Roskamala On Truth She Told, The Depths Of Human Existence, And Embracing Imperfection

Bangkok-native artist, Roskamala, discussed her EP, Truth She Told, highlighting its exploration of the complexities of human existence and the message that “it’s okay not to be okay.” During our in-depth interview, the talented singer revealed that she dedicated a year and a half to writing the music, creating visuals, and finding the right collaborators to bring her concepts to life. The record shares authentic stories from her personal journey, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and stepping out of one’s comfort zone to find peace and positivity.

As for the upcoming music video of “Out Of The Maze,” Roskamala promises another sensitive topic, portraying a group of misfits navigating their unique challenges while embracing their true selves. She approaches her creative vision by immersing herself in her imagination, visualizing scenarios with closed eyes and translating them into reality through meticulous planning.

The songs on the EP, such as “Beautiful Disease”and “Kiss Me Amnesia,” delve into themes like toxic relationships and personal growth. Collaboration was crucial for the project, with Roskamala selecting artists who matched her storytelling style and providing them with scenarios to enhance their performances.

Continue to read the full interview below.

Can you tell us about your recent EP, Truth She Told? How much time did you invest in creating this record, and what are the key messages or experiences you would like listeners to gain from it?

Truth She Told is a symbol of the gray areas of being a human. It’s a project that’s full of hidden messages and one of them is “we are all humans and it’s okay not to be okay.” This project took me a year and a half of writing music, creating visuals, writing video scripts, searching for creatives, companies, and featuring artists that fit the concepts, music, and videos.

As I mentioned earlier, acknowledging the strength and weaknesses in ourselves are crucial in order to find peace. We need self awareness and being out of your comfort zone to make a positive change in our lives. Truth She Told is a combination of authentic stories from the journey of finding happiness and peace. Producing this piece, I had to reveal my vulnerability, secrets, and mistakes to connect with the listeners and show that we are mostly humans. Leave the negativity behind and focus on positivity. It is not easy for me as I truly appreciate privacy. But it’s all worth it.

What can fans anticipate from the upcoming music video for “Out Of The Maze”? Could you share your creative vision for the visuals and how they synergize with the song’s message, enriching the overall experience?

The “Out Of The Maze” music video is one of my favorite music videos on the EP. The fans can expect another sensitive topic in there. It is about a group of misfits, adults who have difficulty being adults or fitting in, due to their uniqueness, and being part of the LGBTQ+ community. Each character surrounds themselves with their issues not knowing how to deal with their problems, but that doesn’t stop them to enjoy the ride and have fun being who they are. Their issues are in an endless loop. That’s the beauty of life, in my opinion, when life throws lemon at you, you should make great cocktails out of them.

When it comes to self-producing and directing your music videos, your approach often encompasses unconventional and unique styles. Can you elaborate on the methods you employ to bring your vision to life?

I myself am a unique person who looks exactly like an average person. And the majority of people judge the book by its cover. How I bring my visions to life is a complicated process. To me, it’s like the process of acting and singing. I was trained in singing, acting, and music at Superstar College of Arts. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree, I learned a valuable lesson that is to see the unseen in my head while my eyes are closed. You see better and hear better shutting down some senses.

It may sound lame, but my approach is closing my eyes and imagining scenarios that are happening in my head and letting myself loose in a place where my imagination becomes my reality. In an interesting way, you can see every dimension of every character, the location, time, what they are going through, and even the colors. It’s very close to meditation. Obviously it takes time to see every angle. But once I have clear pictures of everything, I put everything in the PowerPoint presentations and execute the plans.

Can you share some insights into the stories behind the songs on Truth She Told, such as “Beautiful Disease,” “Loving Mess,” and “Chameleon”?

Let’s start with “Beautiful Disease.” This song touches on one of the darkest sides to being in relationships, which are toxic relationships, jealousy, and idealization. Some people believe that you will experience one toxic relationship in your life in order to learn what your values are. What I do believe is that the past doesn’t indicate your future. You can conquer your past and claim a brighter future.

Collaboration seems to play a significant role in your EP, with features from MISBONO, Ivy Marie, Lia Apa, Greenwich, and Courtney Knott. What was the process like, and how did these artists contribute to the project?

The main key for collaborating with featuring artists is that I looked for the voices that I feel match my storytelling. I normally give out a scenario to every single one of the artists. For example, before recording “Kiss Me Amnesia,” the scenario I sent to Greenwich was about a struggling songwriter who finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend.

It was three in the morning. He was broken internally and exhausted physically. He didn’t even have the energy to deal with it because he needed to finish his songwriting which was due the next day. He decided to grab a drink and keep writing music instead of dealing with it. He numbs his mind with Amnesia ( temporarily postponing reality) and plans to deal with reality later. I also suggested the time late at night so he could sing quietly with a deep amount of pain without bothering the neighbors.

In what ways has your Thai heritage and the diverse array of places you have called home, like your upbringing in Bangkok and your current residence in Florida, shaped and influenced your sound?

I am familiar with UK music, Australian music, and American music. Growing up, I was lucky enough to be able to experience different cultures, arts, and sounds whenever I traveled or lived abroad. In Thailand, Western music is a big scene as well. Each country has their own sounds which I found fascinating. The combination of my experiences shaped my work tremendously.

As an artist who explores vulnerability and delivers messages of hope, what are your future plans in terms of your music and the impact you want to create with your songs?

I am currently working on my next EP. I plan to call it Lies She Told. I have now finished three songs. “Hope” has such a broad meaning. To narrow it down, the sub message behind that word is “Nobody is perfect.” We will have good days and bad days until we die. The past does not define who you are. Being the best version of yourself every day, on the other hand, leads to a brighter future. All of my songs have this one strong message and that is “You gotta do what you Gotta do to live happily. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself and others.”

Listen to Truth She Told below: