Following a year here on exchange  in 2012, Ange decided to move to Sydney in 2015 and hasn’t looked back.

Since then she’s gone from strength to strength, honing her neo-soul and pop infused r&b sound. Out today, ‘Like I’m Crazy’ is an easy-on-the-ears, self-empowerment anthem. It’s beautifully arranged with vocals that draw you in from the get-go before unravelling into a narrative that celebrates resilience and self-love in response to the breakdown of an unhealthy relationship.

Listen to the brand new track below and keep on scrolling for our full chat with Ange.

Your new single ‘Like I’m Crazy’ is out today. Who is it for and what does it mean to you?

‘Like I’m Crazy’ is a love story of dependency that isn’t healthy. It was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my best friends about the early struggles of dating someone. Sometimes we play it cool for the fear of being rejected and get caught up in a circle that doesn’t serve us. The song is a fuck you to self-doubt and it’s for whoever is struggling to feel confident. I want to encourage people to feel incredible about themselves, speak their truth and embrace their boldest side.

Similarly to your last release, ‘Cuanda Va A Acabar’, there’s layers to the narrative. Is that storytelling ability something that comes quite naturally to you?

Yes, I guess I haven’t consciously decided so but I find that most of the times my lyrics talk about things I have experienced. Music is my way of communicating all those thoughts and stories I have lived somehow and what I have learned from them.

A lot is based on personal experiences but at the same time anything around me can easily become inspiration for a song. Sometimes it can be about something a friend is going through or an emotion I remember feeling. I like to be very free with my creative process, so I usually allow the ideas to appear rather than making a rational decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnXlw_ov7do

You tell those stories in a fusion of pop, neo-soul and R&B. What kinds of music did you grow up around and what’s in heavy rotation at the moment?

I grew up listening to a lot of different music Rock, Spanish pop, 90’s R&B… My dad used to play records every Sunday while we’d clean the house. He’d play Dire Straits – he is a massive fan – but also lots of Soul and Funk music. Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder and Santana were on often. Later on, I got into R&B and fell in love with Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Destiny’s Child and more contemporary artists. In the past month, I’ve been listening to Jorja Smith, Rosalía, ZĀN, CXLOE … all incredible artists and so inspiring.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

This is the hardest question! It would be incredible to collaborate with Kaytranada. Closer to Aus, working with Kimbra would be a dream. Both have such a unique sound.

You came to Australia first on exchange in 2012 and then moved out here in 2015. What inspired that decision?

After my year studying in Sydney I had to move back to Spain due to my visa ending and when I got back home I didn’t settle well. In Australia, I felt at home, made friends, sang in a band. I feel like part of me wasn’t ready to leave. A year or so later, I moved back to Sydney. It’s interesting how much living abroad changes you. It gives you this crazy energy and drive to make things happen. Back in Australia, I didn‘t know any producers, so I started learning Ableton and writing my own demos. I had written songs for a while but not having that network made me push myself and I realised I really wanted to take my music seriously.

How does the music scene here stack up to what’s going on in Barcelona right now?

I have to say Australia has an incredible supportive network for emerging artists, compared to Barcelona. It’s not an easy industry anywhere but I feel like there are some great initiatives and organisations here educating and creating opportunities for artists. Barcelona however, is a great creative hub, hosts some of the biggest European music festivals and has so much vibrancy and culture. Both Sydney and Barcelona have fantastic local artists and their own vibe and talent. I really love the scene in both cities.

And you’ve obviously got a fan base here and in Spain, but you’re also well supported in Sweden and Italy. Are you conscious of including them in your journey as an artist?

I’m so grateful for everyone that is following my music journey all over the world. For sure, I would love to tour both Australia and Europe as well as collaborate with producers in different countries, so that’s on my wish list! It’s very enriching to travel and exchange ideas with different types of people, so I definitely want to do that more. Living in Australia has helped me connect better with my culture and at the same time awaken more interest in people’s background and stories.

What’s coming for the rest of 2019?

I’m very excited about 2019! I want to release more music this year and do more shows. I have a single launch party coming up in Sydney on June 22nd at the Down Under Space at Freda’s! I’ll also be doing some shows in Spain in August and back in Australia in September and I’m hoping to start recording new music then.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you tell them?

If I could speak to my younger self I’d say: “Go for it.” In this industry it’s easy to get discouraged, told that it’s too hard or that you’re too old… do not listen, trust your gut and keep going. Failing is also part of the journey and necessary. Like Will Smith said, “Fail early, fail often, fail forward”.