Q&A: Kicking Off Her New Era of Music, Carla Wehbe Offers Belonging With the Boundary-Breaking Single, “is forever off the table?”

Q&AMusic

Jul 13

☆ BY Shellsea Lomeli ☆

PUSHING PASSED THE STRUCTURAL BOUNDARIES OF POP MUSIC — Australian artist Carla Wehbe’s newest release, “is forever off the table?” explores the juxtaposition of hopeful fantasies and current reality, all while establishing an addictive sound that can’t be played just once. With probing lyrics such as, “what if I belong to you and you belong to somebody else?” the song extends a sincere sense of understanding to those who still remain unsure about their place in the universe.

The single’s “otherworldly glam pop stomp” gives listeners a glimpse at Wehbe’s new era of music that she has been eager to share for quite some time. The multitalented singer-songwriter and producer has been releasing music since 2019 and has now turned to her closest friends as creative collaborators to cultivate a sound that truly embodies her authenticity and celebrates her uniqueness.

Alongside “is forever off the table?” the artist teamed up with director Kyle Caulfield to create a narrative-driven accompanying video that brings the search for belonging to life in a spectacular, unworldly fashion.

Read below to delve into Carla Wehbe’s artist journey, explore the meaning behind her eccentric embodiment of the space cowboy, and learn about the sonic inspirations “is forever off the table?” draws from, as well the new music that will follow later this year.

LUNA: First off, congrats on the release of your new single, “is forever off the table?” — we’ve been loving it. How does it feel to be putting this out in the world after dedicating so much time creating it?

WEHBE: It’s been a long time coming. This is one of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written. It couldn’t come soon enough. I think we wrote it in March of last year so I’ve had the song sitting there, listening to it for over a year. I’m just so excited for everyone to be able to hear it.

LUNA: Let’s go right into the sound of it all. The track starts off very stripped with just the pairing of vocals and piano. What’s the purpose behind this choice of introduction?

WEHBE: When I create music, I like exploring different structures. When we went into the session, we were open-minded from the beginning. I guess the intro is kind of like an inner dialogue. It’s a reflection, and more of the emotional part of the song. As soon as the verse comes in, it just hits you and completely contrasts. It’s like a completely different song, almost. We actually considered, “Do we just take that intro and make it its own song?” I ended up making the decision and said, “No, I think it should be together.” There’s always that internal dialogue that goes on, and there’s what happens outside yourself so I liked pairing those two things together.

LUNA: You shared that “is forever off the table?” is one of your favorite songs you’ve ever made. Can you share a little about how you’ve gone about finding your own personal sound?

WEHBE: Finding my sound has been a really big journey for me. When I first started singing, I thought I was going to be a rapper (laughs). I think it ultimately just came down to the fact that the music I listen to that makes me happy and feel good was not what I was trying to create in sessions. The stuff that I created by myself when I was in my studio was very different to the stuff that I was releasing. There was a bit more ’80s synth pop and, I guess, more straight down the line. The stuff that I made when it was just me was more exploring some of the older eras of music that inspire me. I got to the point where I was like, “This is what I want to explore more and this feels the most me.” I actually wrote the song, “is forever off the table?” with three of my best friends at a writing camp that I hold. It was an environment where there was no pressure, no judgment. There were just four friends creating. It was in Kangaroo Valley, this cool valley in New South Wales, where I’m from. The song came together so effortlessly. It was one of my favorite experiences. I think that was the first song that really allowed me to explore this whole new world of music that I’m creating and is why it’s one of my favorites.

LUNA: So, space cowboys. This aesthetic is very thematic in your artistry and fashion style. Where did this originate from, and how does it resonate with you?

WEHBE: I’ve always been obsessed with space, and I’ve ridden horses from when I was little. I have a horse so there are elements of western culture: the cowboys and all that stuff that I love. And there’s the futuristic element of space. In the ’70s, there was a whole space movement — all the furniture, the TVs. So that intrigued me as well. It’s like a retro, futuristic feel, but, also, Toy Story is one of my favorite movies and that’s, like, the original space cowboys. You know, Buzz Lightyear and Woody. It just allows me to create this little fantasy kind of world that wouldn’t necessarily go together, like space and cowboys. They’re from two different worlds but you put them together and they work. It’s a way that I like exploring who I am. I like drawing inspiration from things that I like and putting them together to make something that’s kind of unique.

LUNA: You mentioned the ’70s — is there a certain decade or era of music that you feel most connected to?

WEHBE: It’s a hard one because it changes all the time. I don’t really listen to a lot of music in general and I don’t listen to a lot of new music at all. But sometimes if I’m driving, I put on a 1940s playlist and listen to that. Love ’50s, love ’70s (laughs). Anything from the ’40s to the ’80s. I can’t really choose one. It just helps me to understand where music came from and I think, sometimes, when people make music today, we forget a lot of why we do this. It’s exciting to see how we’ve developed over time. It helps me to think of music as less linear and with less restrictions, I guess. There are so many possibilities.

LUNA: That’s such a beautiful way to put it.

WEHBE: Yeah, and there are heavy metal bands that use the harmonic minor scales, which are very typical of other genres of music. Take Queen. They show everybody that there are no rules, so that inspires me.

LUNA: You’re super involved in your music creation, from writing to singing to producing. With making this track specifically, did you have a certain part of creating that you liked the best, or do you sort of like all of the different elements for different reasons?

WEHBE: I think I like all of them for different reasons. I loved the creation of it. Like I said, I was with my best friends in this amazing valley so that’s a very special part of the whole thing. But I think the music video and creating the world that accompanies the music is also my favorite part of it. It’s hard to choose just one.

LUNA: Can you share a little about the accompanying video for “is forever off the table?” and the world you create in it?

WEHBE: I worked on it with a director named Kyle Caulfield. After having a chat with him, I knew we were going to be on the same page. Without explaining the concept too much, in the music video, I’m not from this earth. I’m from another planet. I’ve always felt like I didn’t fully — as cliche as it is — fit in anywhere completely so I’ve always felt a little bit like an alien growing up. The video is about [how], even when you do feel like an alien, there's always going to be something that gives you that sense of home or belonging.

LUNA: That’s such a great message. Aside from this release, are there any upcoming projects or anything that you’re involved in that you want to touch base on?

WEHBE: “Is forever off the table?” is part of something bigger. I’m really excited to share how everything ties together. We’re definitely working towards that currently. There will be music out all year, from now until the end of the year. It’s going to be song after song.

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫