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EXCLUSIVE: Georgia Ku Interview

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Stage Right Secrets spoke with Georgia Ku to chat all about her single, “Lighthouse,” her Real EP, and what she’s been up to while in quarantine. Read our exclusive interview, below.

Congrats on releasing “Lighthouse.” Not enough artists write about loving someone struggling with mental health, how did the idea for the song come about?
Thank you so much! It honestly just came from how I was feeling the day I wrote it, my co-writer actually had the concept of “Fragile” and that word immediately related to me. I was able to use that to describe the mental health struggle and write the “I’ll be careful with your heart now, I know you’re fragile” chorus lyric.

Taking it back, you’re an incredible songwriter, how did you get into writing music?
I’ve been singing my whole life, I grew up listening to my Dad’s eclectic music collection which included everything from The Fugees, and Stevie Wonder to Bob Dylan & Norah Jones. I found my passion for writing when I was 15, I would write songs in my bedroom from start to finish melody and lyrics with no instrument other than my voice, I then picked up a guitar and taught myself basic chords so I could write more. I went on to study music for 3 years before venturing out to the states & realizing I could really make it my career.

What differs in a songwriting session for another artist compared to your own music?
I think I tend to be more specific when I know I’m writing for my project, (which is good and bad because I put a lot of pressure on myself to deliver!) When writing with an artist in the room I usually let them lead the way, I definitely contribute as much as I can but I also want them to feel a connection to their song and be a part of the whole creative process.

What record made you fall in love with music?
Wow so many for so many different reasons! I have always loved Lauryn Hill for her lyrical depth and rawness. Diana Ross and The Supremes soulful melodies & harmonies and the tone of both Bob Dylan’s and Norah Jones’ voice made me want to listen for hours. The list goes on!!

Was there a specific moment when you realized that you wanted to make music your career?
It wasn’t until I left school at 16, my parents sat me down & talked me through my options. My mum always told me to work backwards, that’s when I decided I wanted to make music my career, and we decided together that my first step would be to study music. My parents never asked me what plan B was, they supported me through all my dreams and pushed me to reach for the stars, I truly couldn’t have done it without them.

You have a new EP that just debuted, how did you go about choosing which tracks would make the cut or not?
It was honestly just a feeling, I never like to go into a session thinking I’m going to write a song for me, I end up putting myself in a box & it limits my creativity. But with each of these songs, when I left, I had them stuck in my head, they resonated with me on a way more personal level as the lyrics were all individually intimate to my own experiences, and they were all stories I was willing to tell.

What made you decide to title it “Real?”
I felt like it was the perfect word to sum up this body of work and how real it is to me. I want people to relate to me not only through my music but as a human and I believe there’s no better way than being yourself.

How did you approach creating the tracklist order for the six songs?
I wanted to take the listeners on a journey of the highs and lows both contextually and musically. Myself and my team listened through each song thoroughly as a body of work and felt this order made the biggest impact in doing so.

Do you have a favorite lyric off of it?
So many faves! I love the “dollar ramen” lyric on ‘Big Plans’ especially. I also love how simple but meaningful “I’m in my head cause I wore my heart out” in ‘Hold Me Close’ and “I leave the door cracked open, just Incase you lose your way and find yourself, you know I know you too well” in ‘Real’ hits home for me, it’s super conversational but holds so much personal depth.

Since most of the country was or is in quarantine, what did you do to pass the time?
I feel like in a world and industry, in particular, that’s so fast pace, I needed to take advantage of the unplanned rest time. My boyfriend and I packed up and spent the last 3 months with family in Florida. I was able to take my recording equipment with me so I was still able to work remotely, I actually finished the EP there!

What else can fans expect from you this year?
Well, there’s not much to say for 2020 right now! Haha – I would love to say I will be performing but I’m pretty sure no live shows will be happening until 2021 now. I do have some exciting features following the EP release & some other collabs I’m really looking forward to though!

Jacklyn is the Editor In Chief of Stage Right Secrets. Jacklyn's photography and articles can also be found on The Recording Academy's GRAMMY.com GRAMMYPro, GRAMMYU, PopCrush, Taste of Country, among other outlets. Besides press Jacklyn is a "Jack of All Trades" working various jobs at local concerts and touring. JacklynKrol.com