Gemini Aaliyah

Name, where are you from?

Gemini Aaliyah, Leeds UK.

Describe your style in three words?

Witch, goth, alt-girl.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Crystal Castles. Pretty sure I was fifteen, I didn’t stop dancing and I didn’t want it to end. The light show was crazy and intense and it was that perfect teen moment when you have nothing on your mind other than that moment. I came out sweating all my black eye makeup down my face. When I think of this memory the feels come back.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?

Bloc Party. Bloc Party's sound influenced Finn and me massively, Kele's voice and lyrics proper spoke to us, they are heartfelt and intelligent and they sound really good. Paramore. Paramore's songs and Hailey's voice give me fantasy vibes, werewolves, vampires, witches and heartbreak. To be on stage alongside Hailey would be wild, to sing a song with her could be legendary.

Which subcultures have influenced you?

The emo/pop-punk/screamo/goth scene of the 2000s: The music, the fashion, and the vibes influenced me heavily, my first ever gigs were You Me At Six, Friendly Fires, 30 Seconds To Mars and Deaf Havana. Also, becoming involved with alternative healing, witchcraft and spirituality has enabled me to heal and reconnect with my own magic, and the magical world beyond our everyday reality that I felt the presence of as a young child.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

Maria Sabina (a famous female healer). I believe when you make a song you cast a spell, and when someone listens to it they receive that spell. I would love to have had the opportunity to attend one of Maria Sabina's ceremonies where she would guide people to other worlds and contribute my voice and my music to her ceremony. To meet such a wise, magical and powerful woman would be a dream come true.

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?

A local venue to me in Leeds called Wharf Chambers. It's a hub of alternative, all-inclusive vibes. It's just got a good vibe, like a squat bar feel, like you're looked after and everyone's looking out for each other, and the music I've seen there has been raw and weird, just my vibe.

Gemini Aaliyah will release her new single, 'Drifting Away' on Friday 17th June 2022. Pre-order or pre-save it via linktr.ee/geminiaaliyah.