Moth To A Flame: Fana Hues Interviewed
written by ea. osei
“I’m finding strength in recognizing when I need to stand in someone else’s light with them; to just be and feel the warmth from the light that they’re giving off.”
From performing The Wiz in high school, to earning a prominent feature on Tyler The Creator’s ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’, Fana Hues brings incandescent light to every stage, studio, and city she’s graced since her debut in 2020. Her vocal performance evokes the clarity and sensuality of some of the greatest soul and neo-soul artists, yet her art is informed by so much more: film, nature, family, community.
Hues’ third full-length ‘Moth’ (Matters of the Heart), released last year, details a true discovery of self: finding your light and letting the light find you. “I’ve heard people say that you can’t tell if a caterpillar is going to become a moth or a butterfly,” says Hues. “One is revered, the other is darker and a little uglier, but they’re both very beautiful.” Transformation is terrifying when you don’t know how it’ll change you. There can be so much fear and judgment that we don’t always see the transformation itself holds the beauty.
Almost ten months after its release, it’s palpably clear that ‘Moth’s’ message resonates even deeper with Hues. In the midst of her Matters of the Heart Tour, during her stopover in Chicago, CLASH caught up with Fana Hues to discuss her songwriting process, working with Doechii, and the stories behind her biggest hits.
So ‘Moth’ has been out for like nine months. You said at the time you released it, that the feelings and story attached to the name came from you being a beacon of light for people, even if not for yourself. Now that you get to perform these songs, has that meaning changed for you?
It still means all those things but it absolutely means something new. I still find myself being a beacon of light for people when I didn’t know that I was. I’m finding strength in recognizing when I need to stand in someone else’s light with them; to just be and feel the warmth from the light that they’re giving off. In the last nine months I’ve definitely stopped being shy about that. I’ve also stopped being shy with protecting my peace, and I feel like that came from this album. Because I come from a big family, I feel like I’ve always been… well I wouldn’t say conditioned, because it’s not like somebody sat me down and said, “you need to be this way”. That’s not what it was at all.
It’s having that internalized thought that no matter what it is that you’re going through, you’ve still gotta show up and still gotta do these things. The fact of the matter is no, you don’t. I need to hold on to this little light of mine! Even with ‘Icarus’, I talk about how my mom told me not to give myself away. It’s something she says because I give my light away instead of sharing it. When you give it away, you’re left with nothing. This tiny little flicker of a flame is dwindling out. I need to start sharing it, not giving it away.
I feel that deeply and real ones know ‘Icarus’. As a songwriter is there a particular song from ‘Moth’ that either came effortlessly to you, or was a real challenge for you to make?
I made a lot of songs for this album and then ended up with thirteen. Which one was particularly difficult? ‘What Speaks’ was difficult. I was overthinking it and wasn’t letting the song be what it was supposed to be. In music, I find that when it’s becoming impossible to finish a song, it’s because you’re putting too much of like your own… like it needs to be this, or it needs to be this one thing rather than letting the song be what it is because if it comes from God. It’s gonna be what it’s supposed to be. ‘Apple Picking’ was another difficult one that I really didn’t want to make. I was very self-conscious about the way I sounded on it. Like why do I sound so sweet? I wanted this album to show a different side of me, to bring out the fire in me. Like with ‘Paper Tigers’, you know?
That’s definitely where I heard a different side of you. And it’s one of my favorites.
Yes! ‘Paper Tigers’ is funny though. It’s like aggressive happy. But yeah difficult songs, I’d say ‘Apple Picking’. It was only difficult because I was a little afraid to share that side of me on this project. When I make an album, I always say I want it to be a full spectrum of emotion. But I was getting in my own way with that song. It was a challenge but it made the album and now it’s one of my favorites. Now, what was one that came very easily? ‘Take 2’ was one of those where I was thinking: what do I need to say? My manager came to the studio and we just started chatting. By the end of our conversation I was like I’m gonna go back in the booth and it just came out. I didn’t write it, it just came out. I learned then I need to be letting things flow through me, and not forcing the pen. That’s the type of artist that I am. I have to silence my brain a lot of the time in order for the art to come.
Lets talks ‘Summer Rain’. Who are all the beautiful kids at the end of the song?
My kids! They’re not my kids but my sister’s kids and my brother’s kids. My nieces and nephews. I have my youngest sister on there too. They’re all singing except for my nephew. He’s the baby of the family, only three. We brought him to the studio but he didn’t want to sing, he didn’t want to talk on the microphone. We had to voice memo him to get him on the album (laughs).
I want to talk about ‘Sunday’s Best’ with Doechii. How did that come together and how is it like working with her?
So I want to say this was in 2021. My very first show in LA was this festival called Mixed Feelings. It was at the Echoplex. It was a very diverse lineup, and Doechii was on there. I remember ‘Yucky Blucky Fruitcake’ was doing its thing at the time and I remember being like, “Oh my God… She’s so cool!” So when I saw her I thought that’s so dope that she’s here watching me, you know? We also have the same engineer now, Jada Love. Jada is so fantastic to the point where, now I feel like I don’t even like writing if Jada’s not there. I’m just so comfortable around her. She’s connected us a few times before but Sunday’s Best came about when I was on tour opening for Lucky Daye. Jada hit me like, “Doe has this song that she really loves. She’s singing on it right now and I know you’re on tour, but would you be open to singing on it?”
I didn’t have a voice. Like my voice was gone, it was shot. But with my raspy voice I was like, I sure will! I recorded it first in New York but I didn’t like the way it sounded. Our next stop was in Norfolk, VA. We found a studio. I did my thirty minute set. After I recorded the song and still made it back in time to watch the rest of Lucky’s set! I love that song. I loved the video. I feel like I really got to know who she is at her core and in her spirit, which is so beautiful.
Throwing it back even further to growing up in Pasadena, California. What was the first concert you remember attending?
Oh, I remember! We went to an NSYNC concert at the Rose Bowl. Me and my two older sisters were on a dance team, and somebody donated tickets for the concert.
What was the first concert in Pasadena you ever performed at?
I used to perform with my siblings when I was young, but we’d perform in random places like at the African marketplace, a community event, or some school. We would always be in Watts, or we’d be in Compton. We would just perform anywhere that my mom or dad found. That’s my earliest memory of performing. But the first time without my family was at school. I was in sixth grade and I convinced my friends to sing ‘Unappreciated’ by Cherished with me. My friends, they weren’t singers, but I was like, “Will y’all go up there with me?” That was like the first time people were telling me I could sing. I thought so too, but I wasn’t sure until then.
You said you performed at the African Marketplace? Can I ask where your family is from?
My dad is from Inglewood and my mom is from Birmingham. They’re very Pan-Africanist. They just wanted us to have a sense of self beyond the American view of what it is to be Black, you know what I’m saying?
I do. I’ve also read that you love film and if you didn’t do music you’d want to be a filmmaker. Is that still true?
Honestly, there’s a few things that I would want to do if I didn’t do music. I would want to study Anthropology. I don’t know to what capacity but when I was in college that was going to be my goal. I did one semester and my hair started falling out though. I was like… not for me. I would love to also get into film. Like I really, really, really would. I was watching… you know, Skye Townsend?
Oh I love Skye Townsend!
She posted today talking about something she directed and how difficult it was. And I just loved the way she described it. She was like, your whole job as a director is to basically think of every which way something is supposed to look on-screen. Like all those fine details and executing a vision from beginning to end.
Do you ever reference any film in your visuals?
Yes! So ‘Yellow’ was super inspired by Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson. Like it was completely taken straight from there. I also love Star Wars. I grew up watching Star Wars, and I just love the Three Syn thing. I’ve been trying to get that in a music video and it hasn’t happened yet. So if you see it, just know.
Oh, we’ll be looking. What’s the last good movie that you’ve seen then?
That’s a really good question… I just went to the movies to see Companion. Have you seen it?
I haven’t seen it yet…
Ok, don’t watch the trailer! Because that’s how I went. I didn’t watch the trailer. I took my phone to Apple and they said we’re gonna be working on it for three hours. My sister was like, “Let’s go to the movies!” And we watched it just like that. I love that movie. It was funny. It was suspenseful.
So, when can we expect a deluxe edition of ‘Moth’?
It’s coming for very, very soon. I put a little easter egg in this interview. When it comes, you’ll know the easter egg.
As I said, ‘Paper Tigers’ is my personal favorite from the album. Could you speak a little more on that song?
I made it with Leven [Kali]. He’s fantastic. He’s an artist as well. He’s great. Everybody should listen to Leven’s music! ‘Paper Tigers’ was our first session. I’m not gonna lie to you, I feel like I’ve done so many sessions and I do not like going to new sessions. I feel like I have my people and I want to really lock in with those people. With Leven though, I obviously loved his work. The session flowed so easily… I mean there was zero pressure. He works fast but it doesn’t feel rushed. Sometimes you go to sessions and it feels like people just trying to make anything. He’s very intentional about what it is that he’s making. We talked earlier about sharing light and I definitely stepped into that with him.
If you had to name a few other songs or artists that give you a similar feeling, or live in the same world as ‘Paper Tigers’, what would you choose?
That’s a really really good question. I’m gonna go with one of my favorite songs ever, ‘Les Fleurs’ by Minnie Riperton. That’s the first one that came to mind. It’s like a north star for me. In ten years, I want to be making songs that I hope feels like that. I’d also say ‘Palace/Curse’ by The Internet. I really love that song. Let’s see. What gives ‘Paper Tigers’? Do you know We are KING? They’re not a group anymore but ‘Carry On’ by We Are KING. I’ll end it with that one.
Originally published on Clash Magazine
