Name: Gilska
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current event: Gilska's new single “Finish What You Started“ is out now.  
Recommendations: Listen to:
"Amour" by Jean-Michel Blais (it makes me cry every single time I listen to it)
"Young and beautiful" - Lana del Rey

If you enjoyed this Gilska interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her on Instagram, twitter, Facebook, and tiktok.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

When I listen to music I see myself performing the song, whether I’m dancing in a club or in a music video.

Usually my eyes are open, especially if I’m in the car aha!

Entering/creating new worlds through music has always exerted a strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to listening to and creating music?

I’m drawn to the way music makes me feel. If I’m sad I usually listen to sad songs, this takes me to that place where I can feel my emotions.

I want to feel something when I listen to and create music.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

Music has always meant everything to me. Usually an escape from reality or to help me regulate my emotions!

Tell me about one or two of your early pieces that you're still proud of (or satisfied with) – and why you're content with them.

My first song I released was called “Fantasy.”



It’ll always have a special place in my heart because I significantly remember when it was being made and showing my friends the track. It was the excitement of realising that this was definitely a track I wanted to release and I was proud of what I had achieved. I couldn’t wait for people to hear it.

What is your current your studio or workspace like? What instruments, tools, equipment, and space do you need to make music?

I play the piano so I usually write on the piano before I work with a producer to create the tracks.

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, tell me about the creative process for your current release, please.

I get an idea and write it down with chords and work on it on the piano. I come back to it for a couple of days, rewrite it, tear it apart and rewrite it again. Once I’m happy with the idea I bring it to a producer and we then find a sound for it.

Sometimes I have a clear idea of how I want it to sound but sometimes we have to experiment with a lot of sounds before we find the right one for it. Then we work out the structure, record some rough vocals for the demo and I sit with it. At this stage I work on some parts of it until I’m happy with it and then we record the final vocals.

Once this is done we send it off to mixing and mastering.

What role and importance do rituals have for you, both as an artist and a listener?

I don’t really have a ritual, I just live and breathe music.

Whenever I’m not doing something myself, usually there’ll be some music playing.

Are you acting out parts of your personality in your music which you couldn't or wouldn't in your daily life? If so, which are these?

Yes absolutely! My music are my fantasies and darker parts of myself coming to life.

Late producer SOPHIE said: “You have the possibility [...] to generate any texture, and any sound. So why would any musician want to limit themselves?” What's your take on that?

I think that’s right! Obviously when you find your niche it may be harder to defer but I think it’s always good to experiment with different sounds and broaden your horizons.

I’m still trying to experiment with my sound!

Do you feel that your music or your work as an artist needs to have a societal purpose or a responsibility to anyone but yourself?

I have a lot to say in the future, but I’m not quite ready to say it yet.

Once a piece is done and released, do you find it important that listeners understand it in a specific way? How do you deal with “misunderstandings?”

I think the one of the beautiful things about songs is that people have their own interpretations of what the meaning could be. It’s what helps them connect to it that matters.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

I love hearing birds sing in the morning. It still feels like Disney every single time I hear them sing.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

I used to hate silence, and most of the time I don’t allow silence to happen because the thoughts in my head become too loud.

But sometimes now I enjoy the silence as I’m in a much better place mentally. I still may listen to nature if it’s silent though!

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I can’t get therapy from making a cup of coffee. Now it may feel therapeutic to eat your favourite food but I think I get real benefits from writing my feelings down.

I usually write a lot more when I’m in a difficult place and it definitely helps more than making a cup of coffee. It’s a form of releasing that stress.

What is a music related question that you would like to ask yourself – and what's your answer to it?

If I couldn’t make music, what would I do?
Probably interior design or fashion related.