Secretly Canadian has been a tastemaking label for years now. So, when they sign a new artist, you should probably pay attention. On that front, one of the latest additions to their roster is gglum, who Secretly welcomed aboard in late 2023.
gglum, a pseudonym for London-born songwriter Ella Smoker, didn’t waste any time making herself comfortable and dropped her debut album, The Garden Dream, a few days ago. It’s a vulnerable project that sees a now-content Smoker looking back at her sometimes-less-than-stellar early days, through the lenses of styles like serene indie-folk, lo-fi rock, and more.
To celebrate the milestone release, Uproxx caught up gglum to discuss a potpourri of topics, everything from Britney Spears to pressing flowers to the importance of good posture. Check it all out in the latest Indie Mixtape Q&A, below.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Blue. Nylon Strings. Glum.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I would want be a niche lost artist that a cult following of teenagers from 2050 discover and can bond over. They’ll say things like “I was born in the wrong era” and wear baggy jeans and Air Forces and bum bags.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Phil Elverum. He was the person that made me realize I could write music in whatever way I wanted to.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?
At Sketch in Oxford Circus. The restaurant with those egg toilets? I went for a signing celebration meal with my managers and it was the fanciest place I’d ever been. And the food was insane, I left thinking everything I could ever eat after that experience would taste like cardboard.
Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.
My friends are in a band called Something In The Lake and they played a gig when we were in college at The Bread And Roses in Clapham, when they were called Helve. My favourite gigs are always when I get to watch my friends play, the energy in the room is always so much more exciting when it’s someone you know and you’re proud of.
What song never fails to make you emotional?
“All I Need” by Radiohead. It’s quite an obvious choice, but it’s well known for a reason. Listening to it feels like Thom Yorke has broken into your home and is personally ripping your heart from your chest.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
How to press flowers. When I was a kid in Finland I’d always have a look inside the books in a family members house to find pressed flowers between the pages. I’ve been needing a hobby so I thought I’d give it a go.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
I’ve never crashed anywhere particularly weird but I did have a nap in the back room of a pub in Bristol on tour once about 30 minutes before the show started.
