'I hope I'm not hopeless' sings at her latest released work produced by Alex Tanas, Anwar Sawyer and herself - dropped just a few days after her performance at VEKTOR in Berlin where we first met her. Experiencing Vōx live, the atmosphere is nothing short of bewitching.

Interview by Aoife Brady

03

Your newest single WET came out a month ago. It focuses a lot on self pleasure and the shame that comes with those feelings when you are young. How do those concepts manifest in your life now that you are older?

It affected me a lot in my 20s but now that I'm mid-30s I've found a lot of healing from my religious upbringing. Also, discovering that I am asexual and autistic was very healing. It put a lot of confusing experiences through a lens that clearly explained them. I have so much more self compassion and self worth now, but it was a journey to get to this point.

04

Speaking of pleasure, do you have any current guilty pleasures you'd like to tell us about?

No guilt in my pleasures!

05

One of the lyrics from WET says 'My body tells me everything I can't say out loud'. What's one thing that you became able to say out loud through music?

Most things! I'm actually very reserved in real life, and being autistic it has been hard for me all my life to tap into my emotions. Music has helped me feel bold and feel ok to admit things I probably wouldn't otherwise. 

06

I was at your performance at Vector last week and I was blown away! This is the second time you've performed with Christopher Bauder right?

Thank you! Yes, I performed for SOMMERLIGHTS in 2022. 

07

This performance was a little different to when you performed for your album debut at Dark Matter though. I'd love to hear about the process of putting together this performance. Could you tell me about it?

Very different! We created all the music for VEKTOR from scratch, but we were never together in the room. I'd record vocals from Porto and email them to the team in Berlin. 

08

Most of your songs focus very heavily on the lyrics. I noticed that during your performance at Vector, you were mostly vocalizing, only singing 'To You' during the final section. Why did you settle on this approach for the show?

This was a choice we made as a team, and it really helped to set the encore track apart being the only lyrical track. It was Christopher's idea for the lyrics to have themes on space, time travel, love, and being connected. I think those themes were perfect to close the show and give words to the feelings the light show created. 

09

Fashion is an integral part of your self expression. Can you give me some insights into how you choose your outfits and concepts for shows?

The bigger the better! I love a dramatic costume for shows, so I'm always searching for designers that don't play it safe. Of course, it needs to also be functional and easy to move in on stage. The dresses Judith Bondy lent me for the VEKTOR shows were perfect for the lights to shine through and gave so much added drama! 

10

Do you have any pre-performance traditions or habits?

I actually don't! But I do try to protect my voice, so I'll avoid talking too much and drink tea with honey. 

11

So, you've performed in churches and abandoned factories. What unconventional place would you like to perform next?

I love unconventional spaces, and I'd love to have more performances in nature. I could imagine something beautiful in a deep dark forest or at the base of a volcano! 

It's an exciting year as my debut album comes out this fall! We're putting together amazing visual art, shows, and hopefully so much more to come out alongside the music.