We catch up with Shiv to chat about her upcoming album, performing for Lana Del Rey, and the power of collaboration.
DJ turned singer-songwriter and producer Shiv is a Zimbabwe-born and Dublin-raised talent making moves in the Irish music space through collaboration and a constant quest towards creative growth.
From unconventional beginnings in the industry to career highlights like supporting Lana Del Rey in the 3Arena, Shiv is gearing up to release her upcoming album the defiance of a sadgirl this September.
We caught up with the artist of the moment to discuss sonic inspirations, listening to your intuition and up-and-coming artists we should all have on our radar.
Your music career started a little unconventionally with a maid of honour speech-turned-song uploaded to YouTube — Tell us a little bit about how this took shape and helped you grow so much over the past ten years.
It was definitely a push in a direction that I don’t think I would have had the confidence to go in myself if not. I have always been a singer, but performing is something that I’ve found I’ve very much had to grow into. It was one of those situations where one thing led to another, I uploaded the video, the managers I started out with spotted it and began to support me, and after releasing my first few singles, support on Spotify started coming through. At a certain point, I began earning an income from streaming, and that was really what helped me transition into becoming a full-time artist.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Hands down performing for Lana Del Rey in the 3Arena! I don’t even have to think about it. It’s still something I can’t actually believe that I did. I’m really enjoying this phase of collaboration that I’m in at the moment too, although that’s less a moment and more of a time period!
Was being a musician always something you aspired to?
It always called to me, but I didn’t see a clear and accessible path. Luckily (and maybe unluckily in some ways) we are in an age where because of social media and the internet, musicians can conceivably make a career out of music without engaging with the old model of the music industry (only possible by being signed to a label).
Who are some of your big sonic inspirations?
Frank Ocean, Erykah Badu, Dijon, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lianne La Havas, and Jorja Smith to name a few!
You’ve worked with Nealo, Bricknasty, and now Kojaque and Gaptoof and even your mother features on your new song. What role does collaboration play in your creative process?
I’m really starting to become more comfortable with collaboration, but I think to collaborate in the best way (so neither artist gets lost in the creative process), I think you really need to get to a place where you have confidence in your own taste and decisions.
I do believe collaboration is a very good pathway to growth and an excellent way to learn things that you might not naturally expose yourself to. As much as it’s great to do things solo, and establish yourself in that respect, there’s something special about having many hands touch a piece of work!
As a self-managed artist, what are your thoughts on the Irish music scene?
It’s definitely a very exciting time to be an artist in Ireland. It feels like something special is happening at the moment, and we are all part of a burgeoning creative scene that feels like it will end with Ireland being a dominant international force – even with respect to cinema and visual art.
The only unfortunate thing is that it’s difficult at the moment to be part of a creative infrastructure that is still in its infancy, meaning that artists have the dual responsibility of growing their own individual act, and also building the scene too – i.e putting on our own events etc. With the lack of cultural spaces and few paths to building connections with other creatives, it can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, but I think it’s a battle worth fighting for!
What is the main piece of advice you would give an up-and-comer in the industry?
I would say don’t be afraid of stepping out and doing it on your own, YouTube is your best friend when it comes to learning about everything music related, from production to recording to marketing and everything in between.
I would also try and advise people not to take it so seriously too. It can sometimes feel like the be all and end all, but at the end of the day, no one is going to die if you don’t have the most perfect social media presence or if the snare in your mix pokes out a bit too much!
Trust your journey and process, accept where you’re at, and just do your best. Growth is sure to follow!
Tell us about your upcoming album, the defiance of a sadgirl, set for release this September. Does it symbolise the move in a new direction? What was the writing experience like? What do you hope it instils in the listener?
It was a cathartic experience to write the album, as I had just been through a tremendous amount of change in a short period – having broken up with my boyfriend, moved country, and separated from my label and management, all while my mum was in hospital. Coming off the back of those experiences, I had so much to say and so many feelings to process!
It’s in part a break-up album, (three break-ups!) and an exploration into the journey of life, its constant ups and downs, and the sense that even when we feel like we’ve ‘arrived’ at a point of balance, some curveball will come back around and the cycle of growth and healing begins again. I wanted the album to feel like a slice of time, and not to have the huge pressure of it being a big ‘debut album’, but rather a collection of songs that mark a period of my life. I hope listeners can relate as I describe the universal experience of existence and the ups and downs of life.
I read online that the writing and production of the 15 tracks on this album taught you to back yourself as a producer, as well as a singer-songwriter.
I think very often I doubt myself as a producer because, in reality, I’m not technically that skilled, but I think a lot of being a producer is just trusting your taste, and being able to listen to your intuition. I’ve always been an avid music listener, so I know what I like, and very often when I produce, I will pick elements from other music I’ve heard and try and emulate them to create something that feels new and is reflective of my individual taste.
I think especially when I went into the studio with Bricknasty, who acted as instrumentalists on the project, I had to be decisive and not get intimidated by the fact that they are far more technically skilled than me as musicians, and continuously remind myself that the choices I was making were my own and that was enough. They didn’t have to be the most complex decisions or the most musical, they just had to feel like me and had to align with the sound I was trying to create.
It’s difficult sometimes when your skill level doesn’t necessarily match up with what you want to make as an artist, but I believe that’s part of the journey and process, and you have to remain grounded in integrity and trust that you will eventually get to where you need to go with practice and perseverance.
What’s your favourite lyric from a song that you love?
I love the line from Frank Ocean’s ‘White Ferrari’ — “I bet we’re taller in other dimensions / You say we’re smaller and not worth the mention” – the lyrics combined with the melody do something to me internally, and I just love how it says so much about the relationship between the writer and the person they’re speaking to without being blatant about it.
Who are three up-and-coming acts we should have on our radar, Irish or otherwise?
I’m not sure if they’re up-and-coming, but I love a UK artist called tendai, I love what Curtisy is doing at the moment, and Decarteret is such a talented singer and songwriter! Also, Melina Malone is truly the woman with the best voice/vocal skill in Ireland.
Finally, what is it about making music that sets your soul on fire?
It’s funny, I was thinking about the fact that everyone who’s involved in music is in it for the love and the passion, that’s the uniting factor. I know that sounds so obvious, but sometimes there’s so much other noise involved with being in the music industry that the love and passion gets lost. We’re caught up with the social media or the opportunities or the gigs, but, really and truly, music is a modality of healing, a pathway to joy, a language that we can understand universally. I love that it has the power to connect people who may not otherwise find their way to each other.
Stream Shiv’s latest release, ‘cherry pie’ on Spotify now.
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