Interview: NYC Indie Pop Singer Giselle Discusses Her Latest Video "Child Idols"

Our next exclusive interview is with NYC indie pop singer Giselle, who may be most notable for singing the 2015 viral hit “diarreah song” featured on FX, which collectively garnered nearly 500,000 views on YouTube. We connected with Giselle to find out more about her work of art visual "Child Idols", as well as her latest mixtape "not ready to grow up" and much more.

After reading our Q&A with Giselle, be sure to stream "not ready to grow up" and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on all things "Giselle".

Your video "Child Idols" could be an art installation at Art Basel; it's a true work of art. How did you develop the treatment for this video and what do the dancers and their choreography represent?

Thank you so much. I am proud of what our team accomplished, especially so quickly. This was Pat Christodulidis’ directorial debut. I discussed with her some elements I pictured in the video. That same day I received a call from Pat to come back to her house. She and her husband proceeded to act out the entire video from beginning to end. She came up with this amazing concept while incorporating everything I wanted. She just got it and I am grateful she agreed to take this project on.

The dancers represent society’s ideals of perfection. They are released into the world to influence and pull you in. The actors in the video represent people in our society. I’ll leave it up to interpretation what I represent, but I love the twist at the end. Not everything is what it appears to be. 

Tell us about your viral hit “diarrhea song” from 2015 which was featured on FX. How did the song end up there and were you surprised by the overwhelming response to it? 

Originally, I was hired to write & perform operatically with the band SweetPro (they wrote and performed the music for the show since season one). At some point during the session, I was asked if I could do other genres. Louis C.K. wrote the lyrics, which we listened to from a voice memo off his phone. The band and I took that and created “Please Shit on My Dreams” a.k.a. the diarrhea song. The song ended up being this odd and beautiful tune. If you close your eyes and pretend the words have a different meanings, it really is a beautiful song. 

Describe your creative process for your latest mixtape "not ready to grow up". 

Adam Tilzer and I worked together on this entire mixtape wanting to have a cohesive sound and mood. I am very comfortable working with him because he knows exactly what I'm looking for. We are lucky to have incredible friends that came on to play and sing. You can see everyone that worked on it if you look at the info on YouTube. 

It all started with "Child Idols." We had to get something laid down so that the dancers would have music to dance to. This was the first time we shot videos before the music was even close to being finished. Each time I write is different, but for the most part I write in chunks. I can’t tell you how many verses were finished on the Staten Island ferry on the way to see Adam. 

Concept wise, what does the mixtape mean to you and what do you want the listener to take away from the experience of listening to it?

It was not until it was finished that I realized what it was about. Writing these songs forced me to explore my insecurities. I have a lot to work on as a human. I was opening up about aspects of my life that I don't usually share. I definitely don't think I'm the only one who feels the insecurities of failing, disappointing, and having to face responsibilities.

I want people to listen and feel something. Even if they don't care for it, I hope they feel its sincerity. I don't think it's a particularly uplifting album except for "I woke up," which isn't even written about my experience. However, I think it’s good to sit down and feel shit. Deal with your insides. 

What will you miss the most about 2017 and what do you look forward to the most in the new year?

That's a tough question. 2017 definitely proved to me that my team and I can create some amazing things under crazy conditions. It brought me closer to everyone on our team. They lifted me up when I had my doubts. 

I look forward to making more music and continuing working with the amazing musicians and artists that have been there for me. 

Stream "not ready to grow up" on Soundcloud

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