Manny King John
As my first interview in Atlanta, this was easily my favorite.
Tiffany Gouché took time out to meet me a few hours before her performance at The Basement. Armed with a pen and a Corona, I asked her a barrage of seemingly random questions: Tiffany Gouché spoke candidly and honestly over a glass of Merlot. The result is a chill, no-nonsense look at a serious talent that should be all over your playlist.
What kind of space were you in when you wrote “Pillow Talk?”
I was in a mid-relationship / mid-break-up / kind of situation. There were still some sensual aspects of it but, [I was] still allowed to explore other possibilities with other people. [It was] a weird space but good stuff.
As a songwriter, how do you know when to give it away or keep it for yourself?
Tiffany Gouché: I started writing songs for people when I first came in the industry. I kinda got burnt out by that. You’ll never really be able to write a song for somebody when they’re ordering you to do it. You kinda write songs for yourself and if they stick with a person, then you let it go. I create as if it’s for me, even if subconsciously it’s for somebody else. I want it to always be real. I don’t want to just write some shit up.
When did you realize that you could be an artist?
Tiffany Gouché: Probably when I was writing “Fantasy.” I started off with a writing team. We were writing songs for other people, including Usher and The Pussycat Dolls. I started producing at a young age, but never wanted to be in the space. I’m just going to make beats. I started realizing once I started dealing with songs, and the artists couldn’t sing the songs how we sing it. Nigga, Imma sing my own shit. I don’t have to give you a song; Imma sing it.
What is your song writing process?
Tiffany Gouché: I wrote choruses without the beat, then I come back and do the verse. Sometimes, I have the beat. Sometimes, I only have the chorus… all kinds of different processes.
How does recording in the studio differ from doing it at home?
Tiffany Gouché: I like recording at home. I am reclusive. I like to be by myself. I like to hash ideas before I allow other people to hear it out.
I read that “Ready 2 Go” was your favorite; then, in another interview, it was “Travel Behavior.” What is it now?
Tiffany Gouché: My favorite song on the album is “Last Breath.”
Do you have any songs done on “Slip-N-Slide?”
Tiffany Gouché: I am scratching “Slip n Slide,” and I’m working on “Pillow Talk Vol2.” “Slip N Slide” will be after. I really want to hone in on the concept and go deeper into what I really mean by it. There are layers to being intimate with somebody, like period. There is jealousy involved. There are all kinds of shit. [You’re] figuring out who they are as a person. You’re dealing with a lot of emotions while still having fun and being intimate. I’m going to do “[Pillow Talk] Volume 2.” There might just be a song called that [Slip N Slide].
How many songs did you have to record?
Tiffany Gouché: Literally, I don’t go into like I got 30 songs to choose from. I be like: This is the 10 that I want and work on that 10, but I make hella beats. I don’t like burning myself out with songs because creativity doesn’t come like that for me. God gave me an idea. Let me sit down and work on that. I have mad ideas, but it doesn’t come like: Oh, I’m just writing songs. It’s not, just like a chore to me. It’s really a spiritual experience to me; I really have to feel connected to what I’m creating before I put it down on wax.
Do you microdose mushrooms?
Tiffany Gouché: I microdose because I don’t like to feel completely out of control. I did some strong shrooms in Oakland. It was a great feeling and then it was scary. The shrooms were a little different from L.A. I’m so glad I didn’t take the whole bag. Me and my girl split it in half. It was trippy. That was the strongest shroom trip ever. It was good. I’m not afraid of shrooms. You really gotta be [mentally] in control of it. You gotta tell yourself you’re gonna be good. You gotta tell yourself: It will be straight or it’ll take you. It’s like letting someone else drive and you know they don’t know where the fuck to drive. It’s that same feeling.
What songs or ideas have come from shrooms?
Tiffany Gouché: Nah, I don’t like to do shrooms and do songs. I’ll smoke a little bit. Drink a lil bit but, I don’t like it. I think it distorts that for me.
What gave you the confidence to shift from male pronouns to female pronouns?
Tiffany Gouché: “Lion Heart” was a lot of songs [that] I demo-ed for other people, and I realized that as I listened to it, it didn’t sound true; it didn’t sound honest. I just really wanted to be honest, be honest to who I was. I don’t fuck with niggas so I’m not about to sing about fucking with dudes. I like females so I just want to be honest; I don’t want to be a liar. If I’m going to be an artist, I just want to be as vulnerable as possible.
What’s your type?
Tiffany Gouché: I like women, bro. I like all skin colors. It don’t matter to me. I like full lips. I like eyes. I like hair. I like honesty. I like freedom. I like when women are who they are and not compromising for anything. I like women who don’t get caught up in being superficial, who don’t get caught up in bullshit. I like really down ass people.
When is “Pillow Talk 2” dropping?
Tiffany Gouché: This year, for sure. It’ll probably be released near my birthday in September and if not, then December.
Tiffany Gouché is a live experience, and you can catch her on tour via this link.
