Nelly Furtado chats to I Like Music

I first sat down and wrote a song when I was 12. I think it’s practice, just over the years honing the craft of songwriting and listening to loads of singer/songwriters, good ones, whether it’s Elliot Smith or Rufus Wainwright or Beth Orton, there’s things I’ve really learned a lot from. I’m having more fun with it. I like co-writing and I like sitting down and letting someone else play the instruments, and then I’m free with my vocal and my lyrics. But really, songwriting is a way for me to understand the world. I think sometimes ideas just come to me, and something I might not understand consciously, I understand through the process of writing the song which taps into the subconscious mind a lot more. So it’s my way of coping I think, the songwriting.

ILM: Your Loose album has this depth and raw quality, and sees you mix hip hop beats, 80s synths, dance, electro – a real diverse mix. Was this freedom to experiment and be ‘promiscuous’ musically important for you on this album?

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