you’re like, “wait.” I like that contradiction. And in a way, the song and the music were written at the same time. And so it felt like the euphoric music might have helped me be in a safe place to write a more deep message. 

ROMY: And that becomes just a wider spread message that it’s okay to be more vulnerable. It’s a message I’m writing about to myself as a reminder and to other younger people.

– What about “Enjoy Your Life”? It reminded me of Pete Heller’s “Big Love” and Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You.” During the pandemic, I danced to this song at home instead of going out. Do you sometimes party at home with friends instead of night out?

ROMY: That’s so nice. I was definitely inspired by “Music Sounds Better With You.” or other French house and sample-based songs. It was my reference for that song for sure. 

During the lockdown, I realized how much I missed dancing and clubbing. I was in the kitchen with my wife dancing. It made me appreciate the power of dancing and clubbing. I love going out with my friends becuase it’s such a nice way to connect. Also, it can be a way to talk about your feelings because sometimes on a night out, not just because you have some drinks, but the conversations you have outside the club or on the dance floor can be intimate and more open than just having a coffee. That’s something I love as well.

ROMY: I wanted “Enjoy Your Life” to have that French House feel you mentioned, like Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You” or Mojo’s “Lady”.

– I used to dance at home with my wife every time your new song was released and guessed references [laughs].

ROMY: Cool! That’s how I want my music to be received [laughs].