Giorgi and I met in 2016 working together at a restaurant. At the time Giorgi was somewhat of a recent transplant from interior BC; since then, her buttery voice has spread smoothly through Vancouver’s R&B and hip hop scene. I met with Giorgi and her musical partner Ari over an oat milk latte to talk about their recent release Big Fat Baby, a delicious 6-song EP. 

To clarify things, Giorgi explains the meaning of EP’s title: it’s more than okay to feel emotional and be a “big fat baby”. She says, “you can be that big fat baby,” and then “do you and get it done.” With this “get it done” attitude in mind, Giorgi and Ari tell me that Big Fat Baby was produced in the span of just a few months, both a release of emotions as well as artistic intention.

Though the duo have worked together for five years, the difference between this EP and previous releases, Ari claims, is that they’ve defined their overall sound. Ari says that the songs on Big Fat Baby have some of their best hooks and melodies, while Giorgi states that the music simply makes her feel good while creating it. Giorgi notes the importance of artists like Kehlani, Janis Joplin, and heavy-hitting R&B (think Destiny’s Child’s Survivor) as influences that have “paved the way” for her musically. Ari cites “early Soulection” as an influence for his production style—a futuristic electronic sound that blends electronics and instrumentalists. 

Previously performing with a band of instrumentalists under the name Giorgi Holiday, Giorgi and Ari decided to proceed without the band for Big Fat Baby in order to work as a duo and take more ownership of their decisions. Still, Big Fat Baby involves the support of local collaborators such as Dacey, who features on the song “Kodak”; and Kendra Dias, who you can hear on “Solo”; as well as Creed Taylor, who did some of the recording. Both Giorgi and Ari speak fondly of the local artistic community, and the inspiring talent they feel fortunate to see in the city, giving shout outs to Immigrant Lessons, Aisha, and Ana Santos. 

What makes this duo strong is their special rapport when they’re together. They complement each other well artistically, love the same music, and push each other creatively. They hope to go on tour and make things more technical while still keeping it simple. You can expect to hear more from these two in spring 2020! Until then, listen to Big Fat Baby.