“Comfrey And Calendula” cover art by Emily McPhee

“‘Comfrey and Calendula’ is the most vulnerable song I have written to date. The process of writing it and performing it for the first time was extremely cathartic and healing for me. Now it’s time to put it out into the world.” - Fliss

Meet Fliss, a self-described queer cowgirl crooner from Ottawa, Canada. Today, Fliss makes her debut with “Comfrey and Calendula,” a song written straight from the heart, and her most vulnerable work to date. The single teases at her to-be-released EP (out sometime in the early new year), which marks an exciting new direction for the singer-songwriter as a solo artist after finding her creative footing as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for dream-pop band Sparklesaurus. We had the chance to meet Fliss and chat about growing up in an artistic family, what influences her approach to making music, and her incredible group of friends behind her upcoming music video for “Comfrey and Calendula.” Read our full discussion below!

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Fliss! Thank you so much for chatting with us at Also Cool. To start, can you tell our readers about yourself and your artistic upbringing?

Fliss: Thanks for having me! Well, I grew up in a pretty musical family. My grandparents on my mom’s side were folk singers in the 60s and 70s, my mom plays some piano, my dad played guitar, and I have many aunts and uncles who play music. I was always interested in music, but I really got into it when I got my first bass guitar around age 11. I fell in love with bass, but then I started writing songs and the guitar lent itself to writing more, so I picked up my dad’s guitar and started teaching myself chords. I had an uncle who gave me some pointers on bass and guitar, but my main way of learning was just getting tabs off the internet and printing out binders of covers. I pretty much always played in my room alone until I was 16 or 17, when I finally gained some confidence — with the help of my high school music teacher — to sing in front of people. I hadn’t even really sung much in front of my family before then. Only my mom, if she promised not to look at me!

Also Cool: You're now branching into a solo act while also being a member of the Ottawa band Sparklesaurus: What has embarking on this project been like so far? How has your approach to songwriting changed, or perhaps adapted, now that you're working alone?

Fliss: Sparklesaurus has sadly disbanded for the foreseeable future, so I’ve really been focusing on this new project. I had quite a few songs in the vault already that didn’t really work for the Sparklesaurus sound and style, so some of the songs on the upcoming EP are ones I wrote a couple years ago. Others are more recent. I guess my songwriting approach has changed a bit in the way that I don’t really need to think about if the song will be a good fit or not for the band’s sound or whatever. I don’t know if I did that too much anyway when writing, but a lot of the time with Sparklesaurus, I would bring a song, and together we would kind of experiment and decide on what the vibe and arrangement would sound like… If we should add a bridge here, or a solo here, or things like that. Some songs worked for the band, and others didn’t. I definitely miss the aspect of bouncing ideas off of each other and the camaraderie. On the flip side, maybe there’s a bit more freedom to just follow whatever creative direction that is inspiring me.

AC: On that note, you describe your music writing style as "introspective and untethered": What inspired this approach to music-making?

Fliss: I am a quite introspective, sensitive, and very emotional person. So I am always writing straight from the heart. It’s not really a conscious choice, it just happens that way. It’s very scary and vulnerable to share your deep thoughts and feelings in such an open way, but I also think that it is extremely rewarding and, dare I say, cathartic. I try not to overthink my music and writing too much. I hardly ever go back and rewrite or change or tweak songs over and over again. Usually if I’m doing too much of that, I end up falling out of love with it and just kind of scrap it and start a new song. Only the [songs] I love the absolute most will make it onto the EP.

AC: So, without further ado, congratulations on the release of "Comfrey and Calendula!" When choosing a single to debut off a to-be-released album, what made you pick this one? Can you tell me about the song's significance to you, in your own words?

Fliss: Thank you so much! Honestly, I did think about whether “Comfrey and Calendula” was the best choice for the first single or not. Mostly because lyrically it’s pretty bold, pretty intense, and pretty personal. I wasn’t sure if maybe I should ease people into my music with something less... Like that. Maybe something a little more fun or digestible. But, I decided to go with it because at the end of the day, it is probably my favourite song I’ve written, and I think the subject matter is important. It’s very close to my heart. So I really, really hope that it resonates with people. It was written when I was doing a lot of reflection and processing family-related trauma. It really poured out of me and it’s just really special to me. It would be so amazing if it touched even one person.

AC: You also have a music video coming out soon for this track. Without giving too much away, can you tell us more about the creative process behind the video?

Fliss: Yes! The video was written, directed, produced, and edited by Emma Lamarre, a really good friend of mine. Her and I brainstormed concepts, ideas, and shots, and she and another friend, Christine Loomans, put a storyboard together. Christine also co-directed and helped shoot, as well as helped with a bunch of logistical things. My other friend, Alazaar Dadi, also got some awesome drone shots! And my other BFF, Shamisa Schroeder, is animating the title. I won’t give too much away, but there is a group dance scene with choreography by my friend, Surraya Dawn. The credits for all the friends in the dance scene will be in the video. So, it was definitely such a collaborative effort and I feel so lucky to have so many talented, incredibly generous, and supportive friends who all contributed to making this truly amazing piece of art!

AC: Before we let you go, is there anything you'd like to plug that you're working on? What can we expect to see from you in 2021, and how is the best way to support your work right now?

Fliss: The music video for “Comfrey and Calendula” will be out next week, on December 13th. The full EP will be finished and released in 2021.

One really amazing way to support me would be listening, favouriting, adding the single to your playlists, and following me on Spotify — so that you will be notified of my future releases as well! Other than Spotify, you can follow me on Instagram. You can also buy the song on Bandcamp, if you’d like to support me that way. I am so amazingly grateful for any and all forms of support! Since everything is online these days, and especially right now, all the online support helps immensely. Drop me a message anytime. Oh and also! You can sign up for my email list at www.flissmusic.com for special exclusive releases, news, or things like that. For example, this month I am sending all my subscribers a couple of unreleased phone demos as a thank you for pre-saving the song. And thank you so much for supporting me by giving me a platform with Also Cool to talk about my music and help get the word out. I really appreciate it!