London-based rising polymath Sølv is making her name for herself across the creative industries. There is a burgeoning DIY edge to the creative, who deals with all artistic matters herself, from conceptualising, writing and producing the music, to designing the artwork and directing/editing the visuals. As well as releasing her own music under the Sølv alias, she has worked on soundtracks with the likes of Dior, Mulberry and more.

Back in June, Sølv guided us into her musical stratosphere with the release of the sprawling and sonically explorative EP, “Somewhere Between Heaven And Drowning”. The project borders sultry R&B and immersive pop, with the artist’s ability to concoct unique sonic and thematic worlds laid bare across the four impressive offerings.

As she continues to perfect her craft and rise within the scene, we connected with Sølv, delving into her creative process, working with brands like Dior, and the thought and feeling behind her impressive new EP.

Listen to the EP…

Read the full interview…

Hey! How are you?
I’m good thank you!

When did you start working on your artistry?
I’ve sung ever since I can remember, It’s all I wanted to do since I was tiny. Growing up, I was constantly writing little songs about everything and anything, I can still remember most of them to this day! I started playing around with music production software during my last year of senior school and continued to teach myself from there. It’s the best decision I ever made because it really put the power into my own hands and gave me the tools to find my own sound.

You are able to create such immersive worlds with your sound. How have you developed this and how would you describe your sound?
Thank you! That’s always what I’m aiming for with my music. Right from the start, I’ve always intuitively wanted to create soundscapes with my songs and give them atmosphere. During the process they almost become like mini movies that I can visualise as well as hear, so it feels more than just something to sing along to – It becomes a space to get lost in. I love to record city soundscapes on my field recorder or phone and weave them into songs too. I’d say my sound is always evolving. Right now I’m in a far more experimental headspace, but I’ve always loved to mix electronic music with pop and give it a dark edge.

Do you have a typical process?
Not really, it’s different each time I sit down to write. Most of the time I’ll start with the production and then the melodies will follow from there, but other times I’ll have lyrics in mind and shape the melodies and music around words. I often find inspiration from visuals, so I love to collect books and magazines to keep in my studio for when I need a little extra inspiration.

I’d love to hear about your recent EP, “Somewhere Between Heaven And Drowning”! When did you start working on this?
I started working on it early last year. The first song I wrote for the EP was “Past Life”. I approached the writing process for that song a little differently to usual – I laid down some piano chords and then the very first thing I sung ended up becoming the chorus melody. It felt so effortless and kind of wrote itself (which is the best feeling when it happens like that). I feel like “Crying on the Freeway” was a game changer for me, I completely let go of any expectations of what I ‘should’ write and just let myself explore and be free.

What were your inspirations behind it?
The EP is all about experiencing extreme highs and lows and searching for a space in the middle. It explores the fluctuating and contrasting emotions in all aspects of my life, from love to dreams and career to my own Gemini duality.

Do you have a track you’re particularly proud of?
I’m really proud of “Gemini”, I feel like I created a whole lil universe in that song. It’s a little experimental and doesn’t have a typical song structure, but I feel like it really takes you on a journey from beginning to end and encapsulates the meaning of “Somewhere Between Heaven And Drowning” as a whole.

You have worked with some incredible brands, such as Dior, Loewe, and Mulberry. Do you have any other dream collaborators?
It’s been so amazing being able to combine my two loves of music and fashion over the past year. There are so many, but I’d love to work with Sandy Liang, Prada, Kiko Kostadinov, Acne Studios, Martine Rose… the list goes on…

Do you have a career highlight?
Working with Nike and Dior, and just knowing that songs I’ve made alone in my room have resonated with people all across the world.

What’s your number one goal moving forward?
To expand on the sound that I’ve started to create in Somewhere Between Heaven And Drowning, I feel like it’s the most authentic my music has ever been and I’m having so much fun letting myself experiment with the new music I’m making right now. I also want to work with more fashion brands (I’d love to soundtrack a runway show!).