Artist Interview : Ida Carolina
Get to know Ida Carolina, the Sweden-born, London-based artist and music producer who's making waves with her unique sound. In this exclusive interview, Ida opens up about her creative process, musical influences, and what drives her to create music that resonates with listeners.
Tori: What sparked your passion for music and production, and how did you start your journey as an artist?
Ida: I have, since a young age, been fascinated by how music can transform the emotional state and your life in general. I have always used other people’s music as well as my own to not just process feelings but also to empower myself and increase my self-esteem. I used to sing in the classroom as a child during lectures, which I hear sounds crazy now, as well as organise shows where I performed for my parents on Friday nights. Since I am a person who loves exploring emotions I have always known that express myself through music is something I want to do, and when I started producing my own music about 6 years ago, I had so many new doors open up for me - it made me realise how I can shape sounds and songs exactly how I envision.
Tori: Your music is influenced by artists like Rihanna and Avril Lavigne. How do you think their styles have shaped your sound?
Ida: They are both two powerful women I definitely still feel inspired by on my journey, and they both inspired my style of singing and my way of writing songs. My vibrato is something I use a lot and that is definitely because of all the hours I spent listening to Rihanna.
Tori: Your music blends elements of R&B, pop, indie, and orchestral sounds. Can you tell us about your creative process and how you develop your unique sound?
Ida: Since I take inspiration from my childhood role models, but also from big artists such as Lana Del Rey, I think my sound becomes a blend of all my favourite genres aligned. I have always enjoyed listening to orchestral music since it makes me feel so many different emotions at once and I want that element in my own music as well.
Tori: You've released two singles this year, and more are on the way. What can fans expect from your upcoming music, and how do you see your sound evolving?
Ida: The beautiful thing with creativity is that you can always evolve - and realising that has been key for me. I definitely want my future songs to reflect more on my healing journey since it is a big part of my life, and I want to inspire other people to feel as happy and free as I do. I really do think that you can heal and understand yourself so much through music, so I want to do that as I am creating it as well. Genre wise, I definitely want to branch out to sounds like EDM, DNB and also more Contemporary R&B.
Tori: You toplined and vocal-produced the short film POLAR, which has been nominated for several festivals. Can you share more about this experience and what you learned from it?
Ida: When we started working on the song we did not know much about the project other than what it was about, so me and the producer just sent some files back and forth , and we found some melodies that really felt like one with the meaning behind the theme. I am happy I did it and put my soul into it since I later got to experience hearing my own voice and lyrics in a really big and beautiful venue - a feeling I can’t describe. It was such an incredible project that I feel very blessed to have been able to learn a lot from. It also opened my eyes for the sync licensing industry which is something I really want to do in the future.
Tori: Your songs explore themes of healing, love, and self-reflection. What inspires these themes, and how do you hope your music impacts your listeners?
Ida: I have always been very fascinated how your inner world reflects on your outer world, and as mentioned earlier I want to inspire others while also developing myself to be happier and more compassionate with myself. I hope other people can learn from my wisdom – and my mistakes– while also enjoying the actual music.
Tori: Your visuals often feature soft lighting, nature, and vintage-inspired styling. Can you tell us about your approach to visual storytelling and how it reflects your music?
Ida: I believe visual storytelling plays an enormous role when releasing music since it is another chance to show people how you feel. I aim for my visuals to reflect on the softness of my vocals and how I feel inside when I make music. In future projects I definitely want to broaden my style of visuals and explore other types as well - depending on what is suitable for the song.
Tori: What drives your artistic vision, and how do you see your music and visuals working together to convey your message?
Ida: My biggest drive for my artistic vision is to make my younger self proud. I used to dream of being an artist who wrote my own songs and danced on stage - I am never gonna let her down. I also love the process of creating music so much, as well as the community I have around me - there are some amazing talented, loving, creative sides of this industry, and London is such a great place for it.
The “spiritual” message in my music is probably conveyed in the music and visuals together - since I want them to bring a sense of calm and euphoria even though they are deep and also quite sad at times.
Tori: How has your own journey influenced your art, and what do you hope to convey through your music?
Ida: I hope to convey myself mainly and what my journey has taught me. It feels so good to not pretend to be someone else or try to be something that you’re not and just give a completely authentic version of yourself to the world. I also think that’s the best way to live your truth through your career and life in general.
Tori: What inspires your creativity, and how do you stay motivated to produce music that is both personal and relatable?
Ida: My best friend Linnea, who is also a musician, once told me a quote her dad once told her - “If you wanna be creative, you can’t forget to live” which really changed my perspective on my creative process. I used to work so hard to produce and write songs on the daily but I have realised it doesn’t work that way - you need to give yourself space to experience life in the meantime so you have something to write about. Last year I was really creatively blocked and it made me go to the root-cause to why and I ended up doing a lot of work on my self-esteem and uncovered various reasons as to why I felt that way. Turns out I just needed a bit of self-reflection and then I was good to go!
Tori: Can you share more about your experience with collaboration and production?
Ida: Working collaboratively with other people has been a major part that has taken me forward a lot. It is easy to get “stuck” with projects when you do everything yourself since you don’t have anything to bounce ideas off of in the same way. It also sparks ideas you never would have had if you weren’t around other people in the creative process.
Tori: How do you think music can be used as a tool for healing and personal growth?
Ida: As mentioned earlier I think it has had a major impact on me - as well as others. When I did my Bachelor’s degree I read a lot of studies on how music can change your emotional state and deep down we all know it - music can literally change your life. If I sometimes have a bad day where I feel a bit insecure or sad I always turn to the power of music. It also works so well for us to feel understood - that we’re not alone with how we feel in this big world.
Tori: How do you connect with your fans, and what role do you think music plays in building a sense of community and understanding?
Ida: I usually connect with people who listen to my music through social media. I think it’s really important for people to feel like they can reach out to me and tell me their experience with my music.
I think music can bring people together in so many beautiful ways! All the concerts, all the online communities - where there is room for people to relate to one another.
Tori: What are you most looking forward to in your music career, and are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you can share with us?
Ida: I am really looking forward to seeing wherever my music can take me! I have so much music to release and I am excited for any opportunities it might bring. I am releasing another song next month in collaboration with my very talented friend Rob. We met at a networking event a few months ago and we have since then really connected and had a lot of great sessions together. We are a great team when working together and it is also a little bit different from the music I have released in the past so I am excited to see where it can take us!
Tori: What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?
Ida: Do not listen to the advice of people who do not want you to succeed.
Keep creating music that feels authentic to you and not what people around you want to hear.
If you get stuck, go within so you can realise why.
If you wanna create - you also have to live a little!
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