Q: I love the storytelling in your voice What was the inspiration behind
“Dear Christopher”?
Heather Mall: Thank you so much! The inspiration behind ‘Dear Christopher,’ is how to go about your every day life while experiencing grief. Particularly, the feeling of losing someone in your life that you didn’t get to know well or never got to meet. Grief can impact people in different ways and I wanted to write about how it feels to grieve someone you didn’t know well. The topic of the song relates to losing someone who was young, a miscarriage, or someone that you didn’t know personally but were inspired by. I originally came up with some of the lyrics while randomly singing in my car, so when I got home I decided to write the song as a letter addressed to the person you’re grieving. Ultimately, I wanted the song to be the thought process of missing them, wondering how your life would be if they were still here and choosing to live life to the fullest every day to honor their memory.
Q: What did you enjoy most about making this track?
Mall: Storytelling through lyrics is extremely important to me, so I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down, writing the song and watch the lyrics fall into place. It’s a very personal song to me, so putting this part of myself out there that others may be able to relate to gave me a lot of comfort while creating the song. Other than that, I was excited to collaborate with Josh Northwood who produced, mixed & mastered the track. I told him that I wanted ‘Dear Christopher’ to have a nostalgic, melancholic, yet hopeful vibe that felt ethereal or ambient and he perfectly captured those feelings in the song. Listening to the track for the first time was really enjoyable because it felt like the song was finally complete and ready to be put out into the world.
Q: Who would you most like to collaborate with, if it could be anyone in
the world?
Mall: There are so many incredible artists that I am inspired by (Carole King, Jon Bellion, Ben Abraham, etc.) and I am incredibly indecisive when it comes to picking one artist. If I had to choose one, I would love to collaborate with Sara Bareilles. Her music has been influential to me throughout most of my life and her versatility in writing/musical theatre is incredibly inspiring to me. Her lyricism and songwriting skills really influence me and the way that I approach songwriting. Songwriting is it’s own form of poetry and listening to Sara’s music has always reminded me to create nuanced and thoughtful lyrics. It would be a dream come true collaborating with her!
Q: In your own words, how would you describe the music that you typically create?
Mall: My goal when creating music is to combine my love for nature and storytelling into a sound that is ambient mixed with pop/singer-songwriter styles. It’s important for me to create an authentic sound with relatable, yet nuanced lyrics. I don’t try to fit into any particular genre because I’ve been influenced by several genres, so I focus on making music that I would want to listen to. Also, after my first single I have made it a goal to incorporate bird calls into my songs somehow. I love animals, especially birds, so I love finding little spots in my music to add a bird call that fits with the song.
Q: What projects are currently in the works?
Mall: Right now, I’m working on a couple of singles that I want to release in the beginning half of this year. Later this year, I’ll be working on and releasing my first EP. I’m excited to collaborate with my friends/fellow musicians on the EP and I can’t wait to share more about the idea of it when it comes closer to the release date. The EP is the most elaborate piece of work I’ve put together so far and I am really excited to see how it turns out and eventually share it with everyone
Q: Any parting words to your fans?
Mall: I want to thank everyone for all of the support they have shown me, I am eternally grateful! As a kid, I always dreamed of becoming a professional singer and actor, really just an artist in general. It means the world to me knowing that I am living a life I’ve dreamt of for as long as I can remember. My biggest hope for my fans is that my music can inspire, heal or help them connect with themselves. You’re all the best, thank you again for supporting and listening to my music.
Interviewed by Katrina Yang
FOLLOW HEATHER MALL
