Following the release of “Emot!onal” & “Life As A Movie”, rising cinematic rock artist PiPEllA recently unveiled the tragically beautiful new single “Castles.”
A poignant tale of disillusionment & shattered happily ever afters, “Castles” conveys the nuanced heartbreak-to-anger trajectory that comes with realizing that the happy ending was nothing more than a hollow facade built on fantasy.
PiPEllA began a musical journey at a young age & has since journeyed along a melodic road that allows this artist to showcase a unique style.
A proud member of the Asexual Community, PiPEllA’s connection with the LGBTQIA+ community & her firsthand experiences with mental health have greatly shaped the content of her music. Moreover, she founded the showcase, “All Kinds of Ace” in Nashville for Asexual/Aromantic/Agender creators to connect and express themselves.
PiPEllA has kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of this incredible single. You can find the full interview below.
Hey PiPEllA, thank you for this interview. Can you start by telling readers a little bit about yourself?
PiPEllA: Hi! My name is PiPEllA and I am an Aromantic-Asexual Cinematic Rock Storyteller. My music is all about exploring life, mental health, and queerness through the lens of sci-fi and fantasy.
When did you first discover your passion for musical cinematic storytelling?
PiPEllA: Growing up, my favourite movies were always the ones with really epic rock-based soundtracks. For a really long time, my dream was to score films and create songs for fantasy soundtracks. I still take a lot of inspiration from ‘Tarzan’, ‘Treasure Planet’, ‘Spirit: Stallion of the Cimeron’ and the other movies that I loved growing up but I’ve changed how they influence me. My perspective as an artist went from making music for movies into making music that tells its own epic story.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
PiPEllA: It’s a little all over the place. At the moment, I see it as a mix between Florence and the Machine, Joy Oladokun, and Stray Kids. I’m a big fan of genre-bending and taking influences from all over depending on the theme of the song I’m trying to make.
I really aspire to create epic, adventurous music that has a fresh and unique approach every time.
You recently released the anti-fairytale anthem “Castles”. How did the idea for this song come together?
PiPEllA: I wanted to flip the narrative of your typical fairytale ending on its head. A lot of people have done the “what happens after happily ever after” trope and usually it’s something along the lines of a big dramatic fight that has them break up and then find their way back to each other just in time for another happily ever after. I have always thought that was ridiculous, so I wanted to try my own version. I watched a bunch of fantasy and princess movies, but the one that really inspired me was ‘Into The Woods’. Spoiler: Cinderella gets cheated on, but she doesn’t really get sad or angry. She just leaves, and you realize their relationship was hollow, to begin with.
I decided to make a character in a similar situation, where she realizes that her relationship is all appearances and no substance. Except, this character is genuinely upset about it. She gets increasingly more frustrated with her situation until she finally explodes. When she decides to leave, she is heartbroken but resolute.
How would you compare the creative process behind “Castles” & some of your earlier releases?
PiPEllA: Castles is one of the only songs on the album that had an instrumental before it had lyrics. Typically, when I make a song, I have the words and a simple melody already figured out and then we build the instrumentation out from there; but this time, I was given music to write to. We ended up changing the music later on, but it was so nice to let the music lead the creation process for once.
Did you always plan to release “Castles”?
PiPEllA: I originally wrote Castles for someone else. I had a job writing lyrics for a company while I was getting my Master’s and they were the ones who sent me the original music. After I finished writing the song, I sent it over to them for approval. As soon as I hit send, I regretted it. I loved it too much to give it away, so I emailed asking if I could actually keep the song for myself. They responded and said I could keep the lyrics and melody but not the instrumental, so I took what I had over to Chris Doss and together we made Castles!
What does this song personally mean to you?
PiPEllA: For me, this song stems from feelings I didn’t really know I had. Someone very close to me has been in a toxic relationship for years. She would tell stories about how they were when they were young; how they were happy and in love. But, as time went on, their marriage deteriorated until it was pretty much all for show. They stayed together for their kids and because it was convenient but neither one was happy. Having to watch someone I love in that kind of relationship has been so frustrating and it’s given me a lot of anxiety about marriage and love in general. I didn’t mean to write a song about it, but when Castles was done, I realized that I needed to let it all out.
If listeners could take something from this release, what would you like it to be?
PiPEllA: You are allowed to mourn a dead relationship. Equally, you are allowed to leave said relationship and burn the whole thing down along the way.
This is the third single in the build-up to your debut full-length album, ‘PiPEllA: The World’s Traveller’. What are some of the things listeners can anticipate about the cinematic experience of the album?
PiPEllA: ‘PiPEllA: The Worlds’ Traveler’ centers around PiPEllA, a woman who has the power to travel to other worlds using portals, and the lessons she learns while having these crazy adventures. This album has been a really interesting project because it propels the story forward in a really dramatic way using the mood and styling, so it really feels like the soundtrack to a fantasy movie. It doesn’t explicitly lay out everything lyrically, but as you listen, you’ll be able to recognize all the different components: the exposition, the rising action, climax and resolution. I wanted to use this album to explore the different facets of cinematic music and how it connects to other genres. There are some songs that are pop or folk, some singer-songwriter ballads, a few heavier rock songs and even some EDM.
What advice would you offer to someone who was looking to pursue a career within the music industry?
PiPEllA: Be ready for chaos. Chaos and long nights and stress. The music industry can be a lot and it can feel so overwhelming sometimes; but if you commit to it, it’s the greatest adventure of your life. Also, always read the entire contract.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
PiPEllA: You are so much more than your circumstances. You’re more than your dreams too. You are bigger and better than you’ve ever realized.
You can check out “Castles” on Spotify below or on more platforms here.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 