LA-based electro-pop group FYOHNA have released their new single “Lie Down,” available to stream and purchase now on Spotify, Apple Music, and all DSPs worldwide, and honestly, you’re going to be just as obsessed as we are. The track, produced by Aron Forbes who has worked with the likes of Halsey, Banks, King Princess and Chris Spilfogel (Twenty One Pilots), is a track confrontation; a track that feels sort of like a dare.

“When I started writing it I thought it was about jealousy and competition, but as songs often do, it evolved, and the meaning couldn’t have been more opposite,” explains vocalist-songwriter Katarina Gleicher. “My interpretation is self-acceptance, self-love and loving freely. When I think about the question this song is asking and the answer I get from it, it’s  ‘who loved you better?’ I loved me better. No one can hold me like me and no one can love me like me.” Katarina also went on to say.

PopWrapped caught up with this dynamic trio on the rise to talk more about the single, find out the influences behind the track, and much more.

PopWrapped (PW): First of all, we’d like to congratulate you both on working with some pretty amazing people on this track. You worked with Chris Spilfogel, known for working with Halsey, and Twenty One Pilots. Also, Aron Forbes. What was it like working with them? What helpful advice did they give you guys?

FYOHNA (F): Aron and Chris have been a part of this project from the beginning. They have been so important to our lives as artists and as friends. Constantly providing space for growth and expansion. We’ve learned so much from those guys but right now the word that stands out to us — persistence. Just don’t stop. 

PW: Listening to “Lie Down”, I feel like I am about to walk into a dark, black rose-filled, Bachelorette fantasy suite. What would you say influenced the sound, lyrics, and most importantly, the dark beat that this song features?

F: Wow! I love that description! Lie Down picks a part jealousy and tries to figure out what that feeling really is. Because we all know that word, but there are so many different feelings that go into it. So many internal questions that we oversimplify into that one word and that we often don’t examine because it hurts to ask ourselves; why? It’s been really interesting not to default to jealousy because I’m learning how many different feelings I actually have at once and how confusing and exhilarating love really is, especially the love I have for myself. It’s layered,  it’s not one thing. When I think about the question this song is asking and the answer I get  from it, it’s  “who loved you better?” I loved me better. No one can hold me like me and no one can love me like me. 

PW: “Lie Down” is really an interpretation of self-love, being able to love freely, and self-acceptance. What do those three things mean to you as a group? Will the ep feature more of those types of tracks? & what else can you tell us about the four-song ep that will be released, soon?

F: Well, we’ve each had our own experiences with these ideas over the past year, but I think one of the reasons that it’s impossible not to write together is that we’re all practicing a sort of reprogramming of what we’ve been taught. I mean, it’s so hard to define self-love and self-acceptance because it has so many different faces, every day it looks different.  I don’t really think anyone’s figured it out because we’re so complex and to me that’s exciting! I think I’ve made the mistake of thinking of self-love and self-acceptance as something to achieve or own, but love isn’t about concurring and it’s certainly not about ownership.  I think of it as a commitment to learn, grow and examine fear starting by turning inward. I think that a fierce commitment to yourself allows you to be there for others in ways you may not have thought possible. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to love freely so that in turn they can be loved freely by others, and maybe that will help us as human beings actually connect and empathize. The four songs will actually be released as singles, but they’re deeply tied together and we consider them one body of work. They all examine the painful freedoms of modern love and the necessary inner freedom of self-love.

PW: Finally, you’ve already worked with a pretty impressive lineup, and you’re only just getting started. Do you have any dream collaborations as far as artists, producers, writers, etc? If so, why them, and how do they standout amongst the HUGE variety of selections?

F: Oh man! My personal dream collaborator would be with Nicole Miglis of Hundred Waters and Batry Powr. That music totally changed my life and I just think her lyrics have such a genuine way of taking the listener on what ever journey that person needs to go on. I don’t know how she does that, but it’s such a gift to be able to hand someone a piece of yourself and let them make it their own. What’s so interesting about it to me is that her lyrics are so specific but somehow universal. Her last record really helped me deepen with the ideas that our four-song collection is about. 

We want to thank FYOHNA for chatting with us. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, as well as their official website for more information. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or by sounding off on social media, @PopWrapped.