Interview: PETUNIA

Under the moniker of PETUNIA, Leeds-based songwriter Gemma Stanford released her debut EP 'God, Queen and Country' last week, a collection of internal monologues and experiences, tied together with PETUNIA's polished production and down-to-Earth lyricism.

We sat down with Gemma to chat about the EP and explore each track in detail.

Thanks so much for chatting to us here at Better Days Magazine Gemma, and congratulations on releasing your debut EP! Tell us a little bit about yourself:

Hello! And thank you! I’m Gemma and I have recently started releasing music under the alias ‘PETUNIA’ - which is why I’m here! I’m originally from the West Midlands but moved to Leeds in 2018 to study. I graduated in 2021 and now call Leeds home. In terms of my music, I previously focused on writing songs to give to other people, but after writing a few that I was really attached to I decided to take the plunge and try being an artist myself. It’s been a great little journey so far.

How long have you been working on your EP for, and where did it start?

According to my voice notes I wrote the first ideas for God, Queen and Country in March

2021! Then I reached out to Meg who produced the EP in August and we’ve been chipping away at it since! It’s been such a great process, Meg and I both started new full-time jobs

during the creation of the EP and so have been squeezing in the project at every possible moment. Not only have I gotten 4 songs I’m super pleased with, I’ve also made a wonderful friend - these songs would still be hiding on my hard-drive if it wasn’t for Meg!

‘God, Queen & Country’ opens the EP, a politically charged, hard-hitting track. Can you tell us a little more about what inspired you to write this?

I tend to write songs best when I’m feeling emotional, particularly when I’m feeling angry, and the government is always making me angry. I wrote GQ&C while feeling particularly at a loss with the country, as well as the people who stay ferociously patriotic to it.

‘Bigger Man’ is the second track on the EP, what is this song about?

This one’s about a difficult friendship, and it’s probably my favourite on the EP. It was so simple initially and came alive with the help of the fantastic guitar playing of Aaron and Matt. Bigger Man and In the Height of Summer are the tracks that are personal to me on this record, so it feels great to finally have them out.

When creating the EP, did you write each track purposefully for the EP, or are they a collection of songs you’d written previously? Is there a theme that runs through the EP?

There isn’t really a theme as of such… all the tracks fit together in my head, but I guess really they’re all very different! I didn’t write them with an EP in mind at all, but I wrote them close together. GQ&C sparked a darker sound for me which then led to the creation of Bigger Man and Prom Queen, and PETUNIA in general.

As a songwriter, it’s easy to get into songwriting habits. Do you ever find yourself getting into these habits, and if so, how do you break them?

Oh definitely! When I get into a rut with my writing I tend to change instrument, I usually write on piano so by switching to an instrument I can’t play as well (which is anything else) I feel more restricted to make something out of what I can manage to play. That’s how Bigger Man came about, I wrote the song on guitar which instantly gave it a sound I wouldn’t have achieved had I written it on piano.

The landscape for digitally releasing music seems to change constantly - do you have any advice for artists wanting to release music independently?

Well I’d hardly call myself a pro, I’m still working it all out! But if I was to give any advice it would be to make sure you research and try get clued up on the distribution platform you choose, especially so you know how to properly credit everyone involved.

What’s next for you as an artist?

Now the EP is out I want to start getting ready to play some live shows. I haven’t performed on my own for a long time so I’m a bit nervous, but I want to get back into it. Other than that, more writing, more singles, who knows maybe even an album!

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Listen to PETUNIA on Spotify or follow her on social media.