Q&A: Pretty Girl Talks Portola, Emotional Storytelling, and Her Next Creative Chapter
PRETTY GIRL’S CAREER HAS BEEN A STEADY ASCENT, with her breakthrough EP Middle Ground released to critical acclaim in 2021. Since then, she’s quickly established herself as one of the most exciting emerging talents in the indie electronic scene, performing at festivals like Pitch Music & Arts, Glastonbury, Lost Village, and most recently, San Francisco’s Portola.
With new music in the works and an ever-evolving sound that marries lush production with heartfelt storytelling, Pretty Girl is on a journey to redefine electronic music with emotional honesty.
The Melbourne-based DJ, producer, and vocalist emotive electronic sound has been turning heads across the globe. Known for blending melodic house with atmospheric beats and introspective lyrics, Pretty Girl (real name Emilia Predebon) has cultivated a unique space in electronic music. Her tracks offer an emotional depth and rawness that captivate audiences both on and off the dance floor.
We caught up just after her electrifying set at Portola to talk about how her live shows influence her music-making process, the themes behind her upcoming album, and the powerful connection between music and visual storytelling.
LUNA: You killed your set earlier today - congrats! Amazing energy from you and the crowd. How are you feeling post-set?
PRETTY GIRL: I'm feeling really good. I wasn’t expecting a crowd that size, so I was quite blown away. It was fabulous. I had really high expectations for Portola since it has such a great reputation as a festival, and it definitely exceeded them.
LUNA: It’s one of those festivals where people show up early, even after being out until 5 a.m., yet they're back at 1 p.m. ready to go.
PRETTY GIRL: Right? It's amazing.
LUNA: You bring so many different elements to your live shows. How have your live performances affected your creative process moving forward?
PRETTY GIRL: I do make music with the intention of playing it live. I always consider how I’ll translate the production into a live setting. So, while I’m creating, I think about how to create big moments on stage. For the album I’m working on now, I’m constantly thinking, "How will this go on stage?"
LUNA: Do you feel like you're switching between producer and live DJ modes, or are those roles starting to fuse together?
PRETTY GIRL: For me, they’re pretty much one and the same. When I’m making music, I’m always thinking about energy and emotion, and that seamlessly carries over into the live setting. When I’m working on the live set, I’ll take the original tracks and build them up with more energy, adding percussive elements and parts I can do live using MIDI and synthesizers.
LUNA: It’s so interesting for the listener, too. After seeing a live version, you hear the original track differently.
PRETTY GIRL: Exactly. You get a reimagined version. Artists like Bicep and Bonobo do that really well. It's something I’ve always tried to incorporate—taking a studio version and making it special and memorable in the live setting. People have even said, "I wish you’d release the live versions," but the live show is its own experience. It's a unique branch of what Pretty Girl is.
LUNA: You mentioned working on new music. Are there any common themes or sonic elements you're exploring?
PRETTY GIRL: The new album will definitely be different from my last EP, which was very polished and positive, reflecting the emotions I was going through at the time. In the past year, I’ve been going through more challenging times, which ties into one of the album's themes—the rhythm of life and how it ebbs and flows.
LUNA: Life really is just a rollercoaster. You go through highs and lows, and that's just how it is.
PRETTY GIRL: Exactly. Life isn't meant to be easy all the time. There are moments of suffering and moments of prosperity. My manager always says, "Life is like a heart rate monitor - there's ups and there's downs on it - and if its just one level consistently then you're flatlining and dead!." It's true!
LUNA: Shifting to the visual side of things, how important is it for you to bring your music to life visually?
PRETTY GIRL: For me, music has always been tied to visuals. Even in the earlier phases of my music journey, I’d always imagine what a song would look like or where I’d be when hearing it. Translating that into a live setting is really important to me. I’d love to eventually tie what I’m doing on stage with what people are seeing—like, if I’m tweaking something live, the audience can see it happening visually. The technology is there; it’s just about figuring it out.
LUNA: It’s interesting how visuals have become such a big part of the festival experience. Some artists go all out, while others keep it minimal, but it always makes an impact.
PRETTY GIRL: Absolutely. Simplicity can be really important. It’s about communicating good ideas well. If it involves a huge production, then that's great, but sometimes, less is more.
LUNA: Lastly, what intentions do you have for the rest of the year?
PRETTY GIRL: My main intention is to stay in touch—with myself, my emotions, and how everything is affecting me. Touring can make it easy to dissociate, so I really want to stay present and raw, going with the rhythm of life.
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