Spotlight: Finding Confidence Within Herself & Her Creation, Gabrielle Current Releases EP “Virgo”
IF YOU SEARCH THE DEFINITION OF AN OPEN BOOK — Gabrielle Current would be the answer. So it’s no surprise that the young 24-year-old Los Angeles-based artist has packaged a novel, categorized as “self-healing” on the shelves of any local bookstore. But with a closer look, you’ll soon realize that her newest project isn’t just on the ideals of self-help. Instead, Current’s soulful storytelling hides as small metaphors for open arms to anyone ready to listen and ready to heal.
Current developed a strong love for R&B and the soulful elements that cling to the genre at an early age — from listening to pop sensations such as Mariah Carey and J-Lo, these women formed the birth of what would become Gabrielle Current. Now, the rising artist is here to offer the world her five-track EP, Virgo. Aside from the fact that Current carves out dreamy hooks, jazz-influenced melodies, and a taste of modern R&B that any D’Angelo fan could recognize, Current surprisingly got an early start in music from pop and the world of EDM, allowing her range to smooth over as expansive, inclusive, and ever-growing.
“When I was growing up, I would only listen to ’90s R&B,” Current says. “Women like Mariah Carey and all of that. So if you could imagine, I was 5 years old, always singing along. Then around 2017, this new wave of modern R&B was starting to emerge, and it really inspired me. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, there is this sound.’ I didn't know that there could be a modern R&B or jazz sound that was becoming popular. And so, through artists like Daniel Caesar releasing music, it inspired me to do the same. It inspired me to start making a sound that I've always dreamed of making. I always thought, ‘If I want to make music, I should probably make pop.’ Because that’s what a lot of people were listening to, especially in my friend circle at the time. It almost scared me to make something that maybe wasn't so popular, but it's something that I've always wanted. So now, I don't care about what’s most popular. I just want to make music that makes me feel good, and hopefully, by doing that, people will connect with that as well.”
As the EP rolled out, Current began the quest for the ultimate dream team to manifest Virgo to life. Some would assume finding collaborators in the city of Angels would be an effortless task, but for Current, it took years to finally see it through. While stumbling across a late-night show for Austin Brown in the city, the pieces started to slowly connect to the future collaborators that would unlock the gates to Virgo. With a team consisting of Mark Pelli (Sabrina Claudio, Jennifer Lopez) and Charlie Perry (Jorja Smith, BTS), it’s safe to say that the sound Current yearned for was finally alive.
“You would think Los Angeles is just a city dominated by people working in music and entertainment,” Current says. “You would assume it would be easy to find these creatives to work with. But being a solo artist, it can be challenging to build that network. I feel really lucky that I stumbled upon Austin Brown’s set and became great friends with them. I've searched for people who already get the sound that I'm going for. So their whole songwriting process came very naturally to me because they felt like they knew exactly what I wanted. Everything was so seamless.”
The way Current structures her songwriting process almost feels as simple as the tracks themselves; just like a book, the chapters began to unravel in a fashion that felt like chapter after chapter, as if Virgo was meant to serve as a season that would be pinned downed for not only her, but for the world. “I feel like I wrote this EP in order,” she explains. “It’s exactly what I was feeling at the time. I started writing about just gripping on to relationships that weren't meant for me. Then as I was writing more, I felt like I was able to really look back and see what I had accomplished, emotionally, in my personal life. There was one day where I was in an impromptu session with my friends and suddenly someone started playing this bouncy chord progression, and I was like, “Wow, this feels hopeful — it feels new and different.” And I just started writing about the relationships that had left and I was in a place where I was reminiscing on the past, and I felt like I was no longer drifting in my writing to the loss, both lyrically and melodically. I felt a lot of power in this growth, and so I knew that the ending of this project would kind of talk about this and the relief to this attachment. I just really wanted the end to represent that moment.”
The Filipino-Korean-Swedish and American artist also acknowledges the everlasting effect that women of color in music have had on her nucleus of creativity. With a dual identity and a keen sense of what it means to be marginalized in a space that has never been done by people who look like Current, she’s creating a safe space for women just simply to start. “Something that I've learned within my Filipino heritage growing up is how important values of family and togetherness are,” she elaborates. “If I can translate that just a little bit within my music to just spread love and encourage this community, then that’s all I want. I just want girls and young women to feel like they can do and be whatever they want, whether that's with music, entertainment, or any space really. Because I feel like when I was younger, there weren't many Asian artists that looked like me, so I would always cling to an artist that I feel like I saw myself in. I just feel it's vital to have this representation across the board.”
Photo By John Brown
With a new sense of identity, along comes a new sense of sound that is Virgo. Even though Current’s journey began unclear, one thing is for sure: the pain, the suffering, and the resilience led to a magnificent project that will forever be in the pages of our hearts as a story that uncovers the heroic tale of finding yourself — one chapter at a time.
“I hope that by going through this journey of loss, heartbreak, and learning to let those things go that you can really find a confident relationship within yourself. I think that's so important, especially for young women these days, to just find that confidence within yourself. I hope people get that from this project.”
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