Uchechi Adeboye
My name is Uchechi, and I am a 21 year old law student from the north of Scotland. Outside of my studies, I am an avid concert goer and music enthusiast. Photography has also been my passion for as long as I can remember, so getting to combine my two passions through concert photography has been great. When I’m not with my camera or typing with my keyboard, I am enjoying nature with my friends.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Zoe Grahamfresh off her performance at SJQ. Reflecting on the experience, Zoe shared, “I was really excited to perform. It was such a nice view, and it felt really special up on that stage. “It’s hard with gigs like these, where you can see every face in front of you, but it was a really lovely crowd.”
We moved on to discuss her recent release, ‘Even Though I’m Scared.’ Zoe admitted that releasing the song felt vulnerable, saying, “I was kind of a bit scared to release it, to be honest. The inspiration behind it was this morbid fascination with someone I met years ago who, in hindsight, wasn’t so good for me. It’s funny how, when you listen back to old songs, they can feel like a message to your future self. Rediscovering this song felt poignant, and I realized it was a good message for me.”
This honesty, Zoe explained, has been a defining feature of her new music. “A lot of the new music I’m releasing is the most honest I’ve written in ages. For the first time, I felt terrified to release stuff.”
Curious about the timing of the release, I asked why she felt now was the right time. Zoe explained, “It was one of those songs that got a bit forgotten about. I released other music and put it on the back burner. But with everything I’ve been writing recently, it just felt like it fit nicely into that style. It’s like the song shows itself to you when you’re most ready for it.”
Zoe also talked about the creative process behind the music video for the song, which was filmed in her parents’ garage. “We had a sunset lamp on top of a glass bin—it was really not glamorous at all. I wanted this vision of being a deer in headlights, like I was about to be mowed down by a truck. My friend Kieran shot it with me, and it ended up having a 60s vibe. The shadow on the wall made it look like I had a beehive, which was kind of fitting in an awful way.”
Our conversation then turned to her award-winning project for Visit Scotland, where Zoe collected sounds from around the country. “It was a really mad experience. I had about two weeks to collect all the sounds, which was stressful but fun. I was hyper-vigilant for Scottish sounds everywhere I went. “It was a challenging project, but it gave me a new ear for Scottish sounds.”
I was curious about how her Scottish identity influences her music. Zoe affirmed, “Oh, absolutely. Being Scottish definitely plays a big part in my music. When you travel to other places, people are really pleased to see that you’re Scottish. It’s a lovely reception. As a queer woman, I’ve also found that my identity has taken on a more prominent role in my music in recent years. There’s been this resurgence of queerness and positivity, which has helped me come into my own.”
We talked about how her music and personal evolution have intertwined, making her more vulnerable in her art. “It’s really appreciated when people notice that evolution,” Zoe noted.
Looking ahead, Zoe expressed a desire to return to writing music for herself. “I’d love to keep writing new music. Since I’ve been releasing so much, I’ve taken a bit of a pause on writing. I’ve been doing a lot of TikTok, which is fun, but I haven’t written a song recently that’s not been for social media. “I want to get back to really experimenting and writing for myself.”
Given the significance of live performance in her career, I asked about her dream Scottish venue. “I’ve played in the Barras, but I’d love to headline there. “It’s such an iconic venue,” she said. She also shared a fondness for MacArts in Galashiels, calling it a “beautiful old church” where she’s felt particularly well taken care of.
Reflecting on her career highlights, Zoe pointed to the process of creating her new music. “My favorite period was writing and recording this new music. There was a lot of soul-searching, and working with Ben Christopher, a fantastic friend and producer, helped me reach creative places I was scared to go. That experience was probably my favorite thing ever.”
As we wrapped up, I asked what she hopes people will take away from her music. Zoe expressed, “I want people to listen and feel like they can relate to it in some way. When I wrote this new music, I went through a lot of therapy. “I want people to feel heard and to own their struggles, their identity, and themselves a bit more.”
For fun, I asked Zoe to describe her music in three words. She playfully chose “wonky, gay, pick n mix.” And when asked about her spirit animal, she shared, “Someone said the other day I looked like an otter. They hold hands when they sleep, and I feel like that’s something I would do.”
Related
Discover more from Clunk Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
