BEHIND-THE-ALBUM: GIRLPUPPY'S 'SWEETNESS'

Sweetness is out now!

Image: Supplied.

Atlanta-based artist, girlpuppy has unveiled her sophomore album, Sweetness. We caught up with the musician to go behind-the-album and unpack the collection of songs.

Tell us a bit about your musical background and what led you down this path…

I’ve loved music my whole life. My parents were always playing music around the house and my older brother and I would always watch music videos on MTV. I got really into singing when I would play this game Singstar with my brother. I had so many idols growing up like Hannah Montana and Avril Lavigne and I always wanted to be like them. I wrote lyrics to songs here and there in high school, but I never learned an instrument so I never thought I could actually make a song! It wasn’t until 2020 when I was in lockdown with a producer where I could start fully living my fantasy. 

You’ve just released your new album Sweetness. How do you think your artistry has evolved from your debut, When I’m Alone, into what we hear on this new record?

I definitely think I found my own voice here on this record. I love When I’m Alone and I’m so incredibly proud of it- but with Sweetness I had to do so much more myself without any help which makes me even prouder. I also think I got less afraid of pop music on Sweetness. 

The record explores themes of grief and growth, juxtaposing the two to create a raw and personal collection of songs. Could you unpack the themes documented within the album, and the importance to you with documenting them within your music?

Well right before I started writing songs for Sweetness I ended a 4 year long toxic relationship. I had so much to write about! For me, writing is my form of therapy. The more I write these things down and sing them the more I completely disassociate from them and that’s what makes me feel better haha. It’s also nice for me to have little time capsules of how I was feeling at the time of writing the songs. I just want people who may be going through the same things to feel seen with my lyrics. 

Were you ever apprehensive about baring such personal stories and thoughts, or do you find when writing you’re drawn to documenting your emotions in such detail?

Unfortunately I never really feel apprehensive about oversharing in my music! lol. I think one day that will definitely change, as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized I want to keep some things private. But I have fun sharing every little personal detail. I think it paints a better picture and makes the songs feel more real. 

Sonically, Sweetness pairs your intimate and soul-baring vocals with rock-based sounds. How did you craft the sonic realm the album exists within? Compared to your debut, you lean into darker threads that are texturally driven to create a dynamic listening experience.

I owe a lot of it to Holden Fincher, Alex Farrar, and Tom Sinclair! I think all of us really love shoegaze and rock music so it felt pretty easy to lean into those sounds when we were all working together. I also think I came into this album a lot angrier so I wanted to capture that anger with the gritty guitar sounds and heavier drums. 

When writing the album, did you find you had a distinct creative process?

My writing process is a bit different than others since I don’t play an instrument. For all of these songs I started with just writing all the lyrics into a song structure and then singing them into my voice recording app on my phone until I found a melody I liked. I would then show the acapella voice memos to Alex, Tom, or Holden and just build from there. They’re the ones who really built out all of the instrumentals. I would tell them what instruments I wanted and what sounds I could hear in my brain to go along with my lyrics and melodies- I felt like a director in that way. I feel really lucky that they understood me enough (without me having any knowledge of even what chord to tell them to play) to make a finished product. 

Which lyric from the album do you find strikes you the most when listening back to it now?

Hmmm maybe “I was pregnant with the idea of leaving you” from I Think I Did. I just find it funny that I wrote that and put it in the song. It’s even funnier to see out of context. Whenever I sing it on stage I try not to laugh. 

MILKY: Which three songs from Sweetness would you play to someone who has never heard your music to make them an instant fan?

I Just Do!, Windows, and For You Two. 

You’re in the midst of a run of album release shows. How are you bringing Sweetness into a live context going forward?

I’m trying to play the majority of Sweetness at every show from here on out! They’re definitely my favorite songs to play live. With this record I definitely considered playing the songs live a lot more so they’re intentionally more upbeat. 

How important are the live shows to you, not only in terms of showcasing your art, but also making an in-person connection with the people who resonate with your music?

Extremely important! Playing live is my favorite thing to do for this reason. I love meeting people and seeing people react to my music in real time. Anytime anyone says anything to me about how my songs have made them feel it makes all of this so worth it to me. It inspires me to keep making music. I would’ve given up a long time ago if it weren’t for people coming to shows or even just messaging me to tell me what my music has done for them or made them feel. It means everything to me. 

Sweetness is out now!