Los Angeles has a new five-headed force of nature. Led by singer-producer Gelli Haha and flanked by Judi, Juju, Jojo and Sisi, the “Haha” crew deliver elastic synth-pop with the anarchic energy of an art-school food fight. One minute it’s bubble guns and exploding snakes-in-a-can, the next it’s tongue-twister hooks and confetti-cannon synths — all in service of a bright-red world they call the ‘Gelliverse’.
Gelli Haha’s debut album Switcheroo, out this week on Innovative Leisure, is the result of a tightly bonded collaboration — a collective leap into joyful weirdness where analogue gear, spontaneous choreography and theatrical play crash into moments of startling emotional clarity. For Team Haha, performance isn’t just for show, it’s praxis; silliness is serious business.
We caught up with Gelli Haha to find out more about the rituals, world-building and mischievous spirit behind Switcheroo.
Hey Gelli Haha, how are you? Before we begin, can you give us a noise, emoji or facial expression
that best captures where you’re at right now?
BONK! ☆(❁‿❁)☆
Your bio says you exist ‘somewhere between Studio 54 and Area 51’ what’s your go-to party outfit for that kind of commute? (And have you ever actually danced with an alien?)
All red everything – red nails, red earrings, red heels, red tights, red bodysuit, red blazer.
I have danced with many aliens.
Your debut album Switcheroo is out this week. Can you describe it in five words?
Sun. Sweet. Spit. Snake. Surrender.
What’s your favourite track to perform and why?
“Spit” is really fun because there’s a lot of tension and release. In “Normalize” we become a parachute monster, but in “Bounce House” we have snakes in a can and bring out our mini trampolines for the outro…and in “Tiramisu” we throw out dolphin balloons! I love to perform every track but those are some fun moments.
Gelli Haha has a very distinctive feel — what’s something people often get wrong or assume about your work?
This isn’t something people totally misunderstand, but I’d like it to be known that this world was built from the ground up by a team of very passionate, kind, creative people. I lead this endeavour because I believe in the beauty of shared experiences and the impact they have on our hearts and minds. There is nothing more important than that!
What’s the trickiest part of being playful in songwriting without tipping into total chaos – or is that the goal?
I wrote Switcheroo with Sean Guerin of the band De Lux. We like to ride the line, like we’re on a tightrope. But really anything goes, as long as it works. We don’t like to be weird just to be weird – it has to be good and make sense. There’s a method to the madness.
When you’re writing, are you thinking in stories, visuals, feelings… or something else entirely?
I’m a storyteller. The presentation of the story is important. The feeling the story evokes is probably the most important. I want to make music that moves people, physically and emotionally. And I want it to be red.
Can you tell us about a lyric or line on Switcheroo that makes you laugh, wince, or blush every time you perform it?
‘Oh my god did I tell you about that one time that, like, I peed in a glass jar, like, in a room full of my friends?’ Every time I say that first line in “Piss Artist” I feel like I’m confessing all over again.
What does ‘play’ mean to you in the context of your music? Is there a moment on Switcheroo where that playfulness surprised even you?
‘Play’ means to engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. That is how we made this record. We played. We didn’t take anything seriously. So many parts of the record surprised me, like the bonk at the end of “Funny Music” or the bear attack in “Dynamite” with a synth line going over it that sounds like it’s from The Little Mermaid.
What’s something really ordinary — like walking to the shop or brushing your teeth — that secretly feels like performance art to you?
I wear all red every day all the time now. It sort of seems like performance but honestly it seems natural. But it is a practice, an art, and a lifestyle. I like when the lines blur.
Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? If so, what do you think they’re doing now?
I used to live near these big rocks and I would pretend they were my friends. I’m sure they’re still there and I hope they’re doing okay.
What would you want someone to feel — or unfeel — after seeing your live show?
I want people to feel warm in their body, in their heart. Think about their life. Don’t think at all. Laugh. Smile. Dance.
Complete this sentence: Gelli Haha is not foolproof, but…
The show must go on.
And finally — if someone found a tiny red door at the back of their wardrobe marked “Gelliverse – do not enter” … what would they find if they stepped through?
A bounce house world where time loops like a disco art party you never left.
Photos: Sophie Prettyman-Beauchamp
