PiPEllA On Creating Her Stage Name, Message To Younger Self, And New Single ‘Afterglow’

This Tennessee artist is amazing!

Incredible storyteller PiPEIIA is back. Today, she released her third single ‘Afterglow’. And spoiler alert: We think it might be her best song yet.

We had the amazing honor of talking with PiPEIIA about her favorite part of her creative process, her New Year’s Resolution, and more!

How did you decide on your music artist name ‘PiPEIIA’?

P: “It’s actually a childhood nickname! When I was little, one of my favorite Disney characters was Pip, the chipmunk from Enchanted. I loved it so much that my siblings started calling me Pip. One thing about my family is we love giving each other long nicknames. So for them, Pip wasn’t enough. They started calling me Pipella because I was the youngest and very gullible so they would convince me to do their chores for them, like Cinderella. Pip plus Cinderella. I chose it for my artist name because pursuing music feels like a fairytale and I always want to remember that feeling.”

What inspired your song “Afterglow”?

P: “I co-wrote Afterglow with Suzanne Yada and when we were coming up with the idea, I was
really fixated on half-time beats and poetic endings. I wanted to make a song that was upbeat
and airy but had a sense of nostalgia. We came up with the idea of making a song that we
would like to hear as the finale of an epic concert. That moment when the final notes are ringing
out, and everyone feels connected and invincible. After we decided on that concept, the lyrics
were easy.”

What’s your writing process like?

P: “A lot of songs I’ve written have been situational. Something will happen or someone will say something and inspiration will immediately hit. When that happens, writing the lyrics and melody for a song can take 5 minutes. I think some people see my style as chaotic because one minute I’ll ask if I can quote them in a song and the next minute I’m showing them three verses, two choruses and an instrumental breakdown.

When I started co-writing, I had to learn how to slow down and savor the conversation that comes with collaborating. It’s made me a much stronger songwriter and a more thoughtful person. I keep a folder in my phone of one-off lyrics and voice notes of melodies that I’ll go back to when I know I’m going to be in a writer’s room. I really like to play off of others and I like to be able to see the influences of each person who participates in the final product.”

Do you have a favorite part of your creative process?

P: “I love the initial “vibe” meeting. When I am starting a song with a producer, I make a playlist for
the song that is carefully curated and gives examples of the genre, concept and technical elements that I want for the song. I show the producer the playlist and we go through it and I get to break down what I like about each one and see if there’s inspiration that can be drawn from it. It’s my favorite part because it feels like the first step on an epic journey.”

How would you describe your experience in the music industry?

P: “I took an academic approach to the industry. I graduated with my Master’s in Music Business last year so I got to see it from a textbook perspective and now I’m experiencing it firsthand. I have had some great experiences and some absolutely terrible ones. It’s easy to get taken advantage of, especially when you’re neurodivergent, and I learned that pretty quickly. I will also say I have found some genuine friends and incredible opportunities already and I am still at the beginning of my career.”

If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would you say?

P: “Financial stability isn’t everything. Also, don’t be scared that you won’t be perfect – you won’t be, and that’s awesome.”

What are your biggest New Year’s resolutions for the year?

P: “My New Year’s resolution is to be the main character. Up until now, I’ve always told other people and myself that I’m okay being the funny side character or someone who functions in the background but this year I want to put my all into stepping fully into my potential and living as the main character in my own life. I am working on my first album, PiPEllA: The Worlds Traveler, so another resolution is to finish that and use it to get my first sync placement!”

Where can we follow your amazing journey?

P: “TikTok (pipella.music) and Instagram (pipellamusic)!”

Stream ‘Afterglow’, available now on all music platforms!

Solstice Raeanne–Music/Mental Health Editor– Solstice Raeanne is a mental health advocate. As someone who has seen the way mental health is treated in our society they’ve wanted to make a change, and a difference. If they aren’t working, you can find Solstice on the phone scrolling through pinterest, or writing new articles and conducting interviews.