Meet The Ethereal Neo-Soul Artist… Gabrielle Current

Backed by mystery and fueled by passion, emerging talent Gabrielle Current is an artist that’s ready to make her mark in the industry. The LA-based singer first got her start in music at the age of five while attending a performing arts school. Throughout her childhood, the songstress honed her craft by participating in classical vocal training and immersive piano lessons. Alongside her formal music lessons, Gabrielle surrounded herself with an array of genres like R&B, Disco and Pop which diversified her taste and influences.

In 2016, the singer-songwriter took the next step in her journey by releasing her own music to the world. Since dropping her debut track ‘Evermore’, the singers’ talent has been noticed by some of the industry’s biggest names like FINNEAS, Kaskade, The Ready Set and more. 2021 is proving to be another transformative year for the multi-faceted artist with the release of her latest EP Virgo.

The five-track project is a captivating and soulful experience that fans of the R&B genre will thrive off of. Filled with empowering tracks and a message of rebirth and growth, Virgo is a shining example of Gabrielle’s skills as an emotive and relatable songwriter. With Virgo officially making the rounds and her fan base growing each day, Gabrielle Current is an artist you don’t want to miss out on. We were able to chat with the songstress about her new project, upcoming releases, music influences and more. Read the full interview below.

Heya Gabrielle! How are you doing?

I’m great! Thanks for asking!

Summer is right around the corner, any exciting plans?

I’m planning a couple of short trips that I’m really excited about. I’m also looking forward to writing and exploring new sounds with more collaborators this summer.

Alright let’s bring it back to your music origins. What type of music did you listen to growing up?

I listened to just about everything growing up. My mom would always play disco, R&B, and pop in the house; and my dad loved alternative and rock. I personally loved 90’s R&B the most and have always felt the most inspired by the way it made me feel.

When it comes to your love for R&B, which artist was the catalyst for you to dive further into the genre?

So many artists from the 90’s have inspired my sound, but when I first heard Raveena, Tom Misch, and Jordan Rakei a handful of years ago, their sound definitely inspired me to take my love for R&B and jazz and make it my own too. I wasn’t hearing a lot of modern R&B that still felt classic at the time, and I fell in love when I heard their collections.

Do you remember the moment you decided you wanted to pursue a career in the industry?

My parents introduced me to music and live performances at a young age. I was heavily inspired by the atmosphere these artists would create through the emotion in their voice, the lighting, outfits, stage design, etc. I knew that I wanted to create similar spaces for others through live music when I was older. I started writing songs of my own right after school and dove straight into sessions, keeping myself open to any genre that came my way- EDM, pop, and then eventually found the collaborators to help bring my own sound to life.

How would you personally describe your sound?

I would describe it as a blend of R&B, jazz, and pop. I’ve always been influenced by several genres, so it’s difficult to focus on just one. It’s really just a blend of everything I love.

We have to talk about your stellar songwriting skills. Do you have any rituals or steps when it comes to creating new tracks?

Thank you so much! The writing process comes in various ways for me. Sometimes I feel the most inspired at home by myself with a piano, or other times I feel like I need to be in a room with the producer. The work I’m most proud of always started in an intimate setting though. I’ll usually sit down with my co-writer and start with just piano and guitar to craft the bones of the song before producing it. I find the easiest songs to write are when I’m feeling connected to the story, so that’s why I love writing about personal experiences. I’ll start by journaling all my feelings around the topic and choose words and phrases that I think would work well in the song and go from there.

You just dropped your magical EP Virgo!  What themes or topics did you want to explore with this project?

I am so relieved and excited that it’s finally out! It really has been a long time coming. In Virgo, I talk a lot about love, loss, and self-discovery. I was noticing patterns in my relationships at the time and wanted to document that point in my life. Writing feels extremely therapeutic for me, so after experiencing each situation, I felt the need to make a song out of it. The overall theme is being able to find yourself through the losses of things that weren’t meant for you. It wasn’t until all the songs were written that I was able to look back and realize what I had accomplished emotionally.

Out of the five songs, which was the most therapeutic to make?

‘Plenty’ was the most therapeutic song to create. I was fresh off the experience and immediately called my friend Barkley, who co-wrote the song with me. As I was telling her about the experience, we wrote down key phrases I was saying and somehow found a way to use them as lyrics. I always feel this sense of release and freedom when I’m writing about something I feel so connected to. So, although I’m singing about something that was troubling me at the time, the instrumental that my producer and I were creating felt hopeful and fun, showing me that there’s good that comes out of the experience and growth if you allow yourself to see it.

With your new EP making the rounds, what else can fans expect from Gabrielle Current?

I can’t wait to bring these songs to life through live performances, so I hope to be doing a couple shows this summer whether that’s through a screen or in person. I’m also looking forward to creating a new round of CURRENT merch. Incorporating other outlets in relation to the music, like design, has always been fun for me. So in the meantime, you can connect with me on IG to stay up to date on everything coming soon. 

Make sure to listen to Gabrielle Current’s sensational EP release, Virgo!