by martina rexrode
photo courtesy of flower face
Ruby McKinnon, artistically known as Flower Face, released her latest single last month, a sad girl anthem titled “Maniac” that touches on the self-awareness that comes with a flawed relationship. The single and its accompanying music video are hauntingly relatable with a sense of honesty that can only come from time spent reflecting on every little thing from every perspective of whichever situation you were involved in — a relationship and a breakup in this case. We talked with Ruby about this single as well as her forthcoming album Girl Prometheus and her advice podcast. Follow Ruby on Instagram (@flowerfacemusic) to stay up to date with her releases, performances, and news!
Congratulations on your recent single “Maniac!” What emotions does a release like this typically make you feel now that it’s out in the world?
Ruby: “It’s always a strange feeling! The process of making a song, from writing to recording to mixing, is always really intense and feels chaotic at times, and then once it’s finished you have to just sit with it until it’s released. I try not to worry too much about the public reception or reviews or anything like that, because none of that changes what the song means to me. I focus on the excitement of the song finally existing in the world outside of my little circle, and knowing that it’s going to mean something different to everyone who hears it.”
What kinds of themes do you explore in this single? What do you hope listeners connect to?
Ruby: “This song is essentially a reaction to having someone tell me everything they don’t like about me, and feeling like I’m to blame for their unhappiness. It’s saying yes, I recognize my faults, I’m aware of them, and I can face that — what about you? Women especially are often called crazy or hysterical or dramatic just for having an emotional reaction to something: so I’m taking that accusation and saying sure, maybe I am crazy, but is that worse than being apathetic and unkind? One thing about a breakup is that both people involved have their version of the story, and you can’t control the way they represent you to others, or even to themselves. So I hope if anyone going through that hears this song, it helps them to accept that fact and to put their energy into moving forward knowing the truth of their experience, and that that’s what matters at the end of it all.”
What is your favorite lyric from “Maniac?”
Ruby: “‘I invite him over just to hold me even if I have to let him know me / You ask me if that’s biblical and I finally think you’re funny.’ I think it’s the best joke on the album. Although I guess there aren’t very many jokes in there…”
Where did you pull inspiration from for the music video?
Ruby: “I wanted it to carry through this theme of playing into someone’s idea of the worst version of yourself — this character, or villain, even, that they need to make you into in order to justify the way they treat you. So I’m sitting there in front of a TV set, imitating this kinda creepy and unhinged version of myself. The whole song is pretty tongue-in-cheek, so I wanted the video to be as well.”
How do these recent singles introduce listeners to the subjects and sounds they’ll hear on your forthcoming album, Girl Prometheus?
Ruby: “‘Maniac’ is the most stripped down and simple song on the record. It’s the only one that’s fully acoustic. Overall the record has a cohesive sound for sure, but there’s a lot of exploration within that world. In terms of subjects, I imagine each song as representing a different phase of heartbreak. I don’t like to say stages, because it’s really not linear. I think you tend to jump back and forth a lot. I see it more as this giant house where each song is its own little room, with its own set of feelings and experiences and lessons. Some of them are painful and nightmarish, but some are really beautiful and fun. I’m looking forward to letting everyone walk through the house and see it as a whole.”
What kind of journey will this album take listeners on? What kind of journey did you go on while making it?
Ruby: “Of all the albums I’ve made, this one is the most emotionally urgent and immediate, because I wrote it as I was going through the most chaotic and emotional year of my life. I think that comes through in a lot of the songs: it’s not a reflection, there’s no distance from the subject matter, it’s up close, up front, unflinching. It was a really intense process, but a very cathartic one. And I hope that will be the journey for listeners as well: a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but with some real catharsis in the end.”
How would you describe the “goth-folk” genre in your own words?
Ruby: “That isn’t a label I came up with, so it’s hard to describe! I always have a difficult time defining my genre, especially because I think it’s transformed so much throughout my career, and will continue to. Who knows what kind of sounds I’ll want to make in the future.”
Where did the idea for your Loveline podcast come from? What are your favorite topics to give fans advice on?
Ruby: “One of my favourite podcasts, Celebrity Book Club, does occasional ‘loveline’ episodes. I was listening to one of those, and thinking about the fact that my fans tend to send me long messages either asking for advice or just telling me about their experiences. I thought it would be nice to give them an official avenue to do that and maybe get a response, because I have a hard time keeping up with social media messages, and sometimes have to avoid checking them at all in order to preserve my own mental state. I love giving advice on all kinds of things! It’s been nice answering questions about friendship especially, because my guests have all been good friends of mine so far. Sometimes people send in questions asking legal advice, which I’m definitely not qualified to give…”
Is there anything else you can share with us about Girl Prometheus?
Ruby: “Best to keep some things a secret, but I will say that the visual world is not complete, there is more to come!”