Delivering raw and reflective acoustics that can only be described as lugubrious, up-and-comer Odina is a dulcet indie artist ready to breakthrough. We caught up with her to talk everything from wistful vocals to pre-show rituals. Be sure to catch her indulgent cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” below!
Hi Blanca, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. First of all, what does your stage name Odina actually mean?
It comes from ‘Mount Odina’, it’s this place somewhere in northern Spain where my grandparents used to have a house. I guess it’s sort of this special place for my family. I wanted my stage name to somehow go back to my roots…
For those who haven’t heard your music yet, how would you best describe your sound?
It’s vulnerable, melancholic, introspective music. It is quite raw as well.
You’re originally from Spain, is there anything in particular you miss about it?
I miss a lot of things about Spain, like the food or the nice weather. But also my family and friends- I spent all my life there until I turned 18, so it will always be my home. Oh, and I especially miss my dog.
What are the main differences between your last EP, Broken, and the upcoming new material?
I think I’ve grown up as a person, and that comes through my writing. I’ve become a lot more confident in many ways, so I think the way I write songs has become more direct and you can definitely hear that in this EP. In terms of sound, even though I think it has similar elements than ‘Broken’, with this EP I’ve had a more clear vision of what I wanted as a producer, and I’ve also let myself experiment a bit more here and there with new sounds, with synths especially.
Can you tell us a little about the recording process?
I’ve produced this EP by myself, just as with ‘Broken’. Some parts and some songs were recorded at The Park Studios in London, other parts were just recorded in my bedroom which is where I feel more confortable recording. Recording in my bedroom by myself I think is a big part of what I do and of my sound, it allows me to be at my most vulnerable when recording, it’s important for me to keep that raw element no matter what. Tobin from The Park Studios mixed it. We work so well together, he always knows what I want to achieve, sometimes even before I start explaining it to him.
Which tracks are your favourite on your upcoming Nothing Makes Sense EP and why?
One of my favourite ones is ‘I’m Not Asking’ that will come out soon. It is one of the simplest songs I’ve ever written, and so I wanted the production to be just as simple. But in its simplicity I feel like it’s one of my strongest, and that’s something that I feel is quite hard to achieve or to replicate, it’s something that just happens naturally.
What is your happiest music-related memory?
That’s a hard question, I think I have a lot of happy memories involving music. Maybe the Bob Dylan concert I went to as a teenager, that was pretty surreal.
You’re based in Paris for the year; do you think this will influence your songwriting style at all, have you had any standout experiences since you arrived?
I think it definitely influences my songwriting, just as being in London did. It’s a very inspiring city in many ways, its beauty, its architecture… At the same time, I moved into an apartment by myself, in a new city where I didn’t know anyone, it was easy to feel lonely especially at the beginning. That’s definitely a source of inspiration for my writing.
Do you have a ritual before performing live, if so, what is it?
I don’t really have any weird rituals, I usually just drink a lot of water, I don’t know if that’s because I’m nervous. I get less and less nervous every day, but I guess I should probably get myself a ritual to get rid of those nerves.
After the “Nothing Makes Sense” EP is out, what’s next for Odina?
I’ve been writing a lot lately, and want to focus on writing more after this EP is out… But you can expect some more singles from me, and hopefully sooner than later my debut album… It’s what I’d like to finally focus all my energy on creating.
