Eighteen year old Vikki Gilmore is an up-and-coming singer/songwriter from Montreal, Canada. Her debut EP “Where You’re From” came out just last week, and we had the chance to see where it all started.
BTS: How did you get started writing your own music?
VG: I really started writing songs when I got my first guitar. In very short, my family happily but reluctantly bought me a guitar for my 15th birthday, thinking I would never play it. Much to their surprise, I wrote my first song that day after attempting to learn chords until my fingers bled. I’ve been writing music ever since.
BTS: Who are some of your biggest influences, musical and non-musical?
VG: Some of my musical influences include Patrick Watson, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Birdy and Brandi Carlile, just to name a few.
Ultimately though, My family, friends and teachers have been my biggest influences. They have always supported me no matter what and gave me the push of encouragement I needed to believe that this is something I should be doing. At every stage in the game there has always been someone pushing me to continue to the next step. When I participated in my first school talent show, my music teachers were right there encouraging me to do it again next year. When I sang my first song to my family, they said it was great (because they had to, of course) and told me to write more. When I launched my EP, my closest friends were all there to support me, anticipating my next projects. I’m really lucky to have such a great support system and I owe everything to them.
BTS: What is your favorite part of the process (ie. writing, recording, etc.)?
VG: My favourite parts of the process are recording, getting inspiration for songs and hearing peoples stories and reactions towards the music. There is no better feeling than someone telling you how your music reminded them of a memory that they cherished or how it made them feel. The other day I was performing “My Song”, the fourth track on the EP, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw my friend tighten his grip around his girlfriend during the chorus. Little moments like that make it the experience so much more incredible.
BTS: What’s a song you wish you would have written?
VG: I really wish I would have written “The Giving Tree” by Plain White T’s. It made me cry the first time I listened to it because not only did it reminded me of of my childhood (AKA Shel Silverstein’s masterpiece) but it also really spoke to me about people taking advantage of well intentioned and whole hearted love.
I also wish I would have written Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”. Her 2000 remake of the song still gives me shivers all over my body and I really think it’s a song that everyone can relate to.
BTS: What’s something you’d like to say to the music world in terms of what we can expect to see in the coming years?
VG: My next goals are to get as much live performance experience as possible and to hopefully eventually release my debut album as soon as possible. All I can say is that telling stories through my music is my ultimate passion and I plan on doing so for a very long time.
You can find more of Vikki on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Buy/listen to “Where You’re From” on iTunes and Spotify.
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