My Music Episode 298 - KOHLA

It's all KOHLA The seven track LP is the highly-anticipated album from this talented artist who has already forged a strong fan base thanks to previous singles One and Only premiered by Wonderland Magazine, Sweetest Love, which was awarded Single of the Week on BBC Radio Scotland, and Bedroom which was hailed as ‘an answer to pop misogyny’ by The Herald Newspaper. Kohla is the project of Rachel Alice Johnson, a singer-songwriter and musician with a classical background. An interdisciplinary Scottish artist, she is a singer, songwriter, producer, fine artist, dancer, poet and a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art. She is also the founder of Popgirlz Scotland, a support group for women in music, and lectures about feminism at international universities. A self-taught producer, working primarily in orchestral programming on Ableton software in her home studio (statistics show that only 2.9% of producers are female). She has recently been selected by Help Musicians to undertake production and mixing training with professional female Ableton trainer Anna Lakatos. Speaking about the new album, Kohla said: “I’ve always felt incredibly fascinated by the concept of romantic love; how cinematic and luxurious it feels to be adored by another human being. How rare it is. And how devastating it can feel to lose. “I wrote ‘Romance’ whilst enduring a summer of filmic heartbreak. In desperate need of an emotional release, I turned to my piano for comfort. I wrote personally and vulnerably, for what felt like the very first time. Within eight weeks, ‘Romance’ had written itself. “In hindsight, ‘Romance’ feels very much to me like a ‘coming-of-age’ album. From a female perspective, I realised I had grown up with a blissful naive idea of romance, whether formed through Disney or education. I felt impassioned to detach from this oppressive ideology, where women require a sub-standard partner to provide safety or validation. It feels emotional to let go of the little girl who wanted to believe in so much. But it’s left me with a valuable perspective - the love I found for myself is worth so much more.” As a clarinettist she performed in school orchestras and competed in national competitions, while at home, her father would play Classic FM, subtly exposing her to masterpieces by Beethoven, Mozart and Debussy. Alongside these formative influences, Kohla draws inspiration from legendary 60s artists such as Sam Cooke and Etta James, and her cinematic production nods to the likes of Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey and FKA Twigs. ‘Romance’ is co-produced by Kohla’s creative partner Dave Lloyd, of the Edinburgh band Stillhound, and her sonic stories are coloured through a blend of digital and analogue, a vivid illustration of her sepia-tinged memories. Written during a summer that Kohla describes as a period of “filmic heartbreak”, ‘Romance’ is the sound of emotional release and vulnerability. During the album’s creation, she took inspiration from a range of sources, including daily hikes, meditation, painting and reading, the legendary soul and jazz of Etta James, Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole, Jackie Kay’s poetry and Sofia Coppola’s motion pictures. ‘Romance’ marks the culmination of a rich and deeply creative and heartfelt chapter in Kohla’s creative journey and musical career, and is an assured and alluring debut album from this exceptional artist. #KOHLA #Music #Popgirlz