Behind the Music

I am very particular about the projects I take on and the songs I write. I have never been an assembly line songwriter. Creativity does not happen on a schedule for me. There have been times when I have woken up at 2:00 in the morning with an idea and written until 6:00. When inspiration shows up, I want to be there to receive it.

Because I can write a song in its entirety, I have never felt the need to co-write simply for the sake of co-writing. The right collaboration has to have trust, honesty, and enough creative freedom to say, "I don't like that," or, "Let's try something else." Mike Mikel and I have always had that kind of musical relationship. Years ago, we spent endless hours in studios in Los Angeles writing, creating, and experimenting because we genuinely loved the process.

When Mike and I reconnected, he asked if I wanted to hear a few tracks. I said absolutely. A few were not for me, because I know what I connect with, but the moment he played me a glimpse of the track that became "Girls Night Out," it was an immediate yes. I tried a few lyrical directions before realizing exactly what I wanted it to be: a girls' anthem.

I sing live at events and occasionally DJ as well, and I kept noticing there wasn't a current song that really pulled the women onto the dance floor. I wanted something fun, confident, and infectious. The kind of song a group of friends would turn up on a night out, or a bachelorette party would make their own.

Mike may have wondered what I was getting him into at first, but once he heard the vocal ideas, hooks, and direction, everything clicked. He did an amazing job bringing the track to life, and the finished song feels exactly like what we set out to make: upbeat, rhythmic, playful, and made to move. I feel completely confident putting "Girls Night Out" into the world, and we hope people have as much fun with it as we did creating it.