Ushered in by mind-bending synths and warped production, Giora’s “Tell Me” is making a statement that is far from subtle. Drawing on the influences and contorting them into a twisted ode to the genre, the singer-songwriter allows their avant-garde edge to shine bright as we are served up a sonically compelling cut, accompanied by a poignant message on the intricate relationship we all share with time.

And while captivating in tone, the rising talent has looked to push the boundaries of their artistry to the absolute limit, as fans are treated to a music video that accompanies the latest release. “I’d been exploring visuals for a while where I place my body in the role of female mythological characters who have been demonised” the artist explains. “Eve, Delilah, Pandora, sphinx, sirens…the list goes on. You don’t see many female monsters, but Medusa is probably the most iconic figure we have that comes close. In Greek mythology, Medusa was raped by Poseidon but she was blamed and cursed with petrifying anyone who looked at her. Which must have been quite lonely – it’s just one example of a very well known myth that influences the culture, where the female character is demonised and cast aside because of something that a male character did. To add to that, in many languages Medusa actually means jellyfish, inextricably linking the jellyfish we are taught to fear with this representation of femininity. So I used those ideas as references.”

Upon the release of the new single, the budding artist took some time to sit down with Wonderland to discuss how the notion of rebirth is informing their new music, the creative process behind the “Tell Me” music video and what’s next for them. To read our interview with Giora, head below…

Hey Giora! How are you doing today? Where are we speaking to you from?
Hey! I’m doing well thanks! I’m in Athens right now. I’m doing a screening of the “Tell Me” music video tonight with everyone who was involved in making it.

Let’s start at the beginning, what is your earliest memory of music?
Wow, my earliest memories of music must be what I listened to it with my parents. My dad had a bunch of vinyls, ranging from Israeli folk music to Barbra Streisand. I remember my mum would drive me to swimming lessons as a kid and there’d be The Beatles playing on the radio. Us singing along to “Hello, Goodbye!” I did folk dancing and would also be exposed to a lot of prayer at the school I went to, both of which I think influenced my melodic interests. I think the first song I was kind of obsessed with was “Sealed With A Kiss”. I would walk around the house recording myself singing it on my little tape player.

And at what point did you start to consider music as a career choice?
I would probably say it was always a dream but it took me a while to figure out what that would look like for me. I was studying classical piano up until my teens and then joined a band for a couple of years on vocals and keys. For a long time after that I kept writing, composing and performing my songs but it was really when I taught myself to produce and mix electronically that I realised I could craft my own sound and I began to take it seriously as a career choice.

Do you have any particular inspirations/idols? Either in life, music or both?
Recently my main subject of inspiration in life and in music has been rebirth, seen through the lens of femininity and the concept of time. Time is a huge focus for me, its eternal nature is something I’ve chosen to tap into as a source of energy allowing me to explore my past from a place of neutrality and from the perspective of my ideal future state, which brings me right back to what the present moment means for me. And this ties into the constant cycle of death and rebirth, which has a very maternal rooting, like I’m giving birth to myself.

I don’t believe in idols however I do believe in surrounding yourself with people who inspire you and who can provide you with love, guidance or both.

Congratulations on the release of “Tell Me”! What was your mindset like when going into this track?
Thank you! I’m really excited about sharing this new sound. I remember writing the song during the pandemic, I was sitting in my living room and picked up the guitar and started imagining what I wanted to ask and say to my mum that I couldn’t yet verbalise, to connect with her in a new way, to the person I didn’t know, before I was physically born. This then coalesced with the feminine energy within myself and all of a sudden I was speaking to myself as a little girl. I wanted the production to replicate that sense of freedom that I was striving for.

Tell us about the music video! How did you come up with the ideas behind the visuals?
I’d been exploring visuals for a while where I place my body in the role of female mythological characters who have been demonised. Eve, Delilah, Pandora, sphinx, sirens…the list goes on. You don’t see many female monsters, but Medusa is probably the most iconic figure we have that comes close. In Greek mythology, Medusa was raped by Poseidon but she was blamed and cursed with petrifying anyone who looked at her. Which must have been quite lonely – it’s just one example of a very well known myth that influences the culture, where the female character is demonised and cast aside because of something that a male character did. To add to that, in many languages Medusa actually means jellyfish, inextricably linking the jellyfish we are taught to fear with this representation of femininity. So I used those ideas as references.

Making visuals is an opportunity for me to discover myself again. There’s a moment in the “Tell Me” video where I become reborn. I wanted to represent the feeling of being at the beginning of something; de-petrified from something eternal. I wanted to combine my love for the sea and dance with this story I was trying to tell. The end product is beautiful, I’m so proud of everyone who helped make it a reality.

“Tell Me” feels like an incredibly vulnerable and intimate body of work, why do you think you took this direction?
The subject is very personal but I had to lay myself bare and share the beauty of what rebirth means to me. I have deconstructed the past in order to rebuild the truths that I reached for myself as opposed to conforming or accepting existing gospel. And this was a very vulnerable process, which I feel is important to share so that I can move on to the next chapter. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

What has the reception been like so far? Even from friends or family?
So positive and emotional.

What do you hope people can take from it?
To not to be scared of finding their own sense of freedom. And that they want to listen to my music.

So, what’s next for you?
Tell Me is the first track I’m releasing from this new era with more on the way. And I’m excited to perform live…my inbox is open.

What is making you happy right now?
Collaborating gives me so much joy, I get excited when ideas collide. Yakovlev created the dress I’m wearing in the music video and Simon Kounovsky shot and edited the video. I would love to do more music and fashion collaborations.