#he's spoken about this countless times in interviews but i do love the metaphor of the fort

[icbmil]

“I think that I like building forts cause the idea of space really scares me cause it’s infinite. I don’t mind the infinite going inward. Like when you film a TV. It’s a TV in a TV in a TV in a TV. I like being in one of those worlds. It’s like the idea of a fort, if there was another fort in here and then maybe another fort inside that and another fort inside that. Cause when you get outside of our fort…it’s not…it’s like the unknown. I don’t like that. I like being in a fort.”

[arcielee]

Interview With a Writer

Thank you so much @inthedayswhenlandswerefew​ for allowing me to pick your brain again, and giving us a glimpse into your process for your amazing stories. 💜  

This series is near and dear to my heart, completely self-indulgent, but I am glad others are enjoying it too. You can look over the masterlist to see the other amazing authors I have spoken with; this series is just a BTS of some of the talented minds on Tumblr and ao3.     

Name: inthedayswhenlandswerefew

Story: Now I’m Covered in You

Paring: HotD/War of the Roses AU Aemond Targaryen x Reader

Rating/Warning: Language, sexual content (18+), dubious consent, miscarriage, pregnancy, childbirth, violence, warfare, murder, alcoholism, sexism, infidelity, illness, death, only vaguely historically accurate, lots of horses!

Where did the plot for Now I’m Covered in You come from?  I’ve always, always, always loved British history. I’ve read countless books (mostly nonfiction, some fiction) about it and when I studied abroad in college, out of a hundred possible locations I chose to go to the United Kingdom. London is still my favorite place on Earth and I would love to live there someday. It’s truly where I feel like I belong. NICIY is definitely inspired by my love of British history (especially Renaissance-era) as well as two phenomenal television series: The Tudors and The White Queen.

I had the idea for NICIY but was still warring with it—I desperately wanted it to just go away so my life could be nice and simple, haha!—when I was driving to work listening to my Spotify playlist. I have a long commute, about 40 minutes, so I listen to a LOT of Spotify. And Taylor Swift’s song Ivy came on and I was like…about to drive off the road it hit me so hard. It struck every chord of this story and made it louder, unignorable. The forbidden pining. The wintery, mournful, timeless quality. The idea of someone growing over you and through you, like ivy, and turning you into a whole new version of yourself. And ivy (the plant) is indomitable, it’s very difficult to get rid of and it ends up destroying a lot of other foliage. The love that Aemond and Ivy share is like that, but Ivy herself is too. She’s adaptive, resilient, and…under the right circumstances…a bit ruthless. She was always going to survive. What is your planning process? How do you know the steps that need to unfold? I really adore foreshadowing. But I have to be careful because there are a few people (like @aemcndtargaryen​) who have this superpower where they seem to be able to latch onto EVERY little hint. So I'm always working on perfecting that balance between foreshadowing and being the right amount of mysterious!

My planning process always starts with a chapter list. For each chapter—starting with the last few and then looping back to the first one—I give it a name and a few key words to remind myself of which major events go where. Then as phrases, scenes, and conversations occur to me, I write them non-chronologically. 

For example, one of the first parts of NICIY that I wrote was the miscarriage in Chapter 3 and the disjointed exchanges between Aemond and Ivy as she’s floating in and out of consciousness. I fill in the gaps when it’s time to publish each chapter. I think this helps me maintain a consistent thread of foreshadowing that runs throughout the story because when there’s a certain metaphor or phrase that I like, I’ll go ahead and drop it into every chapter where I think it’ll end up fitting, and then tweak it later if necessary. 

But honestly, there are a lot of aspects of writing that I still can’t really explain. Sometimes a phrase will pop into my head and I’m thinking “what??” and then, weeks later, I finally see how it fits in the design. It’s all rather mystical in a neat sort of way. Explain your interpretation of Aemond. What drives him? Why is he the way he is in NICIY? NICIY Aemond is, to me, a mirror image of canon Aemond and also the version of Aemond that appeared in my first HOTD fic, Have You No Idea That You’re In Deep? 

He’s a bit more sensitive, reserved, emotionally intelligent, merciful, and of course poetic. Sir Criston tells Ivy in Chapter 9 that Aemond had changed for the better since she arrived in England, and that is what allows him and Ivy to get their happy ending. NICIY Aemond is affected by his past, but he’s not ruled by it. He is ultimately motivated by the future—by the possibility of having a family with Ivy, and the need for England to be stable in order for that to happen—rather than retribution for past wrongs. So he tends to be less reckless and more forgiving. He does lose his temper at times, he’s still human (and watching your brother be married to the woman you love is stressful), but he tends to be able to move past that wrath quickly and shift to something more productive, for example strategizing or comforting.

However, it must be said: Aemond is rather unhinged when it comes to Ivy, like he behaves in a way that is borderline obsessive. I think that’s a natural consequence of someone who does not connect with 99% of humans finally feeling like he’s found a perfect match that he never believed would exist. But Aemond cares greatly for Ivy’s wellbeing and respects her autonomy/preferences, so it’s a partnership that works.

Was his poem to Ivy a Maggie original? So my main writing medium is fiction, but I do occasionally write poems. I don’t feel especially comfortable with poetry but every once in a while the inspiration strikes and I’ll write like five in a week, and then none for months at a time. They usually fit with one of my stories rather than as standalone pieces, for example the way that “Ivy” only occurred to me because it was an aspect of NICIY. It’s an unapologetically deranged poem, especially in the way that Aemond uses it—he confesses love that he can’t bear to express out loud and then runs away to hide in the chapel—but the sentiment is heartwarming, I think.

What was the inspiration for Ivy?  I spent a lot of time thinking about the values that were instilled in royal women of this time period (1400s) and how different personalities would cope with those pressures. Ivy is (generally) a dutiful wife and does genuinely want to be the mother of a large family, but she’s also more scrappy than a typical princess. I think this has a lot to do with her upbringing. 

Ivy is from Navarre, which was a relatively small and undistinguished kingdom, and we have hints that her family life was a lot less stifling and formal than Nico’s, Kunigunde’s, or Alicent’s. She did a lot of rough-and-tumble activities like sparring and horseback riding, and seems to have genuinely warm relationships with her parents and siblings (Alonzo!!! 😍). She has an innate willfulness and ferocity that Aemond is mesmerized by.

He was instantly attracted to her when she arrived in London—hence being too shy to interact with her—and then when he saw how bravely she handled challenges (Aegon, Daemon, the miscarriages, court gossip) he fell absolutely madly in love with her. Aemond values nothing more than strength in the face of adversity, and he desired AND respected Ivy in a way that transcended anything he’d felt before.

Aemond and Ivy’s first interaction in Chapter 1 is this odd moment because for Ivy, it seems random and confusing (although welcomed), but for Aemond it’s this culmination of a year of all-consuming clandestine longing. Aemond finally talking to Ivy is sort of by chance—he runs into her and is caught off-guard, therefore he hesitates too long to excuse himself gracefully—but he’s also pushed into it by how much she’s suffered in England up until that point. He genuinely feels tremendously sorry for her and feels that she deserves better…and he also feels a drive to protect her from further harm. Aemond wants Ivy to be happy, and that eventually overpowers his paralyzing shyness.

Why do you feel Ivy complements Aemond well? Ivy and Aemond complement each other wonderfully. She is amazed by him—his competence, his beauty—and gives him the tender, protective, unconditional sort of love that he has always craved. Ivy is also not disturbed by Aemond’s disfigurement and has difficulty understanding why Miss Kuni has such trepidation about it in Chapter 6. Ivy can understand the trauma that Aemond carries because she has suffered similarly—in both her miscarriages and in her marriage to Aegon—but she does not consider him limited by it. 

They are equally dutiful yet passionate, and have the capacity to be both extraordinarily gentle and selectively ruthless. They are a bit of a power couple, and accomplish more together than either could separately.

What was the inspiration for the character creation of Kunigunde? Kunigunde—who I always refer to fondly as Miss Kuni, it’s cute but also proper in a way that I think suits her—is the perfect Renaissance-era princess. 

She’s wealthy, she’s honorable, she’s loyal, she’s beautiful, she’s clever, she’s sporty, she’s confident, she’s all the Spice Girls rolled into one. But Aemond feels absolutely nothing for her. This is a manifestation of the fact that Aemond is truly changed by Ivy at this point, and that she has covered him; the old Aemond never would have dreaded a match that was THIS advantageous to the Greens, nor spurned a bride that is supposedly everything he’s always wanted. 

Furthermore, Aemond’s prior sexual experiences (with the exception of Ivy and the Bearskin Rug Incident™️) were not what we would consider to be consensual, and the trauma that he carries from that adds another layer to his inability to be intimate with Miss Kuni, someone that he not only doesn’t have feelings for, but also cannot touch without feeling that he’s betraying Ivy.

Miss Kuni does her absolute best in a terrible situation and demonstrates steadfast loyalty to Aemond and the Greens. This is in part because honor demands it, but it’s also because her upbringing was very different from Ivy’s. 

Kunigunde grew up in a very formal court, and her family was not as warm as Ivy’s; Miss Kuni mentions in Chapter 7 that her family would blame her if her marriage failed, a stark contrast to how Ivy’s family has already plotted to bring her back home after feeling that Aegon wronged her. 

Miss Kuni confronting Daemon also illustrates just how cemented her traditional beliefs are—women aren’t combatants, princesses can’t be harmed—and it ultimately dooms her. But that sacrifice paves the way not only for the Greens’ military victory near Castle Rising, but also the Holy Roman Emperor taking Rhaenyra’s youngest children hostage as revenge for his daughter’s murder, which helps to neutralize Rhaenyra as a threat once the war is over.

Were there any other characters in your story that you enjoyed writing? I always adore writing Aegon. In every fandom, there are a few characters whose voices are so clear and so impactful in my head that their lines just feel like they write themselves. Aegon is like that for me. He is damaging without being malicious, pathetic and yet unpredictably heroic at times, weirdly insightful but also a dumb babygirl. I just love, love, love writing him. Especially since the Aegon who exists to me is Tom Glynn-Carney’s more nuanced and sympathetic interpretation, not the HOTD show canon version.

I also really enjoyed writing Nico. She is light and bubbly and enthusiastic and innocent, and compulsively honest in a way that is cringey for the royal family but hilarious to us readers. She adds some much-needed levity to an, at times, deeply tragic story. She’s also brave in a way that is sometimes unwise and childlike, which is consistent with her personality.

Lastly: Alonzo, as one wise anon message said, is a vibe.

So, I have to ask, you were “retired” but... Does this mean my “retirement” is over? Well…at the moment…yes. 😂 

I’m a lot more open to new fic ideas now because I’ve learned how impossible it is to predict when inspiration will strike, and I’ve also gained the perspective of what a loss it would have been if I’d never written NICIY. 

I think I’ve accepted that fics are likely just a part of my mental landscape and will be indefinitely. For example, after I finished up NICIY two weeks ago, I immediately dove back into my novel, write 20 pages…and then was assailed by a new fic idea! Of course I tried to ignore it, but as we have all learned, I am not very good at that. 

So a new HOTD fic is on the way! You will know more about that soon…very soon…very very soon… 👀

[mariahschoices]

Unloveable

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugo x Reader/OC

Word Count: 2726 

Theme: Angst (for now)

Part 2 of this story:

https://mariahschoices.tumblr.com/post/190002611367/beloved

Cold. Desperate. Alone. Numb. The quiet click-clack sounds of the clock on the wall slowed as you activated your quick, stretching the time between clicks from seconds, to minutes, to hours. It couldn’t be real. If you could slow down time, you wouldn’t have to accept your new reality. You wouldn’t have to accept what had happened. You tipped back the bottle in your hand, draining the last of its contents as you sat on the cold hardwood floor of your kitchen, blacking out from the truth. He was gone. 

Ten years ago. UA High School.

Bakugo half listened as he stared out the window of the classroom. Aizawa was droning on about some bullshit he’d already studied months ago. Bakugo took it upon himself to learn as much as he could so that he stayed ahead of his classmates. He was determined to become the number one hero. The explosive quirk that he possessed allowed him to essentially fly, blow shit up, and put any villain that got in his way in their place. It wasn’t enough to possess a powerful quirk, however. He also trained for countless hours each day, making sure that he was in peak physical condition, regardless of his quirk. There were quirk erasing drugs being developed after all, and he had to be prepared for any kind of fight. He also studied more than anyone realized, making sure that his grades stayed at the top of his class, even though to his peers, it seemed like he couldn’t care less about the “wisdom” his teachers sought to bless him with.

Bakugo’s thoughts drifted to the events of yesterday’s training session. He had been paired with a female student from class 1B. He didn’t even know your name, but he knew of you due to the remarkable quirk that you possessed. You had the ability to slow down or speed up time for yourself, as well as anyone you happened to be touching at the time. Your amazing abilities allowed you to slow down your perception of reality and the events occurring around you, allowing you to easily anticipate and dodge physical attacks and predict the movements of villains, or in this case, Bakugo. It was really quite enchanting to watch you fight. To the onlookers in the class, your movements were nearly imperceptible, as you were able to stay one step ahead of your opponent. You even got a few hits in on Bakugo before he came to his senses and blew you away, landing flat on your ass at the edge of the training grounds. 

Bakugo’s cheeks flushed pink as he thought about the way you’d walked away from the match with grace, even with an injury, still proud of your progress and your ability to land more than one hit on the highly ranked student from class 1A. 

Bakugo’s blush transformed and evolved into red as anger and embarrassment overtook his feelings. How could he allow some extra to get a hit in on him, much less more than one? 

The bell rang, signaling that it was time for lunch. Bakugo found his usual seat beside of Kirishima, who paused his conversation only momentarily to acknowledge Bakugo before continuing on about how “manly” yesterday’s match had been. 

Bakugo’s eyes roamed the lunchroom, deciding to look for you against his own accord. He didn’t want to become distracted from his goals over a few hits some random extra from 1B had gotten in on him. His eyes found yours from across the room, pulling your attention from your meal like a magnetic force. Bakugo left his seat, deciding to give you a piece of his mind. 

“Hi, Bak-” he stopped you before you could even finish greeting him, noting as his face took on a sneer, his eyes squinted in your direction as he looked at you with what could only be described as disgust.

“Listen, you’re nothing but a shitty extra. You will never touch me again. Your quirk is shitty and you should just give up trying to be a hero. I wish you would just speed up time so we could leave this school and I could beat your ass and never have to see your ugly face again! I will become the number one hero!” 

He didn’t know why he was so compelled to blow up on you, physically and metaphorically. He’d never fought someone like you before, and he didn’t like the way it made him feel. He’d always somewhat admired your quirk, but he couldn’t allow anyone to get in his way of becoming the top hero on the food chain.

Tears started to well in your eyes at his cruel display. You knew Bakugo was pretty notorious around UA for being an ass, but you figured he would at least respect you due to your powerful quirk. You swore you thought that you’d even seen a glimmer of admiration in his eye yesterday, before he’d come to his senses and blown you up of course. You couldn’t refrain from unleashing the word vomit that climbed up your throat like bile in response to Bakugo’s outburst.

“Fuck you, Bakugo. I will be a hero. it doesn’t matter how strong you are, because no one will ever love an asshole like you, no matter how many people you save. You’re an emotionless, unloveable dick!”

Bakugo’s hands crackled in anger. He wanted to blast your fucking face off. Barely containing his fury, he adjusted the blast to direct just in front of you, blowing up the lunch table and sending the remainder of your food flying in all directions. He quickly left the lunch room, which was still filled with students that had been stunned into silence. He quickly darted out of the room, turning the corner before anyone could see the glistening of tears that threatened to spill out from his eyes. He would show everyone how great of a hero he could be.

Ten years and six months forward. Present day.

Bakugo unlocked his apartment door with heavy-lidded eyes, acting as a barely functioning zombie, only able to perform routine tasks that didn’t require much thought or effort. Another exhausting day of hero work. He shoved his shoes off by the door, shuffling to his bedroom to take off the rest of his hero costume. The day had started with another irritating interview. He’d had to share the stage with fucking Deku, as the pair currently designated the top of the hero list. No one could deny that Bakugo was stronger, smarter, and obviously better looking than Deku, but he simply couldn’t beat the nerd in the eyes of public opinion. Though he had softened somewhat over the years, Bakugo still wasn’t a kiss ass, politically correct, family friendly hero. He was there to do a job and that job was to kick villain ass. All the interviewer could be bothered with was questions about his personal life, not about how many people he had saved or how important his work was. 

After the interview, he'd had to resume his normal patrols and hero work, saving over 30 civilians in a shopping center attack. But, of course Deku had been nearby due the recently conducted interview, having shown up at the last minute to smile for the cameras and answer questions for the journalists, essentially getting credit for the win by doting on his adoring public. 

Bakugo just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep through the next day. He was finally getting a day off from work for the first time in nearly a month. He’d been invited out for drinks by Kirishima, the only person he’d kept in touch with from UA, and the closest person to what he could call a friend. 

He took a quick shower and got redressed, telling himself that he’d just have one drink and then be able to go home and go to sleep. Shitty Hair had a wife and kids now after all, and he couldn’t be out too late without catching a shit fit from his woman. Bakugo had to take Kirishima up on his offers to hang out whenever they were offered, due to them both having busy schedules in addition to his duty to make time for family life.

Bakugo didn’t have his own family. Kirishima was the closest and only thing he had in the way of friendships, and he was extremely single. Sure, he was a man with needs and he’d had his fair share of one night stands with Ground Zero groupies who’d wanted to have angry sex for one night only that they could tell all of their friends about. But Bakugo had never really had a relationship, unless you counted the three-week-long distraction he’d had with his last assistant, before she was reassigned to another hero. 

Bakugo scrolled through his socials, waiting on Kirishima to get back from the bar with their drinks. A notification popped up, alerting him that a DM had been sent, probably from another wannabe hero fucker. Opening up his inbox, the round profile picture accompanying the new message caught his attention. 

His thoughts went back to that day in the lunch room. The words that were spoken there had haunted him for years, becoming louder and louder in his mind’s eye as the burnout and exhaustion from hero work started to take over his daily life. The name accompanying the side of the photo confirmed his suspicions. It was you, sending him a message when he hadn’t seen you in over ten years. He couldn’t help his curiosity as he clicked to read what you had to say.

“Hi, Bakugo. Or should I say Ground Zero now? Anyway, you may not remember me, but I was hoping I could meet up with you. I have something I’d like to discuss with you, and I think it would be best if we talked in person.”

You had just finished reading the message whenever Kirishima returned to the booth with your drinks. Upon seeing your slightly dazed expression, his eyes connected with the image of the classmate you two had shared many years ago. 

“What’s up, man? Why is she messaging you?” 

Kirishima was the only person who really knew how your words had effected him all of those years ago, slowly eating away at him as he worked his way up in the hero world, while his personal life simultaneously suffered. Maybe there had been some validity to your statements all of those years ago. After all, Bakugo was going home to an empty apartment, while the majority of your peers were living fulfilling lives and had families of their own. 

“I don’t know, Shitty Hair,” Bakugo spat out, his first response in most social interactions being frustration. “She wants to meet up with me in person to talk about something.”

“Well, you’re off tomorrow. Message her back. it’s not like you have anything better to do,” Kirishima admonished, encouraging you to seek some social interaction outside of himself and your work. 

Curiosity outweighing his better judgement, Bakugo began to type out a response to the girl whose words he’d never been able to quite get out of his head.

“Hey, there’s a coffee shop near my apartment....”

__________________________________________

The next day, you sat across Bakugo at the cafe, clinging to your coffee cup like  a lifeline. He’d insisted on paying for your drinks, even though you had been the one to invite him out. The action had surprised you, and you continued to mull over this thought as a distraction whenever he interrupted your internal monologue. 

“Well, I’m here. What was so important that you wanted to meet up? You know I’m busy being the top hero around here. Don’t you know that my time is important?” Bakugo couldn’t let you know that he’d actually had the day off, and that you’d probably saved him from another day of dreaded self-reflection. 

You decided to let it slide that Deku was actually the top hero, focusing on what was important, and the reason that you had decided to message Bakugo in the first place.

“I, so, you know we went to school together...” you started awkwardly, not really knowing how to approach the topic at hand with someone so brash as Bakugo.

“Tch, no shit. Tell me something that I don’t already know,” he interrupted. 

Deciding to try and be as direct as possible, you started again. 

“Bakugo, I contacted you because I need to apologize, as part of my program. It is one of the twelve steps to make amends with anyone we feel we have harmed.”

Your words instantly quieted Bakugo; meanwhile, his inner thoughts were taking a wild ride. Program? Apology? Surely you couldn’t be talking about that day. He had been such an ass in school, to you and to nearly everyone else, and he couldn’t really blame you for what you’d said that day. After all, you had been right. He didn’t have anyone is his life that really loved him.

“About six months ago, my husband passed away,” you swallowed, struggling to continue, “he passed away during the League of Villains attack at the college. He sacrificed himself to get that room of students evacuated In time...”

Bakugo was familiar with the incident. He had been called in as backup, but it was too late to save your husband. He was a decent enough guy as far as Bakugo knew. A minor league hero that he was familiar with. Truthfully, at the time, he had admired him for his sacrifice, almost wishing that it had been him instead. After all, he knew that the hero had a wife at home who would be left a widow, even though he hadn’t known it was you, and.... 

He stopped his train of thought before his expression could give anything away. After all, how could he sit there feeling sorry for himself whenever he was sitting across from the very woman who had been left behind.

“Anyway, when he passed away. I went into a very deep depression that was nearly impossible for me to get out of. I used my quirk to slow down the passing of time. I couldn’t face the thought of his funeral, so I just drank and drank until I couldn’t feel anymore...”

Bakugo watched as the first tear spilled over your red-rimmed eyes, giving away that this wasn’t your first bout of tears today. He resisted the urge to reach out and wipe the tear from your cheek. 

“Anyway, I stretched time to the point where a matter of days felt more like months for me, and I finally realized I needed help whenever Uraraka came over and took me to the hospital. They had to pump my stomach and I entered a rehab facility... now as part of the program I need to make amends with you Bakugo. It may not have even affected you at all, I know you’re a really strong person and nothing gets to you, but that day in the lunch room, when I told you that you were unloveable...” you paused, choking on air as the tears that spilled out threatened to overwhelm you, “I am truly sorry. I know what it feels like to have love gone from your life, and I truly wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

Bakugo didn’t know what to say or do. How could you sit here and apologize after what you had been through? He didn’t deserve your tears, and he felt an undercurrent of emotions that he hadn’t felt in a very long time towards anyone. Sympathy and regret.

“You don’t need to apologize, but thank you.” 

Bakugo’s words dried up your tears almost instantly, and you couldn’t help the look of surprise that crossed your features.

“You were right, actually. About what you said.”

Clearly he wasn’t remembering the day in question the same way that you were. Bakugo was a top hero. Obviously he was loved. He had thousands of fans. He had gotten everything he’d ever wanted and worked towards. 

“I’m sorry, Bakugo. Let me explain. When I said you were...”

“An unloveable dick?” he interrupted.

“An unloveable dick - yes, wait... so you do remember?” you yelped out with surprise. 

“I do. And you were right.”

[swedeandsour]

Ea Kaya on having a voice in the digital generation; the beauty of flaws and the importance of slowing down

Though she can certainly count her successes, making music is more than a numbers game according to Christine Kiberg, the Danish pop star better known as Ea Kaya. From her humble beginnings as YouTube cover artist to millions of streams on her Spotify page, Christine's story is one of resilience in an everchanging musical landscape. With her last record taking the heavy words "Fragile but Strong as Hell" in her title, Christine's sincerity serves as a rallying call to the downtrodden. Her music speaking a lyrical honesty rarely spoken, Ea Kaya believes that showing vulnerability isn't weakness, but rather something that demonstrates courage. But despite her successes, Ea Kaya's decided that maybe it's time for a break, to allow for her relationship with music to become intuitive again. Christine knows that she isn't perfect and neither is Ea Kaya, and that sometimes expectations whether business or personal can leave one becoming cynical and self-critical. Catching up online over Instagram memes and emails, Ea Kaya's Christine Kiberg gives us the low-down in an honest interview where she tells us about past successes and the importance of having a voice in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly-changing world. Keeping busy with her studies and reacquainting with nature to kick the Coronavirus blues, Ea Kaya caught up with us to remind ourselves the importance of slowing down and about seeing the beauty through the flaws.

Words: Peter Quincy Ng

Before Ea Kaya began, you were Christine Kiberg playing guitar covers on  YouTube. Although you didn't play your own songs back then, you obviously still  had to put your personal brand into it. Was there a selection process in the songs  you played and what you thought might resonate with fans and yourself? How has  the feedback you received as a cover artist shaped the way you are today as a  musician? 

Selecting the songs to post was quite simple: it had to be a popular, brand new song to catch the most possible viewers or just a song that I had loved. Because of my channel online, I frequently went to sites like Billboard to keep up with  International music just as much as I kept up with the music scene here in Denmark. I’ve been told countless times that my music doesn’t sound like it’s written by a Dane, and this is very likely because I’ve grown up listening to enormous streams of international pop  songs.  

By the way, congratulations on your Red Bull acoustic session of "4 AM" rolling  over one million streams on Spotify! Live sessions as we both know, were largely  exclusive to YouTube in the past, how have digital streaming platforms changed  your outlook as an artist in this new digital era of music consumption.

Thank you! The age of streaming is interesting. On one hand, I think it’s extremely exciting how everyone can release music at any given time. I also love how streaming can function like radio, in that it recommends you new music you haven’t heard before and that  probably wouldn’t find on your own. The streaming world does have a cynicism to it  though, in a degree the music industry hasn’t seen before. The supply of music is enormous, and the listener patience is decreasing. If it wasn’t for the revival of the vinyl, nobody would be buying albums anymore, and you can’t claim that there are big dollars in  streaming. We could discuss the many pros and cons of streaming for hours, but overall, I’ll say it saved the booty of the music industry from piracy.  

Ea Kaya · 4 AM

Anyway, with regards to your latest single, I love the flipping of the age-old adage, “sticks and stones can break my bones but words cannot hurt me” on "Skin and  Bones". As a person of the internet generation how important is it to realize that our online actions matter and the importance of mental health? 

Social media can be fun and we get a unique opportunity to connect with people from all  over the world. The internet is gigantic and it can seem so insignificant to write something  to a person you don’t know, who might even be sitting on the other side of the planet. The message still does reach the receiver though, and if you’ve written something that you wouldn’t tell a person face-to-face, of course your message can still hurt when it’s send in cyberspace. It’s hard not to compare yourself to what you see on social media, and many people already deal with low self-esteem. Nobody is immune to hatred, and only a fool will think their comments and messages are harmless.  

You directed your video Skin and Bones at home during quarantine, but for you,  nature was always integral to your well-being. Tell us about growing up by the water  and the woods, in Denmark and the importance of going outside.  

Everything is moving fast these days, and growing up I was taught how important it is to  pull the plug sometimes and go for a walk. The forest and the ocean therefore equal peace  to me. Besides finding calm, I find a lot of inspiration and happiness in nature. The sounds,  the smells, the beauty - it’s so genuine and fresh. I like the liveliness of the city, but living  far from nature makes me feel claustrophobic.  

The messages in your lyrics are always simple, direct and easy-to-understand. Is it  difficult putting sometimes very abstract topics into words?

Many years ago, I wrote songs that were full of metaphors and poetic descriptions; maybe to protect myself, maybe to sound artsy (laughs). I later found that it was a lot more giving to write songs that made people feel heard, understood and moved, even if it meant that I had to spill all my darkest secrets and deepest insecurities. As a songwriter, I think you  have to be willing to take chances and give away a little bit of yourself if you wish to get  something back.  

Ea Kaya · Cruel To Be Kind

One of the things I've noticed in your video especially "Remedy" and  "Cruel to Be Kind" is the topic of male vulnerability and gender fluidity. Why is it important to have these images? 

I feel extremely lucky to be a part of my generation, because we are more free than ever to love who we love, be who we want to be, express how we feel and believe in what we  believe in. Stereotypes and gender norms can be toxic, and even harmful. Telling somebody what they should do or who they should be won’t change the truth and nothing good  comes with it. For so long, standing out has been a negative thing, but we’re becoming  more and more accepting of each other’s differences. Individuality is becoming a positive thing and it’s just fantastic.  

Ea Kaya · Remedy

The title of your latest EP is "Fragile but Strong as Hell". The archetype of the  female artist is either one of female tenderness or the strong, independent, no nonsense woman. Why is it important to have that middle ground like you mention  in the title of your last record? 

Personally, I think showing weakness is a strength in itself. It’s easy to put up an armor  and only show your bright sides, but it takes courage to let people see when you feel  vulnerable. You can be fragile and strong as hell at the exact same time, and I think it’s  healthy to have both sides.  

Growing up in a musical family, music would seem like an obvious career choice.  But you're also a student in computer science, tell us how that's been and why  you've decided to do it on the back of a successful music career. 

I see why you think it’s an obvious choice. The funny thing is that all of the musicians in  my family are classical musicians, opera singers, to be exact. It’s two extremely different  worlds. It’s definitely a matter of perspective though (laughs)! Besides doing music, I recently  started studying Communication and IT. To be completely honest with you, I’ve felt trapped in a bubble for a very long time. In this business, everyone knows everyone, and most  people talk about the same thing, or about themselves or other people that you both know. Last year I decided I needed to learn something new and challenge myself. So far  it’s working out fine to do both!  

I heard you took your name Ea Kaya from "Ea" and "Kaya", both hypothetical  names you'd give your daughters if your music career never took off. Seeing that all  didn't crash and burn, what advice would you give to other young, female artists wanting to do things the Ea Kaya route? 

The Ea Kaya route is definitely the long, complicated route. If you start from scratch  without a network like I did, my advice for you is this:  

1) Practice! Then practice a bit more!  

2) Look for music offers and connections in your local area. There may be camps and classes that could be relevant. Write on music sites and social media that you are looking  for collaborators.  

3) If step #2 didn’t lead you to amazing partners that miraculously want to help you make  demos for free, then welcome to this step; get yourself a job and save up money to record  those incredible demos of yours!

4) Send your music to anyone you could imagine yourself working with. Be persistent and  if needed, pushy. Forget about modesty - if you’re on step 4, you’ve already worked your  ass off to get here.  

5) Last one: Remember why you do music. Yes, I’m bringing the cheese and the grease, but nevertheless you’re entering a strange, cool place with many ups and downs, so your  motivation is actually a very significant thing to keep in mind.  

You’re a very charismatic young woman and I don't think I can ever question your  success. But one question remains, how exactly how many popsicles did you go  through in your video for "Tied Up"? That's a lot of popsicles from what I see! 

(Laughs) That’s a quality question. I felt so bad about all those popsicles going to waste.  The cashier must’ve given my director some type of look when he went and purchased  that batch! 

Ea Kaya · Tied Up