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"I create art that I fuck with" - An Interview with SAFIRE

Inside SAFIRE's world of desire, symbolism and dark club-pop and the restless instinct that keeps her creating, questioning and becoming.

By SKAUSS Contributing Author

From the dark club-pop of EROTICA to its fetish-inspired imagery, movement and symbolism, the Hackney-born Irish and UK artist treats sound as part of something much larger.

I enter that world with SAFIRE to talk about desire and freedom, the strange things people reveal when they look at art, the cost of remaining uncompromising, the artists she dreams of colliding with, and the hunger beneath everything she creates.

Skauss, Musicngear: EROTICA feels less like a single release and more like entering a world with its own language. When did you realize that the music needed another dimension - visuals, symbolism, fashion and movement - to fully reveal what existed inside the songs?

Creating a full visual world around my music has always been central to how I see artistry. Growing up watching artists like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson, I was inspired by how they transformed songs into complete experiences through performance, fashion, symbolism and storytelling. The visuals didn’t just accompany the music, they shaped how the audience understood and connected with it.

With EROTICA, the visual world was essential because the themes of desire, power, vulnerability and fantasy could be interpreted in many different ways. The visuals reinforce the intention behind the track, helping guide the audience into the world I’ve created while allowing me to communicate my perspective more clearly and provoke deeper conversations around the themes.

I’ve always been drawn to immersive storytelling, from films like Edward Scissorhands, The Addams Family and Memoirs of a Geisha to artists like Carlo Crivelli, whose paintings almost felt like they were extending beyond the canvas. That idea of creating something that feels alive has always influenced my work.

As I continue developing as an artist, I’m moving further into creative direction, learning about lighting, art direction and visual storytelling so I can take more control over building these worlds and bringing the full vision behind the music to life.

Musicngear: You describe the artwork as a mirror - something that reveals the person looking at it as much as the artist behind it. Has a reaction to your work ever revealed something you didn’t expect?

It has revealed things I didn’t expect, and sometimes things that were quite ugly. When I released HARD FAST in 2024, I experienced a lot of hate towards the track and the visuals. There were people who sent me messages telling me to unalive myself, and there was one guy in particular who was replying to almost every comment on the video with really nasty things that I won't repeat here. I'd not dealt with anything like that before so I did have to question whether I was able to cope with this sort of thing at the time.

What was interesting to me was what that reaction revealed. The visuals weren’t even explicit. I was wearing latex trousers and a fully fitted custom jacket that covered me from wrist to neck, but the idea of a woman presenting herself with confidence, owning her image and expressing herself outside of traditional expectations can still provoke very strong reactions.

That’s why I find the idea of art being a mirror so interesting. It reveals something about the artist, but it also reveals something about the person looking at it. Sometimes people’s reactions tell you more about them than they do about the artwork.

As long as something is consensual, safe and between people who genuinely want to be there, I don’t think there should be shame attached to how people express themselves

Musicngear: EROTICA exists between control and surrender, dominance and vulnerability. Do you see these as opposing forces, or different expressions of the same human instinct?

I don’t see them as opposing forces. I think control and surrender, dominance and vulnerability, can actually be different expressions of the same human instinct and the same desire for connection.

Having been exposed to kink and BDSM, I’ve come to understand that there are many different forms of sexual expression and intimacy that exist beyond what is usually represented in mainstream media. A lot of those desires and dynamics are still treated as taboo, misunderstood or something people should feel ashamed of.

That’s something I wanted to explore with EROTICA. I wanted to bring those conversations into a more public space and challenge the idea that desire has to fit into a certain mould. As long as something is consensual, safe and between people who genuinely want to be there, I don’t think there should be shame attached to how people express themselves.

Musicngear: You are studying music, branding and semiotics while building your own artistic universe. Has understanding the mechanics behind symbols and visual language made you more intentional with your choices, or more curious about the different meanings people discover within them?

I think it’s both. Studying branding, semiotics and visual language has made me much more intentional with my choices, but it has also made me more curious about how people interpret things differently.

When you create a piece of work and put it into the world, you lose some control over how people receive it. Everyone views things through their own experiences and perspective. But I do think you have control over the language you create. You can control the lighting, the styling, the expressions, the movement, the symbolism and the intention behind those choices.

I enjoy having that level of awareness over how I communicate as an artist. I want to understand why I’m making certain choices and what I’m trying to express. At the same time, I’m fascinated by the fact that people can still find their own meanings within the work.

For me, this process of studying and creating has been about understanding my own mind more deeply and understanding what I’m trying to say through my art. I feel like I’m only at the beginning of that journey. This feels like the tip of the iceberg creatively, and there’s so much more I want to explore.

Musicngear: You have written for other voices, with your work published through Sony, EMI, Universal, BMG and others. What changes when the voice is your own, and every lyric, image and decision becomes part of SAFIRE?

When I write for myself, everything becomes much more intentional. The themes, the visual world and the wider meaning behind the song are considered from the very beginning. I’m not just creating a standalone piece of music, I’m building part of a larger body of work.

There’s a different level of responsibility because every lyric, image and creative decision becomes connected to SAFIRE as an artist. I’m thinking about how each release fits into the bigger story, where the project is going and what I want to leave behind creatively.

It comes with more pressure, but also more freedom. Every choice becomes part of the world I’m creating and the legacy I’m building as an artist.

Musicngear: EROTICA was built alongside a creative team made up predominantly of queer, trans, non-binary and female creatives. How did those perspectives shape the world you were creating, and what unique elements did each collaborator bring into the final vision?

Working with predominantly queer, trans, non-binary and female creatives creates an environment where I feel safer and more able to express myself fully. There’s a shared understanding of the references, culture and visual language I’m drawn to, which creates a natural synergy in the creative process.

But it’s also about the skill and expertise they bring. My stylist, Borna Prikaski, my movement director, Dalek, and my makeup artist, Saffron Morgan, each bring their own knowledge, creativity and perspective into the project. They don’t just execute ideas; they contribute to shaping the world we’re creating.

With Dalek especially, it was important to work with someone who understood the physical language I wanted to create. My performance references lean towards stronger, more masculine formations, showcasing the female body through strength, muscle and dominant positioning rather than a traditionally soft or delicate expression. He understands why those choices are important to me and how to translate that intention through movement.

Having collaborators who understand both the creative vision and their own craft means I can trust them within their departments and focus on the bigger picture. The strongest collaborations happen when everyone brings their own expertise while still being connected to the same world and intention.

You need to understand the rules before you can break them

Musicngear: Every artist eventually meets a moment where the path becomes uncertain. What has been the hardest obstacle you’ve faced so far, and what would you say to another artist standing at that same crossroads?

I think every day can feel like a challenge when you’re an independent artist, especially when you’re self-funding everything. I work a day job to fund my creative projects, which means balancing 30 or 40 hours of work with writing, planning, directing and creating. Every video involves a huge amount of investment, often around £4,500 per shoot, and that comes from me working constantly to make it possible.

The hardest part is managing that pressure without burning out and still finding the creative energy to make the work I want to make.

The biggest thing I’ve learned is to be uncompromising with your art. I don’t put things out anymore because I think people will like them. I create art that I fuck with. I create things that reflect my taste, my ideas and the legacy I want to leave behind.

Of course, it’s amazing when people connect with the work and it creates opportunities, but I can’t base my creativity around algorithms, numbers or external validation. At the end of the day, I’m the person who has to live with the work I create, so it needs to be something I’m genuinely proud of.

My advice to other artists would be to stay true to your own taste. Make the work you believe in, even when it’s difficult, because creating something you actually stand behind is the most important thing.

Musicngear: Today, music discovery often happens through seconds: short videos, instant hooks, and moments designed to stop the scroll. For an artist building a world as detailed as SAFIRE, how do you balance the need to be discovered with the desire to create something that cannot be reduced to a few seconds?

I’m very aware of how people consume music now and how important attention, discovery and accessibility are. I’m studying marketing, branding and semiotics, so I understand those mechanics and I understand why certain things work.

I’ve also experienced what happens when you start making decisions purely based on what you think people want. I’ve created things from that place before, and honestly, some of it felt quite average because I wasn’t making something that I personally connected with.

I think there has to be a balance. If you want people to connect with your work, there needs to be a level of consideration around songwriting, production, visuals, branding and how the project is communicated. You need to understand the rules before you can break them.

But I think some of the most exciting artists are the ones who understand those rules and then choose to step outside of them. For me, I’m happy to think about the marketing side, social media, teasers and how people discover the work, but when it comes to the music and the visual world itself, I don’t want to compromise my taste just to fit into a trend.

I’m more interested now in building something that feels like me, rather than trying to make something that I think will perform well.

Musicngear: Beyond numbers and visibility, what does success look like inside the SAFIRE universe? Is it streams, stages, connection, recognition - or something much harder to measure?

I’m really focused on playing live at the moment, so being able to perform to bigger audiences more consistently is a big focus for me. I want to share my work with people who connect with the same things that I connect with and who understand the world I’m creating.

If I can find the people who are into Game of Thrones, Tim Burton, horror nerds and all the weird, dark, beautiful things that inspire me, then I’m happy lol.

For me, success isn’t really attached to a specific number. It’s about making work that I’m proud of and sharing it with people who genuinely connect with it. The recognition and opportunities that come from that are amazing, but the main thing is continuing to create art that feels authentic to me.

Musicngear: If three artists entered the SAFIRE universe, not because they were obvious choices but because the collision could create something unexpected, who would you invite - and what would that encounter sound like?

I’d say Lady Gaga, Tool and Alexisonfire. Honestly, I have no idea what that would sound like!

They all come from such different creative worlds that the collision would probably create something completely unexpected. I couldn’t even predict what it would become, but I think it would sound interesting as fuck ha!

Musicngear: If someone discovered the physical world hidden inside your music at three in the morning, what would they find when they stepped inside?

It would probably look like Torture Garden at 3 a.m. And if you don't know what that is, then you can Google it ;)

I'm hungry. And I don't know what I'm hungry for

Musicngear: Imagine everything connected to SAFIRE disappeared overnight - the songs, images, performances, and memories. If only one feeling remained inside everyone who experienced it, what would you want that feeling to be?

Freedom.

Musicngear: Every artist carries a question they spend a lifetime answering through their work. What is the question SAFIRE is still trying to answer?

No idea what the question is or the answer. I guess it's more of a feeling. I have something that needs satisfying. It's more of a hunger. I'm hungry. And I don't know what I'm hungry for, and I'm not sure what would satisfy it. But making music and creating art satisfies me enough to get me up every day, keep me focused and moving forward towards something, and gives me a strong enough reason to question myself as a human, as a creative, and as an artist, as I navigate my interactions with other people, my interactions with myself, and my interactions with the perceived world around us.

And I enjoy competing with myself and former versions of me, and improving is something I'm interested in. So I think that's what this is all about at the moment. It could be about something else, but that's as much as I understand it to be.

Connect with SAFIRE 
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About SKAUSS

SKAUSS emerges from the shadows of contemporary music as a producer and composer exploring the boundaries of perception. Enigmatic and elusive, he nurtures a private circle, The Secret Community, for those attuned to his vision - a realm where his artistic currents intersect. His work fuses darkwave, industrial, and futuristic textures, weaving diverse genres into immersive soundscapes that hit with visceral intensity and linger in the listener’s consciousness long after the last note fades.

Contact SKAUSS at skauss@musicngear.com

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