After bursting onto the scene in 2017 with their unbelievably cool and catchy single Acidic, Imbi The Girl has since kept the ball rolling, dropping a couple more incredible tracks to meet our now-needed Imbi fix.
The latest effort comes in the form of Swell, a moving, emotive new single produced by Melbourne mainstay Hamley that proves that we have barely scratched the surface when it comes to Imbi and their music.
We were lucky enough to have a quick chat with the budding superstar on their songwriting process, artist development, what to expect in 2018 and more. Read below.
OTC: You don’t really sound like anyone else in music, where do you think your unique style comes from?
Imbi: I think my unique style comes from consciously and actively staying true to myself. I’m really passionate about maintaining authenticity and my true style in my music. I actively disregard what’s expected from a rapper or someone associated with hip hop because it’s incredibly important to me that I never find myself confined to one genre.
All of your music seems to make the listener feel something. Is that a conscious decision you have when you make music?
It’s definitely a very conscious decision. I am all about observing and nurturing your feelings, whether they’re pleasant or not, you feel things for a reason. If I can help people’s awareness of their feelings and help them work through said feelings, I mean, that’s everything to me. I never try to dictate what feelings my songs will conjure up in a listener but I’m always hoping that something will arise.
That unique style is as prevalent as ever on ‘Swell,’ how did that song come to life? I heard you wrote it separately to the beat?
Yeah, I wrote Swell a while ago when I found myself alone in my room overwhelmed by this pressure in my chest. I can’t quite put my finger on what the feeling was specifically, but through taking myself down to the beach and writing swell I found a moment’s refuge from that pressure. It came out as more of a poem with a hook than a rap song so to speak, but really developed it’s own melody the more I worked on it.
It’s unbelievable to think that Swell is just your third single to date, can you feel that your songwriting and ear for melodies is improving over time?
Oh lord it’s really so bizarre to think about. I mean, every song I write comes out in its own way. I try and let myself write in whatever form feels necessary in the moment, so i mean, songwriting kind of feels super different every time.
What else can we expect from Imbi The Girl in 2018?
You can expect more love, more good vibes, a national tour with Listen Out, and maybe a lil’ treat from me to you before the year’s done.
YOU CAN FIND SWELL ON OUR FRESH NEW HIP-HOP SPOTIFY PLAYLIST HERE
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Written by Jarrod van der Staay