Inopia

Music:

Member Since: 09/01/2008
Band Members: Discovering Inopia
By S.B

The Atlantis Music Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, pulsed with all the new up and coming acts in the US, and I was there on the scene to catch what’s hot. As with much of the music today, most were amusing but forgettable. One, however, in particular kept me scribbling furiously throughout her sublime performance.

INOPIA emerged like an ethereal vision, long flowing chestnut hair and porcelain skin, a Joplin-esque attitude, but with a grace that seemed more suited to a catwalk than a singer. I braced myself for the model-cum-singer-dating-mega-producer disappointment.

It is rare that I am wrong. Her band came in with a force usually reserved for the likes of U2 or Radiohead, and the voice that followed was strong, distinctive, and smoky with modern loop and twists that evoked shades of Coldplay, The Killers, Interpol or Muse... She slid effortlessly from catchy pop/rock tune to darker melodic piece with complex layers, displaying substance and diversity in her songwriting ability.

Like many of the other journalists, I was keen to get an interview, but we never got the chance to sit down before she left for Europe, the opportunity presented itself 4 months later during a trip to Europe. The moment had arrived and I am ready to discover what’s beneath this emerging star.

S.B: You’re a long way from home. What brought you here?
Inopia: Yes, I read somewhere once that “life is not about how many breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away” I came to Europe just like any artist would do present or past to expand my horizons. Europeans are very open to all kinds of music and that’s very exciting to me.

S.B: Okay, But you were born in Florida. Is that where you began performing?
Inopia: Yes, I began at the age of 8. I had a big voice for a little girl, and was the first pick for shows like Annie…always dreaming of going off to Broadway. I attended schools for the performing arts, and was a regular performer at Walt Disney World and on various shows.

S.B: I heard a rumor that you were even in several production with Howard Dorough, otherwise known as Howie D. from the Backstreet Boys.
Inopia: Yes. He was always really sweet…and talented, of course. There were lots of us floating around Orlando and Disney at that time. It was, interestingly, a really creative place to be as a child in the performing arts.

S.B. But I‘ve heard your music. You sound nothing like most of the acts that came out of Orlando. Don’t you write your own music?
Inopia: Absolutely. The difference is that we all grew up and went in different sorts of directions. I was always interested in song writing, live performance, and all the creative aspects of being not only a performer but an artist.

S.B. So who were your musical influences? Your music seems to draw on lots of various sources.
Inopia: It’s always so difficult to name a certain source or a certain genre. I always loved Ella Fitgerald. Her voice was amazing and she had so much emotion. Because I was working in the arts at such a young age, I had lots of much older friends. From them I was extremely influenced by 80’s alternative music: Depeche Mode, The Cure, U2 and then later bands like Coldplay and Radio Head created a deep impression. I have always loved music, all sorts of music including classical, so it’s a very complex question. I suppose it’s all there: Pop, Indie, alternative, British and American rock.

S.B. Why rock? Why not jazz?
Inopia: Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll move into jazz like Sting, but for the moment I’m too young. I want guitars and drums and sexy rhythms. And when I was a teenager I was great friends with lots of rock musicians, so the ideas were always flowing. Some of those guys still influence my work.

S.B. Would we have heard of any of them?
Inopia: Perhaps. Matt Serletic (former producer of Collective Soul and Match Box 20, …) and I used to stay up all night comparing our musical tastes and ideas…everything from Miles Davis to the Buena Vista Social Club. Through him I became friends with the guys from Collective Soul and Match Box 20. Too bad they’re all so busy now…I miss hanging out. I guess basically we all grew up.

S.B. What then?
Inopia: Under the advice of Matt (Serletic), I moved to Atlanta to have vocal coaching under Jan Smith (vocal coach of User, Rob Thomas, etc…) and got involved with several local bands including Shock Lobo and Modern Hero. Initially I got my feet wet by doing back up vocals, it was a great experience…Sometimes for festivals of up to 10,000 people. Then I started really getting serious about my writing and recording. I did the usual thing of doing acoustic shows at bars and clubs while I looked for the right producer. Finally I found Jeep (ex guitarist of band Talk-Talk, once married to Basia), and things really began to take off.

S.B. What was Atlanta like for a young single girl trying to make it in music?
Inopia: (laughs…) Well, it could have been better. My next door neighbor ran an underground club in his apartment, the studio had cheap equipment… I tried to save the project by having Don Mc collister (Blues Travellers, B52s,…) mix the demo, but even he couldn’t save it. I was broke, and had to move into the basement/rehearsal room of a friend’s house. They were always rehearsing when I was trying to sleep, dogs were barking…you get the picture.

S.B. What did you do?
Inopia: I really had no choice. I had no more money for the project, so I sent out the demos anyway. All the major labels…Sony, Warner, …I thought maybe they’d hear the potential behind the bad production, but I just got nice letters asking for the next batch of songs. Then I had one of those best and worst moments, when I received a letter from Clive Davis; what an honor, saying I had a beautiful voice but he didn’t hear a hit. So what else could I do? I needed money for more demos…there were so many songs waiting to be laid down…Luckily my friend from the band Shock Lobo had a job putting up posters around town at night and I started doing that too, we called ourselves the Ninjas. I suppose it was better than the alternatives. After a while, however, I realized, maybe Atlanta wasn’t the place I needed to be for my music.

S.B. Why not?
Inopia: Atlanta is heavily influenced by R&B, Urban Rap and hard rock. So, I took the one thing I had left, my car, sold it and went to Europe. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. A lot of indie bands like Editors, Placebo, Franz Ferdinand and the Killers are getting airplay over here. And I’ve had a great response to the music so far. .

S.B. An amazing voyage. What’s next?
Inopia: Funnily enough, next has already happened. Back in the States I met the most amazing musicians/producers with astonishing talent. When we met it was kismet. We all moved into a big house in Miami for a few weeks and created our own Factory. It wasn’t just the music… it was art, photography, philosophy …a truly creative experience. We recorded my latest songs and the music that emerged was just what I wanted. It was the right mix of everything.

S.B. When I saw you in Atlanta, it was an amazing show. What can we expect from you next?
Inopia: I love what I do and as Shakespeare said, if music be the food of love, play on!

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Record Label: Cat’s Meow Records
Type of Label: Indie