We got the opportunity to interview Birch about brand new music, including new single “Spelling Lessons” and new album femme.one, what she has coming up next and more. Check it out.
NP: Can you tell us how you first got into music?
BIRCH: I got into music listening to the great pop acts of the 90s. I was obsessed with the Spice Girls and Britney Spears and was inspired by them to start writing songs at a young age. I took up violin and guitar as a kid and also started voice lessons young so I could be more like my big sister Carolyn who was also taking voice lessons. I think originally I took up music to be more like my idols and eventually found myself through it.
NP: You have a new single currently out, “Spelling Lessons”. How have the fans and listeners reacted to this song?
BIRCH: I really love that people are connecting to the song, especially the meaning behind the song. “Spelling Lessons” is about my first experiences with sexism, stemming from being body shamed by a school librarian. After putting out this song and telling this story, I’ve had many women reach out to share their own similar stories. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is an investigation into where toxic masculinity begins and when we first start to see the signs as children.
NP: You also just released your new album, femme.one. Can you tell us how it came together? What’s the concept behind it?
BIRCH: femme.one is a feminist concept album about my experience being a woman in this world. I started writing it during the 2016 presidential campaign, when Trump was coming to the forefront of our culture spewing hateful, sexist remarks. To cope with the fear and anger I felt, I turned inwards and started to do a deep dive into my past. I wanted to explain through my music how it feels to be a woman in this world.
NP: Do you have a favorite song on this project or would that be like asking a parent to pick their favorite child?
BIRCH: Haha it’s tough to choose, but I think “femme.two” is my favorite song (I’d be a bad parent).
NP: You brand your music as Feminist Synth-Pop and love using your voice to encourage female empowerment and gender equality. How do you do that through your music?
BIRCH: I do that by telling my story and expressing through my music how it feels to be a woman. The goal is to be honest so that others can feel safe being honest too. I truly believe that representation is everything – when you see someone “like you” being open and honest about their experiences, it helps you to know you’re not alone and to speak out as well.
NP: What message do you want people to take from your music?
BIRCH: You’re not alone.
NP: Where can we get the new album?
BIRCH: femme.one is out on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud!
NP: How do you feel the New York music scene differs from places like Miami or Los Angeles that are also music hubs?
BIRCH: The NY music scene is super concentrated because it’s such a big city. I can’t really speak to Miami or LA, but the NY scene is changing a bunch as rents get higher and our favorite indie venues get shut down. A lot of people are actually moving to LA, which I think is still growing. New York has a higher percentage of male-dominated, indie rock music as well, whereas I feel like LA has more electropop and singer/songwriter. That said, NY is a really inspiring place to be artistically. There’s an incredible amount of art and music and theater, so with that comes a lot of innovation.
NP: Where can we keep up with your music online?
BIRCH: All socials are @birchmusicnyc or my website www.birchmusicnyc.com!
Check out the album here on songcloud!
