Unearthing Heartbreak: The Journey of Özlem's "Durango"
Exploring Love, Loss, and Rebirth with Özlem.
In a musical landscape often saturated with familiar sounds and predictable narratives, Özlem emerges as a refreshing voice, blending genres and pushing boundaries. In an exclusive interview, Özlem takes us behind the scenes of their latest release, "Durango," a haunting alt-pop-country-western anthem that delves deep into the complexities of heartbreak and self-discovery. From the inspiration behind their unique sound to the raw emotions fueling their creative process, Özlem shares their journey of unearthing past pain, burning old memories, and rising from the ashes with a newfound sense of purpose.
Hi Özlem, super intrigued by "Durango"! Let's dive into this alt-pop-country-western heartbreak epic…
Your music style is so unique! How did you find your "alt-pop with a country twang" sound?
Honestly, I was trying to impress a boy from Colorado. He wasn’t big into synthpop so I wanted to write a sexy ballad. When it came time to create the arrangement, my longtime collaborator Jack Mullin and I agreed that it called for a country western vibe. I have to give 100% of the production and arrangement credits to Jack who is responsible for crafting the sound so impeccably. He completely understood the assignment – from the vocal production to the instrumentation to the mix.
Nancy Sinatra, Lee Hazlewood – love those references! Any specific songs or vibes you channel into your music?
“Summer Wine” and “Some Velvet Morning” are two of my favorites by Nancy & Lee. “You Wild Colorado” by Johnny Cash was another reference. Vocally I wanted to call back to crooners like Roy Orbison as well as his modern day counterpart Orville Peck. Tried my best to channel my inner crooner in the booth. I was also listening to Lana Del Rey’s Chemtrails album at the time that I wrote DURANGO… down at the men in music business conference.
Does the Brooklyn music scene influence the way you create?
It’s definitely been a part of my journey, especially my album Fagpop which was inspired by my introduction to the Brooklyn drag scene. I wanted to make records I could perform in queer nightlife spaces. These days I’m more reclusive. I don’t know if I’ve quite figured out where I fit in the NYC ‘scene.’
Okay, we NEED to talk about this "desecrating an ex's grave" concept. Was this inspired by a real heartbreak?
Very much so! This song is a story straight out of my life. Here are the sparknotes…
I got too invested in someone way too fast. In the thick of our enamored craze he had to go home to Colorado for a family member’s funeral. He was supposed to be gone for an extended time but he came back early to be with me, allegedly at his mother’s insistence. Almost instantly after his return there was a shift between us. It all fell apart soon after.
Cemeteries have been a running theme in my love life since high school when me and my girlfriend would frolic through the tombstones and make out on the graves. She was my first love and the first person to break my heart. Ever since then I’ve been chasing after that special feeling that being in love gave me. Often romanticizing relationships that weren’t meant to be and endlessly pondering what could have been.
When writing DURANGO, I thought to myself: it’s finally time to stop wandering around the metaphorical cemetery chasing ghosts and hoping corpses will resurrect. Time to dig it up, burn it all, and rise from the ashes.
Love the spaghetti western vibes! Do you have a favorite western film, or was there a certain visual style you wanted?
The western genre, both in music and film, is very much unfamiliar territory for me, which made it fun to explore. I didn’t want to go a super obvious route with the visuals, like having cowboys standoff in front of a saloon or something, though if you look closely in the video I am wearing cowboy boots underneath my dress! When I was discussing the production with Jack, he was the one who suggested shaping the sonics of the song to evoke the vibes of a spaghetti western film. I was like, I reckon that’s a great idea, partner.
Does the video's Staten Island setting have special meaning, or was it purely visual?
Oh yes, such special meaning for such a special place! [sarcasm]
We wanted to shoot in a wide open space and my director Peter McCain knew this specific spot behind an Amazon warehouse. We needed a place where we could commit a little arson without anyone taking notice… (no further spoilers here!) I think it’s ironic that one of the backdrops for this haunting song about mourning a lover from the mountains of Colorado is actually just a swampy field in Staten Island. But if you know me, this is very on brand. Also I do a great Staten Island accent.
The visual world you create in “Durango” is so vivid! Do you find songwriting and creating video concepts go hand-in-hand?
I’m always conjuring images when I write but plotting visual concepts for photoshoots and videos is typically a separate process. Mostly because I like to challenge whatever default concept first comes to my mind. Some level of contrast or juxtaposition is important. My last single ONE NIGHT was a very catchy and simply structured pop song so for the video I felt it necessary to do something weird and grotesque and kinda fucked up. That video was also directed by Peter, and what I love about collaborating with him is that if I pitch a basic or boring idea he will guide me back to the drawing board to create something infinitely cooler.
"Durango" is so powerful – what’s your message for listeners going through their own heartbreak?
Don’t let these bitches keep your heart in a chokehold!
What's next for you after this release? Any hints about future projects or shows?
I’m playing an intimate release show Sunday, April 21 at 8:30pm at Club Cumming, which will also be the exclusive NY premiere of the DURANGO video (drops online April 24). I’m very excited to workshop some new material… I’m gonna sing about the scorpios I hate, pussy envy, and my love for men who unionize.
I have an EP or two in the works along with some other things up my sleeve. DURANGO very much feels like a bookend on 10 years of writing and singing about unsuccessful and unrequited love, and I’m really excited for the chapters ahead. I’ve written a lot about my identity and have much to reveal.
Özlem, your creative process is fascinating! It sounds like you have more incredible visuals in store for us. Readers can listen to 'Durango' below!