The talented Ormella and I sat down over a lovely cup of coffee at Holland Park in London on a Friday afternoon to talk about all things music.
Olga: Hi Ormella, thank you so much for sitting down with me today! Could you tell the Karma! readers a little bit about how your passion for music developed and how Ormella was born?
Ormella: I started the ‘Ormella’ project around May last year. I always had a passion for folk music and I was in a band before, but I was training as an actress and therefore had not been able to put that much energy and effort into music at the time. Then, lockdown happened and things became less pursuable, along with other struggles. This reservoir of emotions and pain suddenly appeared and needed to escape in some way. I am also Taurus – a very emotional sign! Suddenly, as well, I had all this free time and thought ‘I have to this, I have to do this now!’. That’s how it came about and it’s doing well so far. I am just keeping the momentum going!
Olga: Your music reminds me of Florence and the machine a little. Who was your musical inspiration when you started your artistic journey?
Ormella: Yes, for sure! I love Florence and The Machine so much and she was such a big influence, specially with ‘Stick the Knife In’. I also listened to ABBA as it’s what my parents mainly listened to, Nadia Reid – who is a New Zealand artist, and Father John Misty is also a big influence, but I found him later in life when Spotify became a thing.
Olga: Your EP is Called ‘Stick the Knife In’. Could you tell us a little bit about it? What inspired you throughout the writing process? What is the idea behind the songs and what was the meaning behind its intriguing name?
Ormella: Well, most of the songs on the record I wrote myself. ‘Never’s a promise’ and other songs were produced, mixed , mastered and engineered by Katie May. I want to call her my co-creator as she really has brought my writing to life. She is also one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. It has also been amazing to write with other talented women as well. I have to mention Chester Caine and Livia O as it was amazing to work with them too!
Olga: If you could be known by only one of your songs, what song of yours would you want it to be?
Ormella: I guess ‘Never the promise’. It felt like it was quite singular and this was the main reason we released it at first. It was just one of those songs that came out super quickly. It’s also the one of the songs on the EP I wrote on my own and feels closest to my artistic voice.
Olga: If you could describe your music as a colour, what would it be?
Ormella: Oooh… I would say a passionate, sunset, deep orange colour.
Olga: Lastly, what song would you recommend to our Karma! music admirers?
Ormella: I would love to give a shoutout to my friend DEHAZE. He is from the Netherlands and I particularly love his song called ‘Love who I can’t love’. It’s just a beautiful ballad and I when he approached me at first, over my TikTok video, and I heard his music, my jaw dropped. I just think he’s really lovely. Aside from that I also have a new track coming out called ‘Why do I need you, man?’ It’s releasing on September 26th.
Olga: That is so exciting! Could you tell us a little bit more about it and what inspired the song?
Ormella: There was a period of my life that I allowed myself to continue getting hurt, because in the back of my mind, I knew that it was inspiring my best songs. Or perhaps I told myself that as an excuse to allow myself to keep seeing someone who wasn’t good for me. I still love that guy and I still ask my self the questions in the chorus daily.
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