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If there is one thing I am most grateful for about 2021, is that there has certainly been no shortage of great music, especially from talented emerging artists from across the globe. With that in mind, recently I was introduced to an incredibly cool singer-songwriter from Los Angeles who goes by the name of frogi and her beautiful new single ‘phantom limb’.
As soon as I pressed that play button, oh my days I was hooked as I was captivated about everything she offers through her music, especially the depth and honesty behind the lyrics which makes me feel I am connecting to a new friend who is speaking to my mind. Ever the curious person I am when it comes to finding out someone new, I caught up with frogi herself for a chat as we explored the brand new single and her journey as an emerging artist so far.
A very warm welcome from the UK! How is life treating you in Los Angeles these days?
Hi! Thank you! Life has slowly been getting more and more active over here in LA. Things are open now, people are vaccinated, and life is starting to feel pretty normal again. It’s a transition for sure. I feel like I was just getting used to quarantine life and now I’m seeing more people again. It’s exciting but I’m taking it slow so I don’t have a panic attack, hah.
Huge congratulations on the release of ‘phantom limb’. Having hear it myself, it is just such a breathtaking and beautiful track. Tell us, what was it like to work on that song and the excitement and the positive challenges you experienced throughout the track’s journey?
Thanks so much! That means the world. I worked really hard on this song and made about 15 versions before I decided it was ready for release. So it was a pretty long process. The chorus was always there and never changed. It was mostly the production in the verse and bridge that I changed around a lot. I had a lot of healing happen while writing this song. Going back to my high school self and telling her that so many amazing things will happen after this heartbreak was a really special thing for me to do. I went through a lot in high school and I didn’t really fit in. I wish I could have realized that being popular in high school doesn’t really mean anything in the grand scheme of things. So I guess this was my opportunity to tell that high school girl that this guy she’s so sad about doesn’t define her, and that there’s so many amazing things ahead of her.
When you see the track out there in the world, continuingly blossoming and being embraced how does that make you feel?
It makes me feel really good, but I can never quite relax entirely. I am constantly thinking about the next thing and how I can grow and go deeper in my art. But I do really appreciate the positive feedback and support I’m receiving, and I’m happy that it’s resonating with people. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that people feel something when they listen to my music. And if that happens, I am grateful!
When you think back to 18 months ago, with the release of moonlight and how that was embraced, to where you are now in your growth as an artist, what are some of those fondest memories that come to mind?
I didn’t expect it at all. moonlight was my third release as frogi, and it was very exciting. I have a lot of fond memories, but the best ones would definitely be the rehearsals with my frogi friends. I put together an all female choir for my live shows. We are all in the entertainment industry in some way, and help each other out. We only got to play two shows because of COVID, but hopefully we can start up again soon. We got really close over the months of rehearsals, and I feel really proud of everything they have accomplished as individuals and as a group. It was nice because frogi was always just me and my computer making songs, and I got to expand it into something bigger than myself. It was really life changing to have that kind of support and community and I’m looking forward to getting the girls back together soon.
Having worked on an independent basis for the early stages of your great career, what did that conversation look like when label Apartment 22 came on board to support phantom limb?
After Dylan came out, I had some conversations with a few different indie labels. I wasn’t sure for a while what I wanted to do because yes, I had been working on my own for so long. I had some really good talks with Joe from Apartment 22, and I really like tmrw Magazine’s aesthetic, and it just felt right to me. I definitely want to grow and expand and have people on my team but it’s also extremely important to me that we gel creatively. I also like that I’m their first artist because it gives us both a chance to build a career together. I’ve been really pleased with them so far and I’m looking forward to our future.
When I listen to phantom limb, but also the other great pieces of music you have put out such as waiting (i’m not ok), Dylan or even some of the tracks on the EP ‘introvert’, I don’t just feel I am checking out great music but in fact that I have discovered a new friend who is speaking to my mind. It must feel pretty special for you when other fans too are able to connect with your music in that way too?
Thank you. I’m happy to be your new friend! That’s more than I could hope for and I’m glad that you feel that way. It’s pretty surreal whenever a new fan reaches out to me and says something like that. I still don’t fully believe it. I just try to be as honest and real as possible and hope that other people that have felt weird, left out, heartbroken or less than can feel like part of a little club with me. I know what it’s like to feel like you don’t have a true friend around, and music has been my closest friend in a lot of situations. I always appreciated when artists cut the small talk and just got to the real shit that I was feeling. It was so validating. And my goal is to do that for as many people as I can.
How have you found the process of being an emerging artist trying to celebrate your identity, and what do you visualise that identity as being?
It’s been many years of finding myself as an artist. I’ve been making music for ten years, and frogi has only been around for around 18 months, so it’s been a journey. I think I had to try a lot of things that didn’t feel like me in order to find what “me” really was. Learning how to produce was one of the greatest ways I could find my identity as an artist, because my world became limitless. I could create sounds in the privacy of my own headphones and no one would ever have to hear them if I didn’t want them to. I think that really gave me the courage to experiment and go beyond what I had tried before. And through that, I found my frogi world. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into production and expanding my frogi sound. I want to continue to push boundaries between genres and also continue to get more and more honest and vulnerable. Like I said before, I’m always thinking about how I can grow.
Can you pinpoint a specific point where you started to come alive with fire and confidence as a lyricist?
I appreciate you saying I’ve come alive with fire and confidence as a lyricist because it doesn’t always feel like that! I’ve always written poetry and I journal every day. I was thinking of writing a book as well (which may still happen…we’ll see). I think starting the frogi project really sparked a new level of honesty in my writing because it started as a musical diary. I wasn’t even sure I was going to put these songs out when I started writing them. I think my fear about what people think is the number one creative stunt, and when that happens I try to come back to what I know and write what I would say if I didn’t think anyone was going to hear it.
What does the next chapter for LA’s coolest artist, frogi, look like?
Haha, thank you for calling me cool. That definitely isn’t how I feel all the time. I’m looking forward to putting out more music, producing other artists, and hopefully getting a live show together again.
I wish you all the best! Long may the good times roll!
Thank you! You’ve been very kind!
The brand new single, phantom limb, is available to listen now on all major music platforms. So if your looking to discover one of the newest and coolest artists to come out of the Los Angeles music scene, frogi is the one for you!
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