Australian R&B/Pop singer/songwriter Feritta stepped away from music for two years to re-focus and find the balance between life and work. During that time, she rediscovered her passion for music and made the decision to return to it with a stronger mindset. As a result, she has had a triumphant return to music.

Feritta has been a two-time West Australia Music Industry Award (WAMi) nominee, twice voted Best Female Solo Artist Australia at the International Music Aid Awards, Winner of the Highland Music Uproar Competition, a 3-time nominee in the Bite My Music Global Awards, Winner of the Dorabshaw Award in Musical Achievement, and Winner of the Award for Musical Achievement – World Zoroastrian Youth Congress.

Her singles, “Boyfriend” and the R&B Contemporary “Don’t Tell Me That You’re Sorry” placed at #1 and #2 on the mp3.com.au charts in Melbourne, Australia. The latter went on to stay on the R&B Top 20 chart for over a year.

She has also found success on the US chart Broadjam.com in the Pop Top 10, Contemporary R&B Top Ten, Production Top 10, Female Vocal Top 10, Australian Top 10, California Top 10 and more. Her tracks have also dominated these single Top Ten charts at any one time.

Feritta has also found success outside of music. She has a double degree in business and marketing. Furthermore, Feritta is an entrepreneur who has created her own successful line of jewelry, clothing, and accessories called ‘Goddess by Feritta’. Her other creative passion is food and she has a blog and YouTube food channel called ‘Eat In Style’.

Her latest Pop single “Set Me Free” has been called the “Official Anthem of 2018”. The song debuted on the Official European Independent Music Chart in the Top 20 and as of this writing is at #4.  Feritta is currently working on a forthcoming EP and other music opportunities.

I recently interviewed Feritta about her new single, forthcoming EP, return to music, collaboration with Stef Thalia, producing, and much more.

Congratulations on your latest single, Set Myself Free currently in the Top Ten on the Official European Independent Charts!  How does that make you feel?

Thank you so much.  It’s such a gratifying feeling for me at the moment and I haven’t come down from the high yet!  I just love how people have connected with it and I am so grateful to everyone who has shown their love and support for this track.

What is the theme or concept behind Set Myself Free? How did you come up with it?

When I wrote Set Myself Free I was kind of going through a lot of stuff and this song in a way helped me to cleanse the negativity away and re-energise my focus.   So this song is all about looking within, trusting yourself and not letting anything hold you back.

Why has Set Myself Free been called the “Official Anthem of 2018”?

I think probably since “The Secret” there’s been this growing movement of self-awareness, in trusting in our aspirations and intentions – I think Set Myself Free is a song of empowerment and people want that.  It’s the kind of song you can dance around to in your room, sing at the top of your lungs and make you feel that can accomplish anything.

Explain why you stepped away from music for almost 2 years and how you decided to return.

Well, it comes back to what I was saying earlier.  I went through a very difficult time in my personal life.  I felt like I was up against a wall.  I was chronically ill.   I was burnt out from working constantly at the cost of my health and sanity.   I was pushing so hard for things to happen that in the process I lost myself and the fun and passion for the creative process.   Everything became a chore and I was doing things for the wrong reasons like trying to prove myself to others instead of doing music for me because it makes me happy.   I was just treading water and eventually, under the pressure of it all I just said “Enough!”.  I had no life beyond work.  I had to literally learn to rebalance my lifestyle between work and downtime and understand that not working and taking time for myself does not equal being lazy.  At times I still find myself wanting to bite off more than I can chew and I doubt that will ever change but I also know that not everything has to be done now and the world will spin if I take a break! 

 

How did you and Italy’s Got Talent Finalist Stef Thalia meet and decide to collaborate? Do you plan to collaborate again?

That’s the beauty of the internet, it can connect people over two opposite sides of the world and allow us to create amazing things.  We met via an online musician/actor forum we both belong to.  He was looking for artists to write to his projects and I was looking to collaborate and write with some new producers.  We exchanged samples of work, liked what we heard and the result is Set Myself Free.  I’m so happy Stef gave me creative freedom to write the lyrics and melody and his track just has this amazing energy, as soon as I heard it I just knew I had to write to it.  Stef is very talented I would love to work again and  I have a strong feeling you’ll be hearing more collaborations from us.

Explain the concept behind your debut album, A Journey Begins.

A Journey Begins was me dipping my toe into the music industry, it was my first album.  It’s a collection of 12 tracks with various Pop, R&B, and World Music influences.  That album was co-written and produced with then music production team Cube.   It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about songwriting and production as well as teamwork.  Many of the tracks did really well on various Independent Charts and I got to also work with an amazing engineer James Hewgill who also taught me so much about the mixing and mastering process.

Your collaboration with the UK writers and producers Dean Hopkins and Brian Highet – “Cube” resulted in a #1 song on the independent mp3.com.au music charts and had you performing “Be What U Wanna Be” as a national competition finalist.  Why did Cube disband after successfully collaborating with you?

Cube decided to disband for personal reasons.  Be What You Wanna Be was a really cool track – I’d love to revisit it and re-record it at some point.

You had success collaborating with Dean Hopkins after Cube disbanded, working on your debut album, and reaching #2 on the mp3.com.au charts with “Don’t Tell Me You’re Sorry”, that also had an amazing one year run on the R&B Top 20.  Do you continue to collaborate with him or have future plans to?

Dean is a very talented producer and he gave me the opportunity to express through songwriting and learn more about the production process.  Dean has been exploring other avenues of interest but if Dean ever came to me and said let’s work on a new track I would be thrilled to work with him again.

How did you expand your skills to professional writing and producing? Was this through working on your debut album with Hopkins?

I’ve been writing since I was teenager and I think like anything else the more you practice, the more people you work and the more experiences you have to improve but definitely yes, Dean allowed me to explore my writing and gave me gentle guidance and tips as we worked through songs together which I still use.  I think that the real beauty of the creative process you can always learn and develop. 

 

Explain your production process.

There are so many ways that a song comes together.  Sometimes you are inspired by an emotion or feeling, sometimes you might see something that triggers a concept for a song.  Other times, with a track like Set Myself Free the music speaks to you and tells you what kind of song to write.  Sometimes I can just be playing with chords and a song idea comes, so there is not really any one way I produce a song.  I try to go with the flow.

What do you like about producing? What do you dislike?

When it’s flowing, the production process is energising and fun.  When the concept, lyrics, melody and music work it’s just such a great feeling but when that doesn’t happen and you’re stuck, that part can be a bit frustrating and you have to just walk away and give yourself some space and time.  Sometimes not every idea will result in a song and you have to know when to let it go and move on to something else.

Why do you think there aren’t many women producers in the music industry today? How can that be changed?

You know, that’s a very good question.  I think being in such an image-driven industry it’s easy to get distracted in a way – what I mean is, music for women isn’t just about the music for women, it’s also about how attractive they are, how do they grab the spotlight for themselves.  Sometimes they need to use their looks to even be noticed by the right people in the first place – it’s ridiculous!  Perhaps we need more camaraderie and support among fellow female musicians/producers/artists like there is among male producers/artists.  They don’t have that kind of pressure and can focus on just creating great music. I think there is more of a brotherly support and connection for male artists/producers whereas for females there’s no support system to build from.

 

How do you think women in the indie music industry can be supported more.

As I mentioned we need to lift each other up and be confident in our own abilities and understand that there is room for everyone to be loved and appreciated for their talent.

Your music has had a lot of Top 10 success in Australia and internationally, garnered numerous artist awards and nominations. You’ve also collaborated with renowned producers and UK DJs. How does it feel to have experienced so much success?

Thank you!  I  guess each accomplishment has a career stepping stone.  While each experience has been valuable and validating I still feel I have a long way to go and lot more I want to achieve and say as an artist.

What do you want your audience to experience when they see you perform?

As an artist, I think you want people to connect with you and your message.  I just want them to walk away feeling good knowing that they had a positive experience.

Tell us about your experience performing “The Light”, a song you wrote and co-produced, for the 4th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress.

The Light was a tribute to my faith and the official theme song of the 4th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress.  My faith has always been a great source of comfort and strength through some difficult times and when I was asked to write and perform the theme song for the Congress I was thrilled.  It is always wonderful to give back in whatever way you can.

You have a blog and a YouTube Channel for your food blog called, Eat in Style by Feritta. Are you still in talks with publishers or have you published your first cookbook that will contain recipes from your blog? How did that opportunity come about?

We’re talking to a few publishers at the moment about the cookbook.  I was very fortunate to grow up in a family where good food was always a part of our lives and I’d love to be able to share my family recipes and traditional Parsi recipes with a wider audience.  I’m very hands-on with my blog and yes I imagine some of those recipes will be used for the cookbook, it will be a very special day for me when it happens!

What inspired you to start a food blog? Where do you get your recipe ideas from? Are they recipes you’ve grown up with or do you like experimenting with food? 

I think of cooking like music, as creative expression and I’m a lover of food so it felt perfectly natural to start a food blog.  Who knows one day I might start a food-based business too, another dream of mine.  I feature recipes based on family and Parsi recipes inspired by my heritage but I also love baking and other times I just feel like experimenting.  I’ve done a few blog posts and YouTube videos featuring my Mum (Mama Vil) who has taught me so much about life and food and is a wonderful cook.   My food style is eclectic as I like a wide variety of flavors and cuisines.

Tell us about your e-commerce site, Goddess by Feritta that features beautiful jewelry, accessories, and clothing. Why did you name it Goddess? Are you involved in creating the designs? If so, where do you get your inspiration?

Goddess by Feritta is a way of sharing another of my passions, jewelry, and clothes!  We’re currently expanding our range to include home decor, kitchen, and homewares as well as scientifically proven beauty products as well.  I personally choose every item in the range and look at the selection process as I have to comfortable having it in my own home or happy to wear a piece.  Every piece on the site is part of me. 

 

You have a double university degree in business and marketing. Has it helped you in your business as both a musician and an entrepreneur?

I think the music business is unlike anything else and so until you live it and experience it, you don’t really know what to expect.  There is always a curve ball coming from somewhere but it’s worth it when your supporters tell you how much your music means to them or how much they loved a recipe they tried or a piece they’ve bought from Goddess – it’s those little things that bring a smile to my face. From a marketing perspective, yes you understand the importance of branding, social media presence and all that fun stuff which is a crucial part of this industry.

Tell us about your charity, Be The Change Foundation.   

The idea behind Be The Change Foundation is to give back to the community –

 

How do your non-music projects tie in with your music career? Are there complementary aspects, or do they serve some kind of alternative purpose?

They are all extension of my creativity and I think they all complement each other and show another facet of my personality and life.

What is your advice to women thinking about pursuing or already pursuing a career in music?

I know it’s easier said than done but you MUST believe in your yourself.  You may be told you aren’t good enough, you may be told you aren’t pretty enough, you may be asked to compromise your values.  Remember you have to look in the mirror and face yourself every day.  So you tell yourself you can do it, you might need to improve your skills, you do it,

There’s a lot of joy in creating and sharing your music and message with the world but there are a lot of people out there that are willing to prey on any insecurity and do not care about you so you have to be strong and level minded. You are are going to have good days and you are going to have bad days, pray through them and tell yourself tomorrow is another day.   

What projects do you have planned for 2018 besides a second album?

We’re working on finalizing an EP and I am looking forward to heading over to New York & LA in June to meet with my management team, Synergy Management and do what they need me to in regards to meeting with labels, networks, sponsors as well as look into other music opportunities.  We also have some exciting yet to be released plans for Goddess by Feritta so it’s all very exciting!

What are your tour plans for 2018?

I’ll hopefully also be doing some performing while in the States and my management team are working on a tour schedule for the near future – I’ll let you know!

Thank you, Feritta, for the opportunity to interview you.

 

SET MYSELF FREE is available on iTunes 

And on Spotify, Apple Music, Napster, and all good online retailers

Follow Feritta on Social Media:

YouTube: FerittaIshtimRecords

 Facebook : ferittafanpage

Instagram: @artiste_feritta

Twitter: @artisteferitta

Pintrest: ferittasworld