Gia Margaret: On Reclaiming Her Voice and the Meaning of Singing

Last Updated on 2026-04-23 by a-indie

A Dream of Film Scores and Her Musical Roots

The Dream of Scoring Films

-Yuuki Takita: I understand you originally enrolled in music school with the goal of earning a composition degree, but left because you did not want to play in an orchestra and wanted to write music for film instead. What drew you to film scoring? And could you tell us which film scores inspired you?

Gia Margaret: Well, I actually went to school with the hopes that I’d come out on the other end scoring films. I actually haven’t scored much at this point, but it’s something I think I’d still like to do in the future! To me, most movies wouldn’t be as impactful without music. I think it can make or break a scene, that music is a powerful anchor in expressing what’s being conveyed. Jon Brion is a huge influence in my own music. As a younger person, the score to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was deeply moving to me. (It still is.) I think elements of his work have inspired every piece of music I have ever made! I think something about his music cuts right to the deepest emotion, even subtly. He kind of set the bar for what I want my music to accomplish on an emotional level. I also love the scores/work of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yann Tiersen. Music and movies belong together.

Three Albums That Shaped My Sound

-Yuuki Takita: I can hear elements of folk, slowcore, ambient, and trip-hop in your music. If you were to name three albums that have influenced your sound, which would they be? For each one, could you share what specifically influenced you, and any stories connected to those records?

Gia Margaret: Sade’s, Lovers Rock. For it’s drum samples, production, her VOICE, the simplicity of her lyrics. I remember burning myself to a crisp laying out in the yard as a teenager, while listening to this over and over again. I think her voice is what made me want to sing. I heard something of myself in it, though, my voice doesn’t hold a candle to hers. Iconic and no one like her.

Next, Nick Drake’s Pink Moon. I got into this in college and it’s the record that got me into alternate tunings. And through alternate tunings I totally fell in love with the guitar. That aside, every song is perfect and dark and has glimpses of hope to. Knowing more about him as a person, I have always felt him to be relatable. Which says more about me than I’m usually willing to admit but god, being an artist can be so painful! Or further, someone who feels so deeply and feels a bit misunderstood. I wish that Nick could have seen how his music would become more appreciated over time.

And last but certainly not least Stina Nordenstam’s And Then She Closed her Eyes. I love how close and intimate her vocals are throughout the record and how she never goes beyond a certain volume with her voice and they still can cut though. I had her voice in my head throughout making Singing. Just a reminder that I don’t have to push myself and the most beautiful textures shine in the softest singing. I love her use of distortion as well. (On her other records even moreso!) Again, this is another record that has no skips. Aside from her unique songwriting structures, she is a phenomenal producer and engineer as well. I learned that she records her vocals in her car at times, and is very active in deciding on mic placement. I really feel those intuitive choices make the music so special. This might be my favorite record of all time!

Japan, and the Journey of Reclaiming Her Voice

A Dream Night at Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan

-Yuuki Takita: You performed in Japan for the first time in October 2025. How was it to perform at Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property? Please share any impressions of the experience or of your Japanese audience.

Gia Margaret: It was the best live experience I’ve ever had! There was a familiarity there because it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who is from Chicago. But that aside, the peaceful quiet surrounding the building made me calm upon entering it. (Usually I am a ball of nerves walking into a venue!) But I immediately felt at peace. I had the longest soundcheck of my life, and the team of people who put this show on took such great care in the small details. (Which feels very Japanese!) The actual performance was so magical, all thanks to the audience who filled the room with such loving energy. And I got to play a song with one of my heroes, Masakatsu Takagi. I felt my soul leave my body hearing him play such beautiful piano on one of my songs. It all felt like a dream!

What She Found in the Silence

-Yuuki Takita: 『Singing』 is your first vocal album since 『There’s Always Glimmer』 in 2018. I am so glad your voice has returned and that we can hear this wonderful album. Having spent years unable to sing due to a vocal cord injury, what are some of the things that experience influenced in you?

Gia Margaret: I think the whole experience helped me appreciate quiet. Whether it be with my voice or allowing myself the quiet to really process some of the things I was going through. I faced myself in a way I never have up until this point in my life. I learned how to take things at a pace that felt healthy, to look at things deeply and intentionally. I think it translates through some of the songs. I can feel it energetically from them, lyrics aside.