We had a chance to talk with Joey Pappas on her latest release So Cold
Congratulations on the release of your new single So Cold! Can you tell us what inspired this song?
Thank you so much! I have always been someone who is ‘all or nothing’ and over the years I feel I have given so much and felt so much that I now struggle to trust anything is real at all. The irony of this song is I am saying that I struggle to express my emotions whilst writing them in a song for the world to hear. I wrote this song to myself, admitting things I have been almost afraid to say out loud and I hope it helps others feel seen.
What was the writing process like for this song, did you write it in the midst of your emotions?
My producer, Kirby and I created the beat for this song a while ago and it sat with me for a while and I tried writing to it a couple times and nothing stuck. One day I came home, I felt incredibly low and burnt out, I put the song on and wrote the whole thing from start to finish in one go. The words just flowed out of me in almost a cry for help, it is one of the most transparent songs I have written as it is not about anyone else but me, which is something I find hard to speak on.
Who did you work with to bring So Cold to life?
I have created all my songs with Kirby, he is extremely talented and an incredibly patient person which has been so needed as I am such a new baby artist. He allows me such a safe space to create my vision while also bringing such a distinct twist to my sound. I also created my debut music video for So Cold with my extremely talented brother, Jonny Pappas (Backlit Media). I had a distinct vision for the video and we created something that we are both incredibly proud of. I am very grateful to be able to work with both Kirby and Jonny!
What do you want your listeners to hear and feel from So Cold?
I felt, even as I was writing this song, that I just desperately wanted to connect with people. Even though I felt so numb, the human need for connection and to feel love is still there underneath the emotional ice, the walls and pain. I hope that this song allows others to feel validated even in their isolation and that maybe, just maybe, we won’t always be cold and alone.
You grew up in a religious cult, can you give us more insight into how you accessed listening to music when you were growing up?
I did indeed. It was something I have spent a lot of time being angry about and was the inspiration for my first single ‘Insane’ but now I deeply appreciate where I have come from and how it has helped create the person I am today. I was not actually allowed to listen to mainstream music, I had very limited access to the radio, we didn’t even have a TV in our household. I did a lot of singing in church and music has always been a large part of my life, just not mainstream music. I remember when I started my first job at KFC there was a TV in the restaurant area and it played music videos on it all day and I was obsessed with it. To be a singer was all I had ever wanted to be, even then, when I was cooking chicken for the masses.
Who is your favourite music artist now and why?
I would say it is a tie between Tate McRae and Billie Eilish. I love the lyrical honesty they both show and their sounds are so incredibly unique. They also intrigue me on a deeper level as well. Despite them both being incredibly huge artists, they are so private and I love that. They display such deep emotions in their songs but you never know what they are actually doing and are always leveling up constantly, which I find truly inspiring.
How do you want to make a difference in the world and music industry?
I strongly feel that my purpose on this earth is to help others feel seen and valued. I have always felt quite isolated and for want of a better word “different” and if I can help people feel safe to express who they truly are, then to me, that is success. By singing about my experiences I am able to reach a wider audience and in turn able to live in alignment with my purpose in the best way possible.
If you could share the stage with any artist living or dead who would it be?
Taylor Swift. Not even a doubt in my mind. That woman has helped me through every single phase in my life. I hope one day to meet her, I have no doubt she is just as genuine and empathetic as you can feel through her music.
What’s next for Joey Pappas?
To perform shows baby!!! I am going to be dropping more singles over the next couple months but ultimately I am so excited to be getting up on those stages and connecting with as many people as I possibly can. Melbourne and Brisbane are my goals before the end of the year.
Thanks for your time, is there a message you’d like to share with your fans?
Thank YOU so much for interviewing me and listening to what I have to say. I would like to say be kind to yourselves, everything is happening just how it is meant to. You can’t rush art or love and you are full of both. All my love to you, yes you, who is reading this, you’ve got this, I believe in you.
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