It's one thing to make a debut, and it's another to do it with expectations. With the weight of it all, UK singer-songwriter Paris Paloma carries herself gracefully across Cacophony, her first proper album in succession to her breakout single "labour." The song found itself abound on TikTok and near the top of the Billboard charts, and in the context of the LP, "labour" is in good company of tracks that help fully build Paloma's artistic image. It is one full of affecting sentiments, clear-eyed perspectives, and sweet melodies – the work of a dedicated and promising musician.

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Paloma graciously took some time to answer some questions about Cacophony, the courage exhibited in her songwriting, and how she (along with her fans) have been celebrating her debut.

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SHEESH: As your debut album, what kind of emotions have been coming up in the days leading up to sharing this music with the world? 

PARIS PALOMA: It’s been a massive relief, knowing that the album will finally be out in the world. It's such a vulnerable body of work, it feels like I’ve been holding it in and guarding it whilst I wait for it to release, it’s nice to set that down now.

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At 15 tracks and almost an hour in play time, this album is a great way for new fans to really get acquainted with you as an artist. How did you go about sequencing Cacophony? Did you have a specific intent in positioning songs in the tracklist?

I was really inspired by the idea of a quest or journey, as after looking at all these songs I’d written over the last few years I realised that it told the story of my growth through them as I was writing, and to follow that story like a novel or a myth is what I wanted to convey in the tracklist.

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Early on we get to hear “labour,” your most notable song to date. The song has been out for over a year now as you’ve been preparing this album. How, or if at all, did the success of “labour” impact how you crafted this body of work and the songs within it?

I think “labour” gave me the confidence to go ahead and release an album as opposed to an EP; it was after “labour” released and had such a wonderful emotional response that I assembled and continued writing the album, determined to finish it. I knew there was a stage set now, ready for the rest of the songs to come to light, and I’m grateful “labour” was the doorway onto that back then.

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On an album full of strength in vulnerability, the shining example comes in “last woman on earth,” where you draw attention to the epidemic of violence against women worldwide. The music video accentuates the desperation and despair that can come from these instances of abuse - did you have any trepidation about making a song with this subject at its core? What gave you the courage to attack such a pertinent issue, and then attach it to what is the biggest moment of your career so far?

“last woman on earth” was the song on the album I was most nervous about releasing. It's incredibly dark and personal, I felt like it gave me a voice against my absolute despair surrounding the epidemic of violence against women that we are watching, and so many watching in silence. I had conversations with my team and friends about whether I should release it at all, and they were all so encouraging, I felt it had to be released, as a marker of how much patriarchal violence has affected my life and to give a voice to that fear and despair, in the hope that women can come together around it. 

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The title of Cacophony comes from a very interesting source - Stephen Fry’s Mythos, based on the creation myth. As someone who takes great inspiration from fantasy and is a student of mythology, is there another theory of mythology you would say influenced your creativity on this project? Or another myth you think more people should know about?

Madeline Miller’s beautiful book Circe greatly inspired me, in particular the passage of it that details Circe’s domestication of her exiled island, which went on to influence the passages of “labour” that sing about the domestic paradise created by women for their male partners. 

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Your dayofcacophony celebration is a really cool way to connect with your fans and place your music within their lives in a fitting way. You’re meeting fans, giving away books, and taking in art in a few events you have planned for the day, though everyone can participate on their own. To be able to manage your relationship with fans in this way, on your terms in a sense, is a great way to manage boundaries. What were your priorities in arranging this day of celebration for you and all who support you?

I wanted all the fans to feel immersed in the world that the album lives in, to share in its influences, so many of which revolve around literature, arts and creative practices, the act of writing itself. I have such a creative audience it’s been so wonderful to see already everything they are creating inspired by the album; their dances, paintings, writing, knitting, it’s just an explosion of creativity with such love and community. 

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If you could celebrate any other artist’s album in a similar way, from any time in your life, what artist/album would you dedicate any entire day of events and activities to?

The amazing Harry Nilsson album The Point! I’d love to see people dressing as characters from the land of point, and playing the game, and going into the forest. I’m so enchanted by that album and its characters. 

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