Photo by Gill Thorne

Toronto’s Neavv’s latest, Fall Hard. Get Sad. takes pop, runs it through a delicate synth bath and tosses it in alternative ensemble all while tackling the somber side of the emotional spectrum. With songs like her single, “Keep,” she paints a portrait of expectations we place on those around us and dives deep into her art. We talked about that, if she’s really a lone wolf out there on her own, and more.

Kendra: Your debut, Fall Hard. Get Sad., sounds like the title of something one would hear at an Emo Nite event around the country. Were you inspired at all by that scene?

Neavv: I’m a big Paramore fan. Have been since the beginning when they were more “emo”. I also love a lot of other bands in that genre. So I’d say I’m influenced by that music but not necessarily by the scene itself. I’ve always been a little sad. My music tends to speak more to those feelings than say the happier moments in my life.

Kendra: The record seemed to be all said and done and then in came “Keep.” Do you feel the album would’ve felt incomplete if you had to wait for this song to be released at a later date?

Neavv: I definitely think it would have felt like something was missing both thematically and musically. I write from experience and “Keep” came out of an important shift in my own life and thinking and I feel there would have been an important moment and message missing on the album without it.

Kendra: Usually, we fail to see those around us for who they really are. “Keep” is about those rose-colored glasses coming off. Are we blinded by our friends and family?

Neavv: We aren’t necessarily blinded by our friends and family, but more so by our own expectations for those people. Plus the fear of what comes after acknowledging someone is actually exactly who they show you they are. Nobody wants to lose a loved one whether it’s in the physical sense or in an “ideal” sense. It’s much easier to hold onto a false reality and hope things will change than choose to take those rose-colored glasses off.

Kendra: With a song like “Lone Wolf” some may assume you’re in this alone but you’ve got dV by your side. Artistically, what do you bring out in one another?

Neavv: I’m definitely thankful that I have dV by my side on this project. Along with working together, he is also one of my best friends. That really plays into our working dynamic. We know each other so well and also believe in each other so much. So we really push each other to take more risks artistically and to think outside the box creatively.

Kendra: With the record out now, are you the type to take a step back and let it marinate or are you already looking ahead with new song ideas brewing?

Neavv: I’m really trying to be the person who sits back and lets it marinate haha. At the core, I’m a songwriter and the reality is that dV and I have already finished a few songs for the next album.

Kendra: With that, 2018 is about to close shop. What are your plans as we head into a new year?

Neavv: The plan is to keep getting Fall Hard. Get Sad. out to as many new ears as possible, keep booking shows for the new year and of course continue to write more music!