Florence Arman talking about her Debut-EP „Out of the Blue“

A few weeks ago we presented her and her debut EP „Out of the Blue“ to you. Florence Arman gave us intimate insights into her thoughts and feelings in seven beautiful songs. Now picky Malin has met the young artist to chat about what it’s like to release your first EP, why she decided to publish „Out of the Blue“ under her real name and what Florence would probably do for a living if she wouldn’t have chosen music. Oh and of course why you shouldn’t be afraid of carbs!

(For german version click here!) 

picky Malin: So Florence, you released your first EP Out of the Blue just a few weeks ago and have probably been eagerly waiting for it to be released. So how do you feel about it now? Has the excitement subsided a bit?

Florence: Hmm, I wouldn’t say it subsided. I think it’s definitely… It feels like a huge to do that was just done. Like a yearlong to-do, which is kind of a relief, but now I sort of feel like I’m on a schedule. Like things have to sort of move now. A part of me just wants to take a big holiday and the other half is like „Oh panic, I need to release more music asap!“ (laughs)

„I’m confident with what I’m doing. I’m happy with it and that’s why I wanted to just put my name to it„

picky Malin: Well, you used to publish your music under the artist name klei. What made you change that and use your actual name now?

Florence: Well, under klei I only really released features. I never really put out my own music and so when I decided to write my own music it sort of …  everything was so close to my heart somehow and was like really personal and didn’t come out of some writing sessions. ‚Cause everything was just stuff that I had written by myself at home, and it was just so much more intimate to me, and that’s why it felt like I had to differentiate the klei stuff from my actual music. And yeah, with a little bit of help and encouragement from the side, some people told me that I could also use my real name. And that’s something I was scared of for a long time because I felt like, you know, there is no going back, like people know your real name. You can have like hundreds of projects under different names and no one really…you know, that’s fine. When that project fails, you can start another one or whatever. If you feel like doing something else, that’s fine. But, you know, once you use your real name it feels like that is kind of very… like that’s a thing then. And I was a bit worried about that, but then I thought…I don’t know…  like I’m confident with what I’m doing. I’m happy with it and that’s why I wanted to just put my name to it. And if I’m so ashamed of my music, then maybe I shouldn’t be putting it out. Yeah, I thought maybe that would make it work.

picky Malin: Yeah, I totally get that. So you also wanted like to match it to your music?

Florence: Yeah. Really, it’s so much more personal and it’s like…the whole thing is very close to home. So yeah, that kind of made sense.

picky Malin: But did you sort of plan to write those personal songs and kind of reveal your inner being to your listeners or did it just come to you while you were writing?

Florence: Hmm… I mean, it was kinda like…I was writing for other artists the last few years. And ever since I started writing songs, they were always pretty personal. It was just a tool I used to sort of get, you know, through my daily life and like stuff that I struggled with. So that’s something that I’ve always been doing, and it just felt like it was time to put it out and see if maybe some people dig it, some people not. But before they just collect dust on SoundCloud, I might as well release them.

picky Malin: Is there a song on your current EP you like the most? Maybe one that means a lot to you or you’re most proud of?

Florence: No, they are all equally important to me. I mean, they were all helping me get through difficult times… through things I had to work through. So every song is like really special to me in that way because they did help me a lot. And I didn’t think that one is particularly brilliant or particularly bad. I don’t know, it’s just like a tool for me. And I just tried my best to make the songs sound coherent, but I can’t tell either if they are good or bad. Like, I find really hard to judge them. I don’t know.

„Music […] was definitely something I have always grown up with and that was always in my life. So, I don’t think it will ever not be a part of my life.“

picky Malin: You have actually quite a musical family. So music may have been important to you from a young age. Has there been a plan for you other than to work in the music industry?

Florence: Well, not at the moment. But yeah, it’s true, everyone in my family does music, so it was definitely something I have always grown up with and that was always in my life. So I don’t think it will ever like not be a part of my life. But if I can’t do music anymore, I’d probably find something else. I don’t know… I’d love to do acting. There is also like this cheese shop that I really liked to work at or at an ice cream shop. I could see myself doing that.

picky Malin: Great choice!

Florence: (laughs)

picky Malin: And your brother actually gave you plenty of support on your new EP. What was it like working with your brother together? So did you also have one or two heated arguments, just like siblings sometimes do?

Florence: Well actually both my brothers helped me. My brother Sebastian is a songwriter and producer and he co-produced some stuff. And my other brother John is a guitarist and he plays guitar on most tracks. He is my band.

picky Malin: That’s really cute.

Florence: We don’t get really into heated arguments or anything. Everyone is like pretty chilled.  I don’t know maybe it’s a bit boring.

picky Malin: Oh, not at all. (laughs)

„I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon!“

picky Malin: What can we expect from you in the near future now that your EP is finally out? Do you already have a few new projects in mind or in prospect?

Florence: Yeah, it’s just gonna be more where that came from, basically. I really used the lockdown also to write a lot of new music. So yeah, there is a lot more stuff coming! I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. So there is just more songs, I guess, (laughs) and gigs finally.