Who is The Human Behind PETALKNIFE?
I was born Brittany S. Galloway in mid-late September of 1993. Though these days, most people call me Evie, as is my preference. If you look at the track details for my songs and see both names, that is why. I was born and raised in South Florida, and I have been writing poetry and song lyrics since I was five years old. When I am not making music, I'm working a regular 9-to-5, publishing poetry books under a pseudonym, and going through life just like anyone else.
How Did I Begin Making Music?
As I said, I have been writing songs since I was five years old. At first, it was merely melodies and mumbled lyrics in my head. When I got a little older, maybe third grade, I began writing poetry as well. I started carrying around spiral notebooks filled with song lyrics and poetry. I also began writing short stories in my notebooks. I found that writing came naturally to me. Writing helped me express myself in a way I never could growing up in a traditional household where I often had no voice. I received my first acoustic guitar from my grandparents as a Christmas gift at age ten, and a keyboard piano a year later. While I never learned how to play properly, I still spent HOURS strumming my guitar and plucking at the keys of my keyboard after school. I loved writing songs to new melodies and playing them on the piano once everything was finished.
When I was in high school, I had amassed a stack of spiral notebooks filled with stories, poems, and song lyrics. I found a website called Looplabs back in 2010 that, at the time, had a bunch of different digital audio workstations specifically for making mixes using other producers' loop samples. To say I was obsessed with that site would be an understatement. I was on this website every day after school, and my phone was full of the creations I had downloaded. During my senior year, my mother bought me my first iPad as an early graduation gift. This was a big deal for me because it meant that I could FINALLY purchase GarageBand. I've never owned a Mac, so I haven't been able to use that particular DAW before. Though the mobile app is limited, it was my favorite thing ever. I produced and recorded so many songs between 2012 and now, thanks to that app. I became an indie Pocket Producer and uploaded the songs I was most proud of to SoundCloud. These days, I combine my work in different DAW apps with generative AI, which I use as just another digital instrument, to bring my artistic vision and the poetry and lyrics I write to life. If I had to describe what I am, I'd say I am an indie Pocket Producer and cyborg auteur.
Where did PETALKNIFE Come From?
PETALKNIFE began like most of my art projects do: as an idea. In this case, it all started with a story I was actively working on. I was developing a young female character when, at some point, I started writing a different story. The character's features stayed similar, but a lot changed. Next thing I knew, I had this woman with purple hair who had a complex life story. Miss Gia Fox is the product of that story. Something in me needed to see my character come alive off page, so PETALKNIFE was born.
Why Support PETALKNIFE?
The truth is, I can't keep this project afloat and thriving without support from real listeners. This project may have been born from a creative whim and the use of controversial tools, but I've been building it up because it's important to me. I would genuinely love for this to become something people can interact with. Right now, I have this website and an Instagram page, but I hope to be able to turn PETALKNIFE into a touring virtual artist. If the music moves you and you feel like supporting in any way, it's greatly appreciated.