You’ve put out a number of singles over the years including 2016’s “Brutally” and 2019’s “Coolest Place in the World”. Why did you feel like this was the right moment for a full album?

I’ve only ever just released singles before, kind of once a year. And it was great because it was so DIY, just me putting a song up on YouTube and doing a video with my friend. It was great because the people that wanted to find it, did find it. My singles were always done in this DIY kind of manner and that’s also how I approached the album. I put some savings aside and I got the best producer that I thought that I could and really made the record completely independently. I never even thought that being signed to a label was going to be an option and I certainly never wanted [releasing this album] to be like, Oh, I’m a pop star now. I’ve never wanted to push my music down people’s throats. So it’s been a slow build.

Releasing your debut album I Can’t Let Go must feel like a big step into the spotlight for you, music-wise. What are some of the emotions you’re processing around its launch?

My self-image was like very is very connected to like how I felt about releasing my music and I think it’s why I felt like there was a negative voice inside my head for a long time. It’s been saying, “you’re not allowed to do this or to express yourself in this way because there’s already a narrative that people have for you.” And that can feel very daunting.