A few days shy of Stacey Ryan's big debut EP release day for I Don't Know What Love Is -which drops April 7th via Island Records- she took a moment out of her busy schedule while on the road with Jake Wesley Rogers to discuss the forthcoming EP, her performance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, and what's coming up for her in the future, with our very own Sabrina Shahryar.
What was the creative process like for your upcoming EP, I Don’t Know What Love Is?
Stacey: It was more of a learn-as-we-go experience, I would say. We wrote around 21 songs after a month-long writing trip in LA and then chose the ones that were our favourites and the ones we thought stood out the most. Which songs on I Don’t Know What Love Is took the longest to create? S: I would probably say "Fall In Love Alone." I remember staying at the studio till 1 or 2 a.m. some nights, changing the arrangement, choosing ad-libs, etc.
Which songs on I Don’t Know What Love Is took the quickest to create? S: "Somebody Good" probably was the quickest, as it's the most broken down song, with just a piano and lead vocal -with some back vocals. We re-recorded the piano on a live piano, but we decided to keep the original sample piano as I thought it just fit the vibe better.
How do you feel after creating your first EP? S: I'm so happy that songs that I've been keeping secret for a year are finally going to be out in the world, and finally completing my first longer-length project is so fulfilling!
You performed your song "Fall in Love Alone" on The Late Late Show With James Corden. What was it like, and how did it feel performing on the show? S: It was truly a magical day! I felt so special having my access pass to CBS and an amazing green room with food and drinks. The performance was amazing, and I had to remember to live in the moment and cherish it because as soon as it started, it was over.
Your song "Don't Text Me When You're Drunk" has 390 million global streams, and your song "Fall in Love Alone" has 370 million global streams and was #1 on the Billboard chart in Indonesia. How did you feel hearing that for the first time? S: I was just so shocked and excited because it seemingly came out of nowhere and was so unexpected. It also gave me the opportunity to go to Asia for the first time and meet the people face to face who connected and related to my song! Truly an amazing feeling.
What is your favourite song on I Don't Know What Love Is? S: My favourite song is "Over Tonight." I think there's just something so special and unique about it!
How did you come up with the title I Don't Know What Love Is for the EP? S: It was actually my friend Nina who came up with the name. We were throwing names around, and that one came out, but I didn't think too much of it at the time. Upon more reflection, I thought the name fit perfectly with the EP, as there is no "typical" love song on it and at the end of the EP, I'm still discovering and navigating love.
Are you planning on making any music videos for the EP? S: The first 3 songs that we released all had music videos, and we are definitely planning on making more for the EP! Are there any other upcoming projects you're working on? S: We are already in album mode, and I'm playing a lot of festivals this summer! So many exciting things coming up!
Read our review of I Don't Know What Love Is here.
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