Foxgluvv – Birmingham, England
Describe your music to the uninitiated
I’m an unapologetically queer DIY dyke pop princess. I love the 80’s pop scene as well as modern, left of centre pop music and would say that I blur in between those inspirations to create my signature ‘hungover pop’ sound.
Tell me a little more about your journey, how you formed Foxgluvv and some of your notable achievements so far.
I released my debut single ‘Crush’ in 2017, which gained some success through Spotify playlisting and from radio plays on BBC Radio 1. Since then, I’ve released a run of singles that have been covered on Billboard, GAY Times and Wonderland Magazine and I recently put out my debut EP ‘I Never Felt Hollywood’ which is an ode to my experience growing up queer.
What new projects do you have on the go and when can we expect to see them? Can we see you live any time soon?
I’m just enjoying writing and being creative at the moment so there’s nothing to report really! I am gigging though – currently, I’m prepping for my headline show with GIRLI and have a few other opportunities in the pipeline that I am gagged for!
How has being a part of the LGBTQ+ community formed your identity as an artist (if at all)?
Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community has definitely made me feel more confident in who I am, both in my personal life and on stage as Foxgluvv. We’re all trying to thrive and survive, and the best way to do that is to make queer content and support queer content creators.
What do you think of the barriers that LGBTQ+ artists face in the current music industry? Have you come up against any of those barriers yourself?
I think the main issue we face (other than y’know, not having equal rights and bigotry and all that…) is that our artistry is either taken for granted and ignored, or completely adopted into mainstream culture. It seems rare that a queer person pushes through from the indie/underground scene and makes it into the mainstream, but I see quite a lot of cishet artists doing so with ease whilst taking influence from our community and getting away with it, suddenly making it ‘cool’ now a cishet artist is out making the noise. I personally notice traits from our community shining through in modern pop made by cishet artists quite often and it makes it difficult for us LGBTQ+ artists to thrive in our careers (especially the ones that are unsigned/DIY). It feels like a ‘safe version’ of our community’s culture, taking what’s innovative and making it palatable for the general public to consume.
Do you think the local music scene does enough to support LGBTQ+ artists? What do you think they could do better?
Book us!!! Make queer-focused nights, even if your venue isn’t necessarily an LGBTQ+ venue – the more that you expose the locals to us queers, the more that they’ll “get it” and the more opportunities unsigned/DIY queer artists will have in the future. Always make sure that your venues and gig nights are a safe space, even if there’s not a single LGBTQ+ artist on the stage.
Who’s your LGBTQ+ hero and why?
Lady fucking Gaga! Not only is she a bad ass bicon (that is often mistaken for a heterosexual ally), but she is an incredible performer, songwriter, activist and entrepreneur. We have to stan the dedication she has to not only her artistry, but to her voice for the LGBTQ+ community. There is nobody like Gaga.
Where can people find & support you?
I’m everywhere. Literally haha. Find me at @foxgluvv.
Twitter: @Foxgluvv
Facebook: Foxgluvv
Instagram: @Foxgluvv
