With hits from the get-go like “Concrete Angel“, “Black Hole“, “Jar of Hearts” and her recent, and soon to be, hit song “Dynamite” Christina Novelli continues to conquer over the hearts of dance music fans worldwide. With a heavenly voice and lyrics that touch souls, Christina is definitely someone you keep a close eye on. As of late, Christina has also proceeded to throw some amazing sets together, launching her DJ career. Ascendance Radio teamed up with Fusion Radio to interview this amazing woman and it turned out to be one of our most entertaining and funniest interviews yet. You don’t want to miss this.
Christina Novelli Interview:
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Hi! I’m Dayanna with the Ascendance Radio.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): I’m DJ Ron with Fusion Radio.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): We’re here at the Garuda Miami 2014 Showcase with Christina Novelli. Who do you think you are? Running around… Okay. Corny, corny joke.
Christina Novelli: Are you serious? It is.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Yeah. Yeah. No.
Christina Novelli: It is.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): It was on there. It was on there.
Christina Novelli: Period. You have to say it.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Okay. Who do you think you are? Running around leaving scars? Collecting your jar of hearts?
Christina Novelli: Can you sing it, please?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Oh?
Christina Novelli: Sing it.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Oh, no. That would be like an insult to you. Okay I’ll do it.
Christina Novelli: No. Of course it ain’t like that.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Who do you think you are?
Christina Novelli: Running around leaving scars? Collecting your jar of hearts?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): This sucks so much.
Christina Novelli: This sucks so much. Okay.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): And now we’re going to Spanish mode.
Christina Novelli: That was amazing!
Boom (Late Nation): Tan-tan-tan. Shakira!
Christina Novelli: I can do that by the way.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Oh yeah?
Christina Novelli: No I can’t.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): So, on a serious note…
Christina Novelli: Let’s do it.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Confessions with Christina Novelli. There is a quote you’ve shared before by Hans Christian Andersen that says “Where words fail, music speaks”. Is there a specific song that you created or someone else has that continues to speak to you?
Christina Novelli: For me, all music speaks to me, if that makes sense. As in I actually live by music, as in, I can’t ever express myself properly with words. I’m a nightmare. In fact a lot of the time I get myself in the shit when I speak. But with music, if I wanted to say something or express myself, I would rather play a song to someone or play a song. Like for me, lyrics is very important to music. It really does. I think it’s so powerful. I think sometimes it really does. It makes… is it on?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Yes.
Christina Novelli: Yeah. I find music is far more powerful like it is you know… anyway… is that a good enough answer?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Yes.
Christina Novelli: Good.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Perfect.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): So how you speak with music, your father chef probably speaks with food?
Christina Novelli: Yes, I do that absolutely myself with food too.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Yes.
Christina Novelli: Because for me, for instance, if I’m wanting to go on a date or if the date doesn’t work, if I’m singing then I’ll cook and then you see that kind of seals the deal.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): What do you cook when you want to tell somebody that you love them?
Christina Novelli: Hey, I couldn’t tell you. I haven’t got a specific dish. It’s the same with music, like a song. You’ve got to be in that moment with that song. You don’t have like, “Oh I’ve got this on my phone ready.” It just whatever comes natural.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Okay then if you’re father cooks for you, what’s something he cooks that for love?
Christina Novelli: He hasn’t for a while you know. We have to have a little discussion about that. It’s been a bit of a while. He’s been very busy. I’ve got two little brothers so he’s been quite busy with my little bros right now. My favorite dish from my dad actually, from when I was young, was he’s made me chicken tagliatelle and mushroom every time without a fail. Like, I’m quite consistent with my favorite and what I like and with that was a very, very good dish. You know in your mouth… incredible.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): You just put up the acapella version of your new track “Dynamite” with Gareth Emery on Soundcloud and have encouraged people to download, remix and whatever. Now I know nothing about producing music but shit, this made me want to remix it too, even though it would come out horrible.
Christina Novelli: Are you gonna do it?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): I don’t know. Maybe. I’d probably use like- pots and pans…
Christina Novelli: I think you should.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): I’ll send it to you. First of all, what brought you to this decision and let me be the first to congratulate you on its huge success ahead of time?
Christina Novelli: Thank you so much. You mean, do you know what?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): You’ve ruined our interview with your sneezing.
Boom (Late Nation): I’m so sorry.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): I can’t believe you did this.
Christina Novelli: Well. The prissy blonde on the right just sneezed everyone! Tissue! Can we get tissue?
Boom (Late Nation): OMG, I sneezed once.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Afro-Mic is sad.
Boom (Late Nation): I sneezed once.
Christina Novelli: Is Afro-Mic okay? Afro-Mic, are you okay?
Boom (Late Nation): It’s cold, okay. It’s cold in Miami. Oh my God.
Christina Novelli: Do you want my jacket? Do you want my jacket?
Boom (Late Nation): No, because you’ll be cold and you’re more important.
Christina Novelli: No, take it if you want it. Remixing. What’s the reason behind why do it?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Yeah, why is that?
Christina Novelli: But you know what, why not? Like why not? There’s so many producers out there. There’s so many DJs out there. I know when I first started out I would hear something really, “Oh my God, I wish I had the acapella”. I know there are place where you can go but you can’t hear the song at the first time and get the acapella and wait until someone else has done it. That someone who’s that you see more established and they’ve got more of a chance to do it. I mean everybody has a say and everybody’s aspiring to… you know… if you believe in that something, you’re good enough why not. So we just said fuck this. I’m really interested to hear what comes back because there’s so many different types of styles and so many different types of DJs and producers. I’m really excited because who knows what we’re gonna get back. These are people who really want to do it, too. So it’s gonna go on perfect.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Talk about remixing, as a songwriter how did you approach covering “Jar of Hearts“? Was it a challenge to sing someone else’s lyrics?
Christina Novelli: You know what for me… Actually that’s one of my favorite songs so when I was asked to do it I was like “I can’t. No way I can’t do this”. I was like “Christina Perri she’s the fucking bullocks”. Like that girl can sing. One of my favorite, favorite songs of all-time actually is “A Thousand Years.” Which is for me like “Yeah, oh god!” So when Dash’s team obviously contacted for me to do it. I was like “are they joking?” I’m saying towards them like, “Is this a joke?” Then they were like “No, seriously.”, and I was like “Oh my god!” So I actually felt the pressure. I was like, “Holy shit.” Yeah, great, good, like I loved it because I love the song so much I sang it with all my heart. Was that the question?
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Yes, perfect! I loved it.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): You were inducted into the trance music family with your track with Gareth Emery “Concrete Angel” and your track with Craig Connelly “Black Hole” which are by far some of my favorite songs, I would say ever. How is it that you find inspiration for masterpieces such as these?
Christina Novelli: “Concrete Angel” was actually just of one off when I was in a studio… it was actually about an ex of mine. We broke up and I was quite upset about the situation. I was just like “do you know what I’m just gonna write about this”. So I just thought and I had a couple of drinks with my producer at the time. I was like, “huh-huh-huh,” put the song up and spend the day on it and that’s how “Concrete Angel” came about. I don’t speak too much about it because it’s very, very private and personal to me.
But with Craig… Craig actually sent me some music and I was with my producer at that time, we were setting the studio and I was just like “Fuck.” It’s so different. Not talking about the lyrics or the melody of me, just the production itself, it’s like just taking out the lyrics and melody. It’s a brilliant track itself as in the production. So we sat there, my producer and he was like “Oh my God!” and we just created and that’s what it came out.
Two incredible producers, there’s a lot of pressure, when you’ve got you know…
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Let’s get a little personal here and you don’t have to answer this if you don’t have to. About your relationship and women and dance music are seen as sex objects most of the time. And you came out as openly bisexual. Do you think that’s affected what you’ve received?
Christina Novelli: Nothing, nothing’s changed.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Really?
Christina Novelli: And which is good and it should didn’t. Like not for me there’s been no difference. All I’ve had so far but lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely people and just really lovely like I’ve not had any negativity. I think I’ve had a few comments actually may be online with you being like, “Oh my god. Is she gay? Oh my god there’s a make of it.” But to me it’s like I read it and I just… It makes up to because for me gay, straight is completely normal to me.
I’ve been brought up into a world where it doesn’t matter if you’re a gay or straight or anything. If you’re a dickhead, then then you’re a dickhead. Do you know what I mean? Because it doesn’t matter what you like or what color you are or anything like that. If you’re a nob, you’re a nob, if you’re nice, you’re nice, and that’s it for me and so far I seem to be nice. You know, everyone’s lovely. For me it’s not a big deal like I’m happy to say if I like a guy or a girl and I don’t worry about whether people are going to judge because I’m doing music and I love music and I’m in a society of people who love music too. It’s not about my sexuality. It’s about music. It’s about nice people having a nice time and just being you I think. That’s the most important thing to me. And I honestly haven’t had any negativity at all and do like you good.
And that actually, Trance family, I have to say, they’ve really opened my eyes to like really lovely, lovely people because they are a family. Everybody is a family.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): It says that on my bracelet.
Christina Novelli: I want that but I won’t take it. It’s okay.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): You can have it I have like ten.
Christina Novelli: Everyone’s very accepting, you know, because they’re just in it for the music and they love you for who you are. That’s for me is wonderful.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): You’ve worked with your share of up and comers and established artists such as tyDi, Craig Connelly, Dash Berlin, Judge Jules, Gareth Emery and many more. With that said, who would you say you enjoy working with most and as far as the future, who would you love to work with?
Christina Novelli: I mean, I’m always gonna say Gareth and obviously the second time around we’ve written together and he’s just so inspiring as a writer, as a producer. He’s great. Everybody else who I’ve written with, they are impeccable people and they’re so passionate about music that every single person individually stands out separately from themselves and equally everyone’s just as great and wonderful.
For the future, you know what, there’s no one possibly who… I haven’t got any one set like I want to work with. I really love Porter Robinson but there’s so many incredible DJs/producers out there that so far, I’m just so happy and blessed of what I worked with and I look forward to what’s to come. I’m gonna be releasing a single myself and do you know may having somebody remix that would be amazing. There’s gonna be a lot of collaborations in the pipeline definitely coming up but so far very blessed and very grateful for who I’ve chance to work with so far.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Okay. I love the way you dress and I’m wondering…
Christina Novelli: Thank you. I knew it by the way.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Thank you so much. Now, I’m wondering why do wear ski outfits on first dates?
Christina Novelli: Ooh. Oh. You did that.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): I know why.
Christina Novelli: Because I’m a mother fucking bad-ass. Mother fucker! That’s not true I’ve no idea where you have that from and I have no comment. But if I was to ever go on a first date I would definitely not wear a ski outfit.
Billie Myers: What? I just thought you were beyond cool babe.
Christina Novelli: There’s a huge, huge, huge story behind that but I wouldn’t bore you with the details. All I will say I fucking rocked it and I did get laid and so that’s all kids…
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Talk about rocking it, your DJ set was insane totally off the hook. How do you choose the songs you play in the order like as a singer versus a DJ who doesn’t sing?
Christina Novelli: You know what? Obviously because I am a singer, like for Djing, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with what a song of order, I go by what I like. As in I’ll just go “I fucking love this song I want to with this”. Like I think if I’m in the club I want to hear is this. So I put up whatever… It’s kind of selfish I think. I play what I like. I just play the things I like basically and I will just put them in order of how I felt it will actually go. I mean if I could just do all vocal tracks, I would.
Billie Myers: So you meant if you could do all Billie Myers tracks?
Christina Novelli: If I could do all Billie Myers tracks. Testing… Billy Mayer tracks. I would. I would.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Do you ever sing when you DJ?
Christina Novelli: Yeah I do. Normally I do. So I sing throughout like… I do three or four songs then I’ll sing then I’ll do another couple of tracks then I sing then I’ll sing a couple of songs. Yeah it’s cool. It’s cool if you’re a DJ and then you jump up on the deck to the mic.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): If you had your own clothing line, what will it feature?
Christina Novelli: I say what does that mean?
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): What would you like sell?
Christina Novelli: Leopard print.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Leopard print everything?
Christina Novelli: Fucking leopard print. I’m not allowed to wear leopard print. I would be head to toe in a leopard print one-suit if I could.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): What’s your favorite perfume to wear?
Christina Novelli: I have many, actually. I have many. Right now I’m wearing Jimmy Choo. But I like loads, absolutely loads, but right now my current one is that one.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): Two more questions, I swear. You’ve worked with Gareth Emery. You worked with Dash Berlin, TyDi. Who is the producer you’d like to work with that you haven’t worked with yet?
Christina Novelli: Porter Robinson. Well, and there are a few. There’s another DJ, as well, that I would like to work with but I highly doubt would ever happen…Afrojack.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): That wouldn’t be that hard to do. You could do it.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): I’ll let you borrow the mic.
Christina Novelli: Yeah! I would like to work with Afro-Mic.
DJ Ron (Fusion Radio): What would you like to say to all of your fans out there?
Christina Novelli: Just thank you. Like seriously. Like literally, if it was not for the amount of love and dedication I’ve had from people this wouldn’t be happening right now. Obviously, a massive thanks to Gareth as well because it wasn’t for him and hearing “Concrete Angel“. But, especially the fans out there… for me they are solid, absolutely solid. I have some really, really good fans and they keep me going and I am very grateful for them.
Dayanna Ramirez (Ascendance Radio): Thank you.
For more information on Christina Novelli, check out the Christina Novelli Official Website , or keep up to date by following Christina Novelli on Twitter or on Christina Novelli’s Facebook Page.
