The abcdefu star will release a study of the human experience volume two on 7 October.

Few artists exemplify the raw power of the new streaming landscape as much as GAYLE. Her breakthrough single abcdefu has garnered her over a billion streams, and tens of millions of monthly listeners. It’s the kind of audience that stands as massively impressive in its own right, but starts to boggle the mind when you remember GAYLE’s only 18.

The fact that GAYLE’s music had no trouble finding an audience is great news for guitar-enthusiasts everywhere: clearly, the appetite for no-fucks-given pop-punk about teenaged romance and partying isn’t going anywhere. She’s not the only artist around right now heavily influenced by the sounds and fashion of the 1990s and 2000s, but it’s definitely refreshing to hear her authentically youthful and chaotic take on the genre.

We spoke to GAYLE ahead of the release of her second EP, a study of the human experience volume two.

I wrote volume one and two over the span of four years, trying to write for one EP. I found that over time the songs separated into two EPs.

I felt like all of the songs told a consistent story but sonically were separate from each other. All the songs could live in the same world just not in the same place. Separating them into two EPs was a happy medium for me.

In the process of making fmk with blackbear, I enjoyed how quickly he turns around lyric ideas and he added a lot to the song. It was very inspiring to see his talent first-hand.

Do you have a favourite child?

Everything still feels like a fever dream. I’m very grateful for everybody who got me here. TikTok is obviously the best way to get your music heard at the moment.

The access to people and the ability to show my music to anyone who’s willing to watch it anywhere in the world at any time. 24/7 access to an audience that could possibly love or hate my music and all they have to do is care enough to watch (or their algorithm does the work for them).

I think social media is a double edged sword, especially when it gives you the ability to have a platform in some way because there’s always going to be an opinion on the internet. A lot of amazing and positive things can happen on the internet which means a lot of negative and hurtful things can happen too.

I think guitar songs have always had a moment and always will. I’m glad to be considered a part of rock being on the charts.

Obviously Alanis Morrisette and the show Friends. Also, I admit, thanks to my best friend, I watched Clueless over the pandemic and that is an inspiration.

I don’t think genres of music can die!

I picked up bass during quarantine. Learning the bass was a way for me to connect more to music since there was no live performance happening and it made me excited to play bass on stage one day.

I wanted to play a writers’ round and I had to know how to play guitar in order to do that.

One of my good friends Reed Berin is one of the producers on the project and when working with him on the song called ALEX, for example – for the electric guitar in the verses, Reed actually went direct in CLA guitars and just picked a preset and tweaked it until it felt good for him. For the guitars in the choruses I found a tone we both liked on the Strymon Iridium. When we didn’t feel like it was cool enough, he pitched them an octave down. That’s pretty much what makes the whole vibe in the chorus of ALEX. He also used my Aguilar Octamizer on the bass of the chorus to get good sub.

I normally collaborate and use the equipment in the producers studio that I am working in at the time.

I am currently listening to Still Woozy, UPSAHL, Labrinth, Steve Lacy and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Avril Lavigne, Machine Gun Kelly, and Travis Barker in one song – I would die.

Hopefully more music and more touring.

a study of the human experience volume two is out 7 October.

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