Rising French singer-songwriter Nolwenn recently unveiled her latest masterpiece, “Moonflower vol. 1”, a 13-song album that captures the raw essence of young adulthood. Featuring poetic lyrics and stripped-back production, this deeply personal release places Nolwenn’s evocative vocals front and centre, creating an intimate connection with listeners.
This album showcases Nolwenn’s ability to navigate a diverse range of themes and emotions. From self-love in “Symbiose” to the complexities of parasocial relationships in “Doppelgänger,” the album offers a poignant exploration of life’s challenges and triumphs. Tracks like “roof” delve into mental health struggles, while “she (demo)” provides an unflinching look at Nolwenn’s experience with anorexia. Each song is a testament to her courage and vulnerability as an artist.
Nolwenn has kindly taken the time to chat with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of the journey behind the creation of this album and you can find the full interview below.
Hey Nolwenn, thank you so much for this interview. Can you introduce yourself to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?
Nolwenn: Hi ! My name is Nolwenn, and I’m a small singer-songwriter from France. Currently I’m doing a double degree in maths and physics but my dream is to make music my full-time job. My music is very inspired by the like of dodie, Ellis Piper, Sam Fender, Copeland James, Holly Humberstone.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Nolwenn: I’ve been singing since I’m small because my mom sings at the mass every weekend so I’ve basically been raised with melodies around me at all time. But I really started making my own music and recording it around 2020, during my first time in an eating disorder clinic (I had a lot of time and a lot of feelings, so I wrote and wrote and wrote!).
Have you always wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?
Nolwenn: I’ve kind of always been drawn toward artistic jobs but when I was younger I wanted to be a painter/comics maker or a writer rather than a musician.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Nolwenn: Hm, that’s actually a hard one. I guess it’s pop/indie/folk which is a lot of words to say I have many influences and my music is kind of just a mix of all those influences. In the future I’d love to lean toward rock songs a bit more as I love Sam Fender’s work though!
You recently shared the new album “Moonflower Vol 1”. How did the idea for this album come together?
Nolwenn: Back in 2022, I saw a dodie concert and met her, and I had made a whole album to gift her – it’s hard to explain, but I basically wanted to give back what she gave me through her songs. That’s how Moonflower was born ! I only divided it into two albums when I realized working on 27 songs at a time was a bit much.
The album features a diverse range of themes, along with exploring life challenges & triumphs. What inspired you to use these themes & emotions in an album?
Nolwenn: My first coping mechanism whenever I feel literally any feeling is to write a song, so I guess that’s what! The last five years I’ve been going through an ongoing battle with anorexia and depression – roof was written about that, and Lone little bird I wrote for a friend in the clinic I went to. But I also had good moments because life is ups and downs – Symbiose was written in a very euphoric period right after I came out of treatment and felt like life could be bright again. Missing out I wrote because I’m an introvert at heart, still the same for a childhood friend I lost touch with… All those songs were just reflections of what I was going through when I wrote them.
What are some of your favourite songs from the album?
Nolwenn: My two favourites are definitely roof and Lone little bird, but Missing out and still the same also have a very special place in my heart.
What does this album personally mean to you?
Nolwenn: This album means a lot of things to me, but it’s especially very special as my debut album, and it showed me that I can make music – as most of the production and vocals were my own work, as well as every lyric and composition. It’s a reminder that whenever I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing in life, I can turn to and remember that’s not quite true – I’ve made a whole album !
What message would you like listeners to take from this album?
Nolwenn: I’d like for them to understand that life has up and downs and that whatever you might think, everyone goes through them and it’s perfectly normal. That sometimes, life seems hopeless, but tomorrow is always a new day! And most importantly, to always be kind to others, because you never know what someone is going through.
Are there any songs that did not make the final tracklist for the album that we could see released at a later date?
Nolwenn: Well, the whole second half of the project, so about 14 songs… There’s especially Cliff-hanger (about the time I fell in love with a boy and then my twin dated him) and Cicatrices (about self-harm scars) that I’m super excited to put out there in the world, as well as Doppelgänger which is about parasocial relationships.
What message would you have for anyone looking to pursue a career within the music industry?
Nolwenn: Never ever give up, and most importantly, never let people’s opinion make you hesitate.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Nolwenn: Thank you so much for reading me! I had a lot of fun answering these questions and talking about my album. I hope that made you want to listen to the album, and if you do, don’t hesitate to reach out on any social media to tell me what you thought, listening to people’s opinions is always my favourite part of making music!
You can check out “Moonflower Vol. 1” on Spotify or via more platforms here.
Nolwenn: TikTok.
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