SILVI has been making us all feel that little bit more since (re)emerging onto the Scottish music scene.

The West Lothian singer delivers an emotional gut punch with her own brand of raw, soulful, R&B-infused pop – especially when live.

Originally a duo, Silvi's debut arrived in 2020 with Your Smoke, followed up with That's Not Love.

Shortly thereafter, as a solo artist, she unveiled Wish You'd Stay, RAIN and Burning and turned a few heads doing so.

No doubt 2023 will be another massive year for the star. But, before, then, The Weekender dragged Silvi into the confession box for a bit of a chat...

SLOTH – What tune makes you want to sit back and do nothing forever?

Better Man – James Morrison... I used to get in from school about an hour before my mum got in from work and I'd sit on our rocking chair and put this on repeat after a crap day. I got bullied really badly my first couple years of high school and I didn't confide in anybody about it, so music quite literally was my only escape/release. My self esteem was at an all-time low and it was comforting to be reminded there was people who "see me and love me just the way I am". Also how James Morrison talks about how he managed to develop and become better. That's what I wanted for myself. I think this song gave me hope that this wasn't going to be my life forever and that things can and will change. Now the song totally settles me because things did indeed get better. My 12-year-old self had faith in her future and this song symbolises that for me.

WRATH – What tune makes you want to absolutely wreck the hoose?

Carry Me Home – Gloworm... This song stabs me in the gut every time I hear it. The soulful vocal paired with the contagious beat just makes me go mental every time. I'd love to one day write a song with a similar feeling of euphoria that this chorus packs. The way it merges a Gospel ballad-type vocal with such a fast-paced instrumental makes me want to run for miles. On a personal level, this song really spoke to me as a kid growing up working class because, to me, it embodies that feeling of being forced to dedicate your life to something else – something generations of my family have done – and then only getting that little bit of downtime to actually enjoy life and be with your family who mean the world to you. I have absolutely no idea if that's what the writer intended to provoke with the lyrics and atmosphere but this song makes me feel proud of my family for some reason. You might not always see them but they'll always have your back. I'd love to have been a teenager in a nightclub when this first dropped.

LUST – What tune do you NEED in your life right now?

I Feel Like I'm Drowning – Two Feet...My friend Rob played me this song at the start of summer and there's not been a day that's gone by where I've not played it multiple times. In what has been the busiest and most transformative year of my life I truly have felt like I was drowning at points. At the start of 2022 I moved into my own flat for the first time, got a new job and also started gigging as Silvi, launching myself into the Scottish music scene and really going head first into trying to pursue a music career. All of these new beginnings have been overwhelming but so beneficial. I've achieved more than I thought I could but with that I've also crashed and burned a few times and this song reflects those feelings for me. It is such a charismatic and powerful sound that it makes me feel strong enough to dust myself off and try again. It's definitely written about a toxic ex making him feel like he's drowning but to me it holds a different more self reflective meaning.

GLUTTONY – What tune can you not get enough of?

People C'mon – Delta Spirit...Oh, wow, I have played this song to DEATH. I genuinely don't think I'll ever get sick of it. It has so many levels and elements to it that you're constantly getting pulled back in by something, whether it's a certain lyric, harmony or instrumental. It's the perfect soul/rock song in my opinion, it has a lot of substance. It's addictive. I particularly identify with the lyric "I've got something to say, my friends, I will never lay down without a fight" because I've done a bit of a personality 180 in recent years and this is my new philosophy. I used to be a bit of a quitter, when the going got tough, I dipped out. That definitely didn't serve me well and I had a lot of unfinished business which is pretty unsettling. I now always try to finish what I've started even if I get knocked a bit along the way. This song seems to narrate quite a few things I scarily relate to. It has such a class groove too, would love to see it live or even cover it and go wild up on stage.

GREED – What tune makes you want to hear more and more from that band?

Surround Me - LÉON... I heard this song and instantly fell in love with LÉON's voice and writing style. When I first heard this I thought all of her songs would be that kind of soulful vibe but then when I went into her discography she had a lot more of a pop influence than I expected. At the time – a few years ago now – I didn't really listen to much pop so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the rest of her stuff and it made me fall in love with pop music again. She's now my favourite vocalist of all time and I relate to all of her writing. Everything she says I feel like I've also thought about or experienced and I think that's pretty rare for me. I usually have to give songs my own meaning because I don't directly relate for some reason but with her it feels like I could've wrote it. The hopeful, inspiring chorus is my favourite type of soul climax in a song and this song alone solidified me as a lifelong LÉON fan. This is my funeral song, by the way.

PRIDE – What tune are you most proud to have written?

Burning...Instrumentally, I'd say my song Burning because I've wanted to write a song like it for years and finally did it. I wanted a big powerful crash into the chorus and I am happy with the result. Playing this live, especially with the full band, makes me feel liberated; I'm proud I managed to create that for myself. Lyrically, I'll go with my song Wish You'd Stay. It played a massive role in helping me process my grief of a loved one and I feel like it said everything I needed it to. It's my least popular song, stream-wise, but it's been by far the most cathartic release of emotion I've ever had. The loss of a loved one absolutely consumed me all day every day for months. And the minute I wrote that song and finished it I felt a weight lifted; I felt like I'd finally articulated how I felt. And even if I felt like no one else understood the exact pain I felt, it let me let go of it... I could attempt to move on from what was suffocating me every day.

ENVY – What tune/chorus/verse/solo/lyric do you wish you had written?

You Do Something to Me – Paul Weller...The part in this song where it sounds like something out of an opera; the "hanging on the wire, I'm waiting for my change" DUN DUN DUN DUN !!! Is so powerful. Imagine hearing that come to life for the first time in the studio. I'd actually fall off my chair. I've always loved this song and it's a classic so it would be cool to know I'd made such a mark on music the way Paul Weller did with this song. The impact it has on every listen is really special – it's incomparable!