Gia Ford

“I wanted to play on that persona and give whatever I’m writing this fictional character, even though it’s still me.”

Elton John. Frank Ocean. Freddie Mercury. Dusty Springfield. There’s a strong tradition of LGBTQ+ music acts creating stage personas and going on to change the cultural landscape. Adopting a new moniker allows you to create a whole new identity, or simply present an enhanced version of the person you already are. For Gia Ford – who is known as Molly McCormick to her family and friends - it was very much the latter. “It was a really weird process, as I wanted to have a stage name because I wanted to have an elevated version of myself,” Gia tells us as she sits down for her interview as GAY TIMES and Apple Music’s latest ELEVATE artist. “I wanted to play on that persona and give whatever I’m writing this fictional character, even though it’s still me.”

It’s a concept that has served the Sheffield-born singer-songwriter well. After spending three years developing her sound, Gia released her debut EP, Poster