Interview: November Ultra

Interview by Ambika Verma

November Ultra is on her way to becoming an international popstar. Born in France, November Ultra is known for her impressive vocal range and intimate bedroom music. Her debut album, Bedroom Walls, just dropped this past April via Republic Records, but her popularity has been on the rise since she went viral on TikTok last summer when Camila Cabello posted a video on TikTok using November Ultra’s song ''Come into my arms.” We were lucky enough to see November Ultra perform when she came to New York and even conduct an interview about her international music journey thus far.

Can you talk a little bit and summarize your musical journey the last five years?

I was part of a band, and we amicably split in 2018. I found myself a bit lost with my feelings and my mind, not really knowing who I was anymore, the band felt like such a big chapter in my life - that's when the album started to unravel a little bit, the first stepping stone was "over&over&over" which opens the album, it clearly shows how lost and helpless I felt at that time. It's comforting now to see I'm not in that space anymore. During the writing-recording process of the album, I learned how to use Ableton, producing my own songs, it was freeing, but also lot of trial and error - and then I composed "soft&tender" and it felt like a I had a clear vision of the album and the sound of it, but also knew that I couldn't go faster than the music. So I took that time to make it, almost four years, and wrote for other amazing artists too in the meantime.

PHOTO CREDIT: PAULINE DARLEY

How do you think you've grown (both personally and professionally) since the release of your first single, "Soft and Tender" last year? 

Confidence. I think I gained a whole lot of it. I trust my gut more, trust the process, trust my vision, trust that I'll meet the right people and know and feel it. Trust that everything is gonna be fine as long as I find joy and put joy into everything, every moment, every song, every concert…

How do you balance healthy social media consumption -- I know Tiktok has played a large role in your career, but how do you create that balance? 

By having fun on it and not using it or make videos when I don't feel like it. I think that's truly my only rule to try and balance it out and not get lost in it or get sad or pressured. It has to be enjoyable for me cause if it's not people will notice anyway. But it's a hard balance to find and maintain.

You just released a new album! What would you say were the biggest inspirations behind your album? 

I did! I can't believe I did to be honest haha I think my biggest influence hasn't been music per say but the artists behind it, the way they make music, fearlessly, with honesty, trying to push themselves, boundaries, so Frank Ocean, Rosalía, Flavien Berger, Joni Mitchell, Amy Winehouse, Jeff Buckley, Beyoncé, The Strokes… Those are artists that I've been looking up to my whole life.

PHOTO CREDIT: PAULINE DARLEY

You were born in Paris, but have embarked on a journey to have an international career? How has that been? How does the music industry feel in America vs France?

I was born and raised in Paris, but my mother is Spanish, my father's Portuguese and I was the shyest kid in the world but also loved singing my little heart out so when it came to writing songs, I started writing them in English just so I could have that intimacy. It feels surreal to me to feel like I can connect to so many people thanks to it now, and I think that's what drives me the most, it feels simple and heartwarming to go to a city to sing and connect with other people through that no matter where I am or where I come from. I don't know America's music industry really well, from what I get it feels like France has something for feelings through lyrics and America for feelings through melodies which I love, it's a complementary, a pairing that works well: music & lyrics.

What are you looking forward to in the next year? 

Singing, touring, making music, enjoy all of it as much as I can. If I told my younger self that this is the life we're leading, she would cry tears of joy I think, so I want to keep that and see where it goes. Stay gold, pony boy.

Follow November Ultra online: Spotify // Instagram // Twitter