Taken from the Spring/Summer 2020 issue of Rollacoaster. Pre-order your copy now.

Singer-songwriter renforshort is certainly no stranger to the stage. Having written her first song at 11, and becoming a regular at open mic nights in her hometowns of Toronto, Chicago and Shanghai at 13, music seems as second nature to the singer as breathing. Getting an earlier start than most, renforshort signed a deal with her dream label when she was just 16, and kick started her journey to stardom with the release of debut single “Waves” just last year.

Her sound is a blissful blend of grunge and alternative pop, peppered with delicate and airy touches that many compare to the likes of Billie Eilish and Jorja Smith. Her single, “Mind Games”, was inspired by her love of film, from directors such as Guillermo del Torro and Tim Burton, whose works are always characterised by some sort of dark, eerie twist. Now wrapping up her first tour, we caught up with the singer to recount the craziness of the past year, and see where she’ll be taking things in 2020.

Hey renforshort, how are you?
I’m doing great! Excited to be doing this!

How’s the year shaping up for you so far?
This year has been the craziest year of my life, I’m just now wrapping up my first tour and I’ve just had the best experience ever.

What’s your star sign?
I’m a Taurus but unfortunately I do not believe in astrology.

How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my sound as bubblegum grunge, or very guitar forward alternative pop.

Do you remember writing your first song, how were you feeling?
I remember writing my first ever song when I was 11 or 12 and just thinking ‘I can’t write a love song’. I don’t even know what love is, so I wrote a song like it was a movie because I love film. It was about a girl who just wanted to get out of a town, and I used a lot of imagery. When I listen to it now I cringe a bit, but it was cute and sweet!

When did you realise this is what you could do as a career?
When I discovered that people, that weren’t me and my family, actually liked my music! Eventually then I was fortunate enough to sign a record deal with my dream label and everything started coming together.

Film permeates your work quite a lot, have you got a favourite film and director?
I love film and visuals, [one] of my favourite directors is probably Wes Anderson because I love his precision, symmetry, and style (the pastels and muted tone colours). I also love Greta Gerwig because all her films have just blown me away. Another favourite is Taika Waititi as all his content is so original, and What We Do in the Shadows is one of my favourite movies!

What do you think this decade will bring for you?
I think this decade will bring change for the better hopefully, happiness, and excitement! I think right now we’re off to a good start and hopefully it works up from there!!