Suzie.EXE

Who is Suzie Geeforce? Where are you from, how long have you been playing music etc

I’m an electronic music producer and spoken word artist from London! I learnt how to play piano when I was around 7, but started making music creatively from 19 when playing bass in an alt rock band! In terms of my solo work, I’ve been creating things on and off for about 5 years.

Who came up with your stage name and does it have a story or any meaning behind it?

One of my uncles would affectionately call me Suzie Q – I can only imagine it was after Suzi Quatro, which I consider high praise indeed! When I was thinking of a stage name, I thought of maybe taking this reference but tailoring it more towards my actual name. Suzie Gee became the stepping stone – then, with a science fictional twist, Suzie Geeforce was born!

If you had to describe your sound using just five words, what would they be?

Futuristic Gaming Beats with Words!

Who are your biggest influences musically?

I’d say Muse, David Bowie, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, The Cure, Janelle Monae, Yaeji and Fiona Apple.

What’s your songwriting process?

I start with moods and concepts first of all – and experiment musically with ways to express them! I usually start with the rhythm section, building up drum layers – and then I add the chords/bass. After that, I’ll think of how to put the words to the music and try to fuse them together. I think I’m more comfortable shaping words than sounds, so the latter is usually laid down first!

When you were younger, what was the first album that blew you away and you remember putting on repeat non-stop?

I really liked Garage when I was younger, especially The Artful Dodger (showing my age). The energy behind the drums was so infectious!

As a performer, what’s your biggest claim to fame so far?

I got to perform in Los Angeles a couple of years ago – and it was amazing to perform music outside of the UK! Some of my poetry was also featured in the Schuh campaign “Embrace your Feels”.

If you could go on tour with any current band or artist, who would it be and why?

I’d like to tour with maybe Hana, Grimes or Ashnikko – I think our styles would go together well! I adore their aesthetics and ways of performing as well.

If you could put your dream team band together consisting of any musicians from the past or present who would the band members be?

This is hard! I’d say Simon Gallup (from The Cure), Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor and Yaeji would be a cool lineup!

How would you describe your live show to someone who has never seen you perform before?

A chill synthy soundscape where you can feel immersed in another world. Someone once described my sound as sultry geekiness – I need to put that in all my press materials!

Do any of you have any pre-gig or post gig rituals? If so, what and why?

I usually go over the first lines of each of my songs – so I always have that muscle memory to fall back on, if that makes sense! I’m a big advocate of power posing – I always try to get at least one in before I get on stage – sometimes even in the bathroom minutes before!

What would your ultimate rider be if you could have anything without being accused of being a diva?

I would have a tray of Squashies (the soft candy) and cans of Red Bull – the perfect sugar/caffeine combination before a big performance!

If we were to browse your music library what is the most embarrassing song we might find? Or who is your guilty pleasure artist?

I think that no-one should feel guilty about what music they like! I have all sorts on my music library – from Videogame Soundtracks and Kawaii Future Bass to Rock, Pop and Techno!

Tell us one thing your fans would be really shocked or surprised to hear or learn about you

Hmmm, maybe that I have a PhD in Science Fiction Theatre? It was a practice based course where I wrote and produced Science Fiction performances specifically to be staged theatrically! It was stressful, fun and fulfilling in many ways.

If people want to check you out online where is the best place to go?

I’d say Spotify (Suzie Geeforce), Instagram (suziegeeforce), Twitter (suzie_gee) or Twitch (suzie_geeforce) would be good places to go to! I also stream music productions on the latter on Tuesdays if you’d like to hang out and chill over some tunes!

Finally, What does the future hold for you as an artist?

I’d like to make more music in general, collaborate with more artists, perform more internationally as well as within the UK – and I’d love to compose scores for games in the future! Watch this space!