Q&A: renforshort Goes There on Her Debut Album 'dear amelia'
SOMETIMES WE NEED A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND — and renforshort is that shoulder to lean on. We can expect nothing less from her debut album, dear amelia. More than ever, renforshort is giving us an inside look into the seemingly invisible ups and downs that define young adulthood, from moving out to confronting inner demons.
Like so many, renforshort has felt lost in a world that doesn’t stop turning. For her, that’s where writing to Amelia comes in with her fittingly-named song “amelia.” As the album’s titular character, Amelia takes on a life of her own. To renforshort, she is a personification of the stress and anxiety of life that persists despite wanting it any other way — that all-too-familiar feeling of dread that lives in the back of her mind.
But it’s in meeting Amelia — this other side of herself — that renforshort finds other sides of life too: small moments of joy, windows of unburdened inspiration, and an empowered mindset ready to face the challenges that come at her. Although powerful, renforshort finds that Amelia is not all that she is.
For its relatable and painstakingly honest lyricism, dear amelia is an undiluted recollection of what it’s like to be human and confront difficult emotions straight on. The album demands attention, needing to be heard for the sake of those with their own Amelia out there.
The Luna Collective was invited to an online press conference with renforshort hosted by 1824 of Universal Music Group. Read below as renforshort shares insights into her songwriting process, thoughts on the music industry today, and discusses her upcoming debut album.
1824: What is the message that you would like to share for your songs?
RENFORSHORT: Since I started making music, it's been about writing songs that are emotional not only in a relationship sense but also [in] what I'm going through that I feel like would help other people. I think that it's fine to have songs that don't have a resolution because I don't know a resolution a lot of the time for how I'm feeling.
1824: As an upcoming female artist, what change would you love to see for a woman in the music industry?
RENFORSHORT: For me, I started really young and … being a young female artist — or female in general — is super difficult. There's a lot of things I think that need to be changed in the industry and in the world that need to be changed for women. I would love to be able to go into a session and feel 100% comfortable. You know what? I don't and I never have. I have had experiences that have reaffirmed that, and that sucks. I would like to be taken more seriously. I feel like people should just start listening a little bit more. I think a lot of people feel very intimidated by powerful women. As much as I love people to feel intimidated by me — because I feel then [that] they will listen to me — it’s like, just look at me, I'm a person. Listen to me — my ideas are great. I know that sometimes they're not, but at least just listen and be receptive. I'm very passionate about that and I think … if we can only get closer because of the state of the world right now, but we can just keep trying; keep pushing and being loud.
1824: I know you took an all women team with you on the road. Did having that sisterhood and female representation impact your life on tour in any way? And were there any rules you learned from this tour that you'll be taking with you on your headline?
RENFORSHORT: A majority of my team is female. There were like two men, but it makes such a difference. My last tour was all men and I love them so much but having these women on the road with me gave me what I needed, and I said that after the tour. I said, “I need women on my tour.” It's so empowering. We’d go into venues and some of the venue staff would be like, “Oh, are your husbands playing tonight?” and we're like, “No, no, we're doing the thing — this is my tour manager, this is my father, this my merch lady, this is me,” like, “We got this, we're doing the thing.” So people are like, “Well…” and that was hurtful. It's like, we'll show them. I think having those women there made it a comfortable environment for me. I could turn to them and be like, “Hey, what's going on here?” It's like having a friend on the road, so I know now for future tours to always surround myself with women.
1824: What are you most looking forward to in terms of doing a headlining tour? And how do you anticipate this will differ from opening for other artists on their tours?
RENFORSHORT: I think about this a lot. I've done one headline show and it was genuinely the best night of my life. I didn't sleep — there [were] so [many] endorphins. I'm really excited to plan out a show — like lighting and the pace; being able to speak more and interact with the audience more. Knowing that these people came to see me gives me a sense of security. My job now is to warm up the headliner. On a headline, you as an artist can be more you — 100% you. You have the stage design be you and have the lighting view and just everything is you. That's really awesome to have another outlet to express yourself in your artistry, so I'm very excited about that.
1824: On the topic of tour, what makes you feel at home when you're on the road?
RENFORSHORT: The crossword puzzles. I do, like, seven a day because it reminds me of being in bed. So I like to sit in my bunk and do crosswords, and it’s like I'm having a good time. It can be sort of isolating, but that kind of helps me out.
1824: Do you think the times that we live in break down any traditional barriers for young artists?
RENFORSHORT: I think in some ways, yes. There's laws in place so that your parents can't take your money or stuff like that. But young artists are looked at as young people, and that's a little annoying. I don't think that any traditional values really have gone away. It's a step that still needs to be taken. I feel a lot of the time that no one thinks that a 17-year-old can make decisions about her life, but you expect someone to come out of high school at 17 or 18 and be like, “This is what I want to do with my life.” Use your energy in the same way as when you send kids off to work at 18, you know. We know what we want to do, and I know what I want to do. I've always known what I wanted to do and these are my ideas — I want you to listen to my ideas because I'm very sure of what I want. I think you'll always have to be a little bit louder. You feel like [you] always will have to be a little bit louder, and I was a very passive person. I still am pretty passive, but I'm working on that because that's the only way I can really do my thing.
1824: Since Toronto is known for being a cultural hotspot in many different ways, I was wondering how your city has influenced your sound.
RENFORSHORT: In so many ways, I find so much inspiration in that city. I try and go back as much as I can because not only have my core memories for the most part been there, which gives me a lot of inspiration, [but] in turn there's so many people from different backgrounds that come from different places and have different stories. And being able to sit with those people and talk to them is super inspiring as well. You know how much really is going on in your own life that you can just pump out hundreds of songs about you, so I feel, culturally, it's super inspiring. It's nice to see unity and while there's still a lot of steps that need to be taken, I think that just you learn a lot about others, which is really cool. I chase the feeling of being in Toronto, which is so weird. I want greenery, I want Ravine, and I want this and I want this, so that's what inspires me.
1824: I was super excited to see you and Alexander 23 collaborating because you're two of my favorite artists. I'm wondering how you choose your collaborators.
RENFORSHORT: I like to at least have some sort of relationship with them because it's just easier to work with friends, and Alexander I’ve known for a while and spent time with so it made it so much easier to work with him. For me, the main criteria is: Do I get along with this person? How easy is it for me to open up to this person? And that's kind of what helps me pick who I'm going to work with. I love trying to work with new people because the more people you can work with, the more variety you can get I guess in a way. It’s also [that] once you find those people, you're gonna feel very comfortable, and I have that with Alexander and all these people that I just love.
1824: Since you're about to release your debut album, do you have an all-time favorite or couple favorite debut albums from other artists?
RENFORSHORT: Yes, I do. Jake Bugg’s self-titled is one of my favorite debut albums ever. So is For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver — pretty sure that was the debut, I think it was 2008. I know when it came out, but I don’t know if that’s the debut. But yeah, those are probably my favorites.
1824: While your forthcoming album has a long list of collaborators, is there anyone off the top of your head that you would have loved to have worked with on it but you just didn't get to? Or schedules didn't align with them?
RENFORSHORT: I got the collaboration of my dreams on that album so I'm like, “That worked out.” But yeah, there's people that I would love [to work with]. I have my dream collaborations, and who knows if it'll ever happen. They're very far-fetched, but yeah, I definitely tried to get everyone in that I wanted to work with and have collaborate on the project. I wanted to make sure that everything was ticked, so spending more time on it for that reason was really important. Maybe Julian Casablancas, actually. Because there was no way of getting to him, but I’m still putting out a song about him. I guess that's the one.
1824: If you could collaborate with anyone throughout history, even if they're not alive, who would it be? Anyone your heart desires.
RENFORSHORT: Honestly, probably Amy Winehouse on a music front because she's just the love of my life. Or in an artistic way, Van Gogh — I know that that would work. Also, Elliott Smith… so many people.
1824: How have you changed from when you released your first single waves versus your soon-to-be fully released project, dear amelia?
RENFORSHORT: I've changed in so many ways, as a person and as an artist. I've kept those core values of making music, which is mental health and … honesty, over time I feel my writing has definitely matured. I've consumed more media, I've met more people, I've learned more, and I think that that's changed me as an artist and as a person. I was almost, in a way, forced to mature a little bit faster than a lot of people would, and I don't think that that's necessarily a terrible thing. I think that that has helped me in a way with everything: the music, the creative conversations, with my business… so that's pretty cool.
1824: What's one moment in your career so far that just lives rent free in your memory?
RENFORSHORT: I have an answer for that! When my manager sent me a version of “let you down,” which is a song on the album featuring Jake Bugg, I manifested it basically. I said to him, “I'm not writing a second verse… I’m not putting this song out if Jake Bugg’s not on it,” and he was like “Okay,” and then he comes back a couple months later and he’s like, “Here’s an update of the song” and Jake Bugg was on it. I started bawling my eyes out and I was just like, “Wow, this is a moment,” because he was one of the first artists I ever fell in love with. For me it was like “Wow, that happened — this is insane.” I think about it constantly.
1824: How did you decide that “i miss you” would be the opening track to your debut album?
RENFORSHORT: Well, it was the last song I wrote, and I think I needed that. It was kind of in-conclusion, but as an opener, if that makes sense. I wrote it for the purpose of being the opener. I just sat in the studio; it took a while to finish that song because I needed everything to align and make sense. Once we got to that point and it was good, it took a lot of vocal takes too. It was a tough one to nail, but I heard it and I was like, “This is it, this is going to be — it has to be — it just makes sense, it works.”
1824: What are your top three goals that you'd like to accomplish in your music career?
RENFORSHORT: That's a very hard one. I would like to be able to continue to make music for my whole life. That's definitely a goal. I would like to play in an arena and I would [like] to help as many people through music and selfishly kind of help myself, in a way. You know, just from that catharsis of making the music and getting that off my chest and having people resonate with it. I think it's helpful for others too.
1824: You released your debut EP, teenage angst, back in March 2020 before quarantine really began, but now that you’re on your debut album, how do you feel you've grown as an artist or shifted your perspective artistically since then?
RENFORSHORT: I have had more experiences and I definitely have met a lot of people and had things happen with my brain that are not ideal, but that also helps me connect to other people. Back then, I was so young, and I had high school experiences. The older I got, the more experiences I had, and that really played into the narrative of my music. I moved out of home for the first time, I had some crazy shit happening, and I don't think I would have been where I am right now if I didn't have those experiences. As an artist, they've helped me grow substantially. It's the same with a painter. Find your muse — it doesn't have to be a person, but it's like you look at a landscape and you're like, “I'm gonna paint this.” You look at a landscape and you're like, “I'm gonna write about.” There's a lot of inspiration in everything.
1824: Your most recent release, “i miss myself,” tackles major feelings of isolation. When you start feeling this way, what are some of your favorite things to do to make yourself feel whole again?
RENFORSHORT: Honestly, I like calling my mom with anything like minor inconveniences. Nostalgia helps me, so what music was I listening to when I was 15? What walks was I doing? What food was I fixated on? Those things bring me back to that time and help me feel connected to my body again. Going back to core experiences or a daily routine that you had when you were younger that you remember is what I find really brings me back.
1824: Is there a specific song that you would be able to say, “You know what, this is self-care for me — every time I listen to this it just does it for me”?
RENFORSHORT: Honestly, there's two. One of them is “Simple as This” by Jake Bugg. Obviously, I'm going to say that and the other one is “Strange Things Will Happen” by The Radio Dept. Funny enough, they're both in the Fault In Our Stars soundtrack, and I did get them both from the … soundtrack when I was literally 13 years old. So thank you John Green for that. Those songs just make me feel so whole.
1824: Who is Amelia, and why does the album begin with the mention of her in its title and end with the closing song of the same name?
RENFORSHORT: Amelia is a character. All the songs are basically addressed to her, and the thing about Amelia is, while she's a character, she's also me. She's basically the personification of this part of my brain that I put so much stress on. Instead of speaking out, I'm speaking to myself and complaining to myself, just being so inward. It closes with the song “amelia” because you lose that part of yourself and that kind of goes back to “i miss myself.” It's like you put so much stress on yourself that, inevitably, something goes wrong and you lose elements of who you once were, whether it's happiness or even sadness. It's exactly like Inside Out with joy, ghosts, and dips.
1824: I was curious about what inspired the Letters to Amelia campaign that you're currently running and what is happening with the letters that are written to Amelia.
RENFORSHORT: Every song was basically addressed to Amelia like a letter, and you write this letter, drop it in a mailbox, and forget about it. Once it gets to the PO Box, we just dispose of it. You get all this off your chest… It’s how it feels for me to write a song, how it feels to write in a diary but not risk anyone going in and seeing it. It's one step closer to being able to talk about your feelings. It's kind of a practice, which is really cool. Super cathartic, which is nice.
1824: What has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career?
RENFORSHORT: Gosh, there's been a lot. For me, finding that balance. Either I think I work way too hard to where I don't have any time for myself, or I've taken this much time for myself and I haven't done anything. Finding that work–life balance is super important and it's really hard. I think as a musician or artist in general, it’s hard know what is working and what is life because I need life to work. Everyone needs life to work, obviously, but I need to be inspired by life to be able to do my work. And then I need to work or else I feel like I'm not doing anything, so I spiral. I’ve had tough moments mentally trying to separate [them]. If I've had some sort of breakdown in the morning then I'm like, “Okay, I'm going to go have a meeting with this really important person because it's my job and I have to get into the headspace for that.”
1824: Anxiety has become such an open topic of conversation amongst everybody, but creatives, especially like you, mention that there's so much pressure that goes on. What is a piece of advice that you can offer based on your own experiences with anxiety?
RENFORSHORT: I mean, I'm in no position to be like, “This really helps.” I haven't found what helps me. Zoloft helps me a little bit, but besides that I don't really know what helps. But talking to someone always helps, whether it's a friend, therapist, parent, a sibling — anyone. Just having someone you can confide in is super helpful. My release is writing, and I think once you find that release it's very helpful, because anxiety is a little demon. For some reason we have to figure out how to deal with it, almost kind of what feels like on our own.
1824: Now that you're going on your own headlining tour, what do you want people to take away now you're the main attraction? What do you think people are gonna get from this record that they didn't get beforehand?
RENFORSHORT: I think that with every record I find, I get more vulnerable. And these are, I think, the most emotional songs I've probably written in my career. For headline shows, I want them to feel very united, like family. I always make it a point to get everyone to put a hand in the air. No matter what we agree on or what we don't agree on, we're doing something together. Even if it's just something as silly as this, we're united because of this finger. This is a safe space and that's all I want to create is a safe space for everyone in that room. I think that's the difference. I can control in a way that narrative and how I want my shows to feel.
1824: What's something you don't feel you've gotten to share about yourself? It could be things that you haven't gotten to talk about in interviews, anything. Doesn't have to be about music.
RENFORSHORT: Sometimes I'm like, I wish people knew this. I think over this past year I've struggled a lot with myself and I've had a really, really tough year in that way. It’s definitely getting better now, but I was in such a negative space. I kind of felt like the world was against me, and I know that's not the case now, but at the time I didn’t. Behind the scenes, it was a hard time for me mentally. A lot of things happened this year that didn't help so much. I think you never really know. I like to apply this to my life when talking with others or when responding to other people. You never know what someone is going through. Just try to be kind and respectful because people need that positivity.
It's like, you go out to get a coffee and you're driving, and someone honks at you. You're like, “Ugh, that sucks,” but now I've been honked at and I'm upset, then someone gives you the finger and that negativity is a like day-to-day thing. And how often does someone say to you, “I really like your shirt today?” Bringing that positivity makes such a big difference every day. Every positive interaction I've had on the street with a stranger has stuck with me forever. And I think what I can do, and what a lot of people can do, is try is to bring that positivity back into the world. Because times are weird.
1824: What were the albums or specific songs that you might have been listening to during the making of your album that's coming out that might have impacted the sound that you’re making?
RENFORSHORT: I was listening to basically the entire The Strokes discography, XO by Elliot Smith, and a lot of Mitski. I feel like you can hear a lot of those inspirations in the album. Those are the ones that I was really hyper-focused on.
1824: How many songs did you have that didn't make the album? Why didn't they make the album?
RENFORSHORT: A lot. There are a lot of songs that didn't make the album. There are some songs that, if I could, I'd probably put that on the album and take out one to be honest. It's an experience; you learn, and I'm still learning. I couldn't even tell you [how] many songs I wrote. This album was me writing every day for, like, eight months, so sometimes two songs a day, three songs a day. There's a lot of songs, and they will be used. It's just [that] at the end of the day I was looking for what fit on the project and the narrative and kind of went from there.
1824: What young female collab do you think could make history for the future generations of women in the music industry? If you could pick maybe two other young female upcoming artists right now that you would say could be the next Destiny's Child, or something like that?
RENFORSHORT: There's so many talented female artists, and I think the first step is for women to really support each other. Doing that could bring us to the highest levels. But a collab that would end the world? What a question. There's so, so many people and, I don't know — there's too many I like.
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