Gia Woods has taken the LGBTQ+ community by storm in the past four years with her unapologetic tunes and punk-tinged vocals. Claiming this year as her own, the singer released her new tune “Naive” earlier this month, taken from her forthcoming EP “CUT SEASON” – and we can’t get enough.

With crooning electric guitar melodies and crisp percussion, Woods embodies confidence in this sensual and captivating tune. Having released “Hungry” and “Ego” earlier this year, the Persian singer is taking over with her breathy pop vocals and emotional lyrics. We caught up with the emerging singer and talked the Calvin Klein Pride campaign, “CUT SEASON”, and what’s next.

Check out the interview below…

Hey Gia! How’s lockdown been?
What day is it again? Haha. It feels like all the days blur together, especially not having a typical 9-to-5 job. I’ve written a full album worth of songs and I’ve caught up on all of my TV shows and movies. Do you have any Netflix recommendations, because I’m all out!

How has it impacted your creativity?
It actually kind of feels nostalgic to me. Like when I was younger, I didn’t have any friends. I would lock myself in my bedroom with my guitar and write all day long. So now, in some way, I’m lucky to be able to have all this time to do that again.

Congratulations on the new tune “Naive”, what was the inspiration behind the song?
So I was just getting out of a relationship that was really toxic. We had broken up a few times before, but this time I knew it was really over. I remember going to the studio and being emotionally drained. I sort of lost my identity, but writing “Naive” really helped me remember who I was. It actually really lit a spark. It was the first song I wrote for this EP and really set the tone for writing these songs.

Your first single from the EP “Hungry” carries a powerful theme as you discuss trusting your own beliefs, what is the background on this tune?
Honestly, being young and a female in the music industry, everyone seems to have an opinion on what you should do with your career. And while there’s a lot of great advice, there’s also a lot of really terrible advice and bad taste. So this song was about sort of navigating that world. My favourite line is “if you’ve got bad taste, don’t go shoving it down my throat…I’m not hungry, bitch leave me alone.” There are so many people I wish I could have said that too!

What was it like to be featured in Calvin Klein’s Pride collection campaign?
It was actually a full-circle moment for me! Last year, I released a video for my song “New Girlfriend” and when we were writing the music video treatment, we were really inspired by the iconic black and white look of Calvin Klein ads. So it was really crazy to get the call that Calvin Klein wanted me to be a part of their campaign! And I’m so honoured to be included in a group of some really cool trailblazers. Like Tommy Dorfman, Jari Jones and Pabllo Vittar. Did you know that Brazil is the most dangerous place for gay men? And still, Pabllo is thriving as a drag queen, even playing festivals. It’s really amazing to be part of that.

Your music is very personal, how did you learn to feel comfortable in expressing intimate experiences?
I guess it’s pretty natural for me. Like, I don’t know why someone would bother writing songs if they weren’t personal? What does that achieve? For me, I need to get these thoughts out of my head…there’s no other way to write.

Who would you cite as your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration is Madonna. Like, every female pop star owes her their career. She broke the rules for us. I just rewatched her Truth or Dare documentary recently and it’s crazy how it still holds up. And she’s doing all these things that were so controversial at the time, and now, no one would bat an eye if someone did the. She was so sex-positive and such a huge ally to the LGBTQ community before it was cool. I’d love to have that kind of impact someday.

If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be and why?
That’s a tough question. There are a lot of modern artists I love, but honestly? Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day. I’ve always been so obsessed with them. I actually made my mom drive to a few different malls back in the day because I wanted to buy Green Day merch. I don’t know, that would just be so cool. And then we’d have to go to a strip club and do some shots afterwards if he’s game!

What are you most excited for?
Quarantine to end! Like most artists, this has really affected my work. I was supposed to release my EP and go on tour, so now that’s all postponed and we’re waiting until there’s solid information about COVID-19 before we figure out what to do next. It was actually going to be my first real tour too. So yeah, I can’t wait to play a bunch of live shows for rooms full of people and feel that excitement of being on a stage and seeing people singing along.