Paris Paloma Makes Sense of the Noise and Chaos in Her Mind With Debut Album, Cacophony

Paris Paloma has made a big impact with her 2023 viral hit single, "labour," and now, with the release of Paris's debut album, Cacophony, it's become even more powerful as one piece of the bigger puzzle.

The English alt-folk singer-songwriter put not just her heart and soul into the new album, but her anxiety and trauma, processing those challenging aspects of herself through music to cope with the noise in her mind. Hence, the title Cacophony. It's an introspective examination of everything from joy and love to grief and power, creating something primal though her intimate, breathy vocals and storytelling that draws audiences right in and refuses to let them go. Before today's release, we had the pleasure of hopping on a Zoom call to learn more about Cacophony and Paris's creative process, which she graciously shared with us in the interview below.

Sweety High: What does the album name Cacophony mean to you? Why did that one word feel like the perfect summation of this group of songs?

Paris Paloma: There's a lot of noise that exists in my mind, which makes writing music really constructive as a way of coping with it. I was vaguely inspired by the idea of the Greek creation myth of Chaos. Stephen Fry in his book Mythos describes it as the beginning of all things. Instead of the Big Bang, in Greek mythology it's this great yawning chasm, this void of cacophony and chaos and darkness and noise.

That's what the inside of my head felt like for a really long time. In the same way, out of Greek Chaos, creation sprang forth in the form of the sky and the earth. Out of the chaos of my mind, all these songs came from the coping mechanism of writing music.

(Cacophony via Nettwerk Music)

 

SH: Do you feel like that's the overarching theme of this album?

PP: Well, it's not quite a concept album. There are themes and it's definitely one of them, but only in a meta way. There aren't songs that write about songwriting. But all of these songs are a product of that, of music being my communication tool, my emotional outlet.

 

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SH: How would you describe the sound of the album? How did you go about putting those ideas to music?

PP: I think it's very varied and it's very rich. There are moments that are huge and dark and daunting, and were all of those things to combat, whether it's the instrumental section of my mind, which we wanted to feel like this big electrical storm, or the more climactic moments in songs like "The Last Woman on Earth," which is one I'm really looking forward to being released. Then there's really varied parts of the album where it's much more intimate and quiet songwriting and storytelling and delivery.

 

SH: Yeah how do you feel that these songs represent where you are up to this point in your life?

PP: They're of an era, and I think this album, being my first, will be sort of the backdrop against which all of my future music is released. All of the songs on the album convey my journey over the last two years. A distinctive sound has come forward, and I'm looking forward to building on that with future bodies of work.

 

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SH: Does the process of writing and recording music encapsulating a certain time make you feel like you're putting that era behind you as you move forward?

PP: Almost. Debut albums take a long time, and I stand by all of this music from the first day I wrote it. But my creativity doesn't stop, and so that's why I'm such an impatient creative. I want this music to be out for people to listen to. I am excited for it to be the marker on a larger journey.

 

SH: Was there anything that surprised you about the process of recording and putting together a debut album?

PP: Not particularly. I can't remember feeling surprised. I can remember feeling very vulnerable doing something like that. It's different to releasing a song. When you put out a body of work, you have to put your name to it in a way where an individual song might not have a marker on your life and career. An album is very similar to writing a book, I suppose.

(Photo credit: Phoebe Fox)

 

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SH: Do you have a favorite track on the album?

PP: I don't. It would feel like picking between my children.  I'm just really looking forward to all of the songs that people haven't heard yet, like "The Last Woman on Earth" or "Bones on the Beach."All of the ones that haven't been singles. I can't wait for all of them to exist all together in one place.

 

SH: Are there any particular feelings you're experiecing right now as you're gearing up to be releasing this debut?

PP: Restless, very much.

 

For more interviews with our favorite artists on their debut albums, click HERE to hear from Sycco on her first album, Zorb.