Atomic Cherry is the Istanbul-based project of Ece, a singer-songwriter and producer who writes, records, produces, mixes and masters everything herself. Having sung since childhood, she began producing her own music after an Ableton workshop four years ago and has been shaping her sound ever since. Her music explores inner conflicts, emotional contradictions and the strange process of reshaping a life, blending introspective lyrics with offbeat melodies and intimate, unfiltered vocals. Her debut single, “Somewhere in Between,” was followed by the alt hip-hop-leaning “Social Skills.” Both are part of her forthcoming debut EP.
With her debut single, “Somewhere in Between,” out now, we took some time to hear from Atomic Cherry. Read below to learn more about Atomic Cherry, the story behind “Somewhere in Between,” and what’s to come.
Hi Atomic Cherry! Let’s start with how did you choose your stage name?
Atomic Cherry actually dates all the way back to my MySpace days! 🙂 You know, that golden era of discovering obscure bands, endlessly customising your profile, and having a song playing automatically whenever someone visited your page. I came up with the name back then, and somehow it stayed with me all these years. I guess a little piece of my teenage self is still alive in Atomic Cherry!
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I’m from Istanbul, Turkey, and I’m still based here. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the city, to be honest. It can be chaotic, overwhelming and exhausting, but there’s something about its energy, its contrasts and its beautiful imperfections that feels like home to me. I think Istanbul has shaped the way I see the world, and probably the way I make music too.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
Music has always been a part of my life, but for a long time I never really thought of it as something I could seriously pursue. I started out playing drums and spent some time in a punk band, which was a lot of fun and probably the loudest chapter of my musical life! 🙂
A few years ago, I attended an Ableton workshop, and that completely changed things for me. I became fascinated by music production and the idea of creating something entirely on my own. I started teaching myself, experimenting with sounds, writing songs and slowly finding my own musical identity.
I think the real turning point was when I stopped waiting to feel ready and decided to actually release my music. It took me a while to get there, but I’m glad I did.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d describe my sound as alternative pop with a slightly dark, dreamy and experimental edge. I love blending trip-hop textures, lo-fi beats, atmospheric synths and unexpected little details. I’m also quite drawn to hip-hop and neo-soul, so I don’t really like sticking to one genre.
I think there’s always a contrast in my music.
I guess I’m more interested in creating a particular feeling than fitting into a specific genre. A little melancholic, sometimes comforting, sometimes uncomfortable.
Where’s the perfect place to listen to your music?
Alone, late at night, headphones on, when the world has gone quiet and you’re left with your own thoughts.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
I grew up listening to a lot of alternative, trip-hop and indie music, so artists like Fiona Apple, Imogen Heap, Sneaker Pimps and The Cure have definitely shaped my musical taste.
More recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of alternative hip-hop and neo-soul, especially artists like ENNY and Noname. I love how effortlessly they blend storytelling, rhythm and personality. I think what connects all these artists for me is that they have such distinctive identities. They don’t sound like they’re trying to fit into anything, and that’s something I really admire.
Who would be a dream to collaborate with?
Fiona Apple, without a doubt. I’d be equally inspired and terrified, probably in that order!
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I have to admit, music takes up a ridiculous amount of my free time! Even when I’m not making music, I’m usually listening to something, discovering obscure artists or going down some very specific musical rabbit hole.
Outside of that, I love films, good conversations, exploring different cultures and observing people. I’m naturally quite introverted, so I also need plenty of time alone to recharge.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
I’d say releasing my debut single, “Somewhere in Between”, was definitely one of my proudest moments so far. It might sound like a small milestone, but for me it was huge.
I’d spent years learning music production, experimenting with sounds and questioning whether my music was actually ready to be heard. So finally putting something out into the world, something I’d written, recorded and produced myself, felt incredibly rewarding.
And then seeing complete strangers connect with it, or reading my first music review, made the whole experience even more surreal. There’s something really special about realising that a song you created alone in your room can mean something to someone you’ve never met. I’m still at the very beginning of this journey, but I think I’ll always remember that feeling.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that waiting until you feel completely ready is a trap. I’m naturally a bit of an overthinker, so I spent a long time questioning whether my music was good enough to share.
I’ve also learned that you can’t please everyone, and trying to do so is probably the quickest way to lose your own artistic identity. Not everyone will connect with what you create, and that’s perfectly fine.
Another important lesson is that creativity isn’t always about inspiration. Sometimes it’s about showing up, experimenting, making terrible things and allowing yourself to be a beginner.
And perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned not to measure the value of my music entirely through numbers or external validation. Of course, it’s lovely when people listen and appreciate what you do, but I want to remember why I started making music in the first place. Because I genuinely love it, and because it gives me a way to express things I can’t always put into ordinary words.
Now onto “Somewhere in Between.” What inspired this song?
“Somewhere in Between” came from that strange feeling of existing between different versions of yourself, never quite belonging to one place, identity or way of living.
I’ve always been fascinated by those in-between states, when you’re not exactly unhappy, but you’re not entirely comfortable either. You’re functioning, going through your routines, doing all the things you’re supposed to do, but there’s this quiet sense of disconnection underneath it all.
I didn’t want the song to offer a solution or turn into some grand statement about finding yourself. I think there’s already so much pressure to have everything figured out. Sometimes you just need to acknowledge the confusion and learn to sit with it.
Musically, I wanted that same feeling of ambiguity, something dreamy and slightly melancholic, but still comforting in its own strange way. I suppose the song is really about making peace with not having all the answers.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Somewhere in Between?”
It’s actually a very spontaneous photo taken during a very ordinary visit to a park! 🙂 There was no elaborate concept or planning behind it. I’ve never been particularly drawn to heavily staged photoshoots, perfect studio lighting or overly polished visuals. I much prefer things that feel natural, unfiltered and a little imperfect. I haven’t even retouched the photo, and you can actually see the marks my glasses left on my face! I suppose that kind of imperfection feels much more honest and personal to me. And in a way, it fits the spirit of “Somewhere in Between” perfectly. I wasn’t trying to create a perfect image of myself. I just wanted something that felt like me.
What was the creative process like when making “Somewhere in Between?”
It actually started with the sound rather than the lyrics. I was experimenting in Ableton, playing around with dreamy, slightly melancholic synth textures and a lo-fi, trip-hop-inspired beat. I didn’t have a particular story in mind at that point. I was just following whatever sounded interesting to me.
Once I had the basic atmosphere, I started improvising vocal melodies, mostly singing complete gibberish! 🙂 That’s often how I write. I let the melody and the feeling come first, and the words gradually find their way into it. Eventually, the whole idea of being somewhere in between started to emerge, and the lyrics developed around that feeling.
I wrote, recorded and produced the song myself, so the process was quite personal and experimental. There was a lot of trial and error, but that’s actually my favourite part of making music. I love those little accidental discoveries that end up becoming essential to a song. I think the finished track captures the mood I was in when I started it, even though I couldn’t quite put that feeling into words at the time.
How long did it take to complete “Somewhere in Between?”
Just two days, actually! I’ve learned that I need to work quite quickly when inspiration strikes because the longer I think about something, the more likely I am to overanalyse it, question every little detail and eventually abandon the whole thing. So I try to capture the initial feeling before my brain has a chance to talk me out of it. I suppose working quickly is partly a creative choice and partly a survival strategy against my own overthinking!
What do you hope fans take away from “Somewhere in Between” and your music in general?
I think more than anything, I hope people feel a little less alone in their own contradictions and uncertainties. With “Somewhere in Between,” I wasn’t trying to offer answers or tell anyone how to feel. I just wanted to capture that strange experience of not quite knowing where you belong, or even who you’re supposed to be. And I think that’s a perfectly human thing to experience.
As for my music in general, I hope people find something they can relate to, whether it’s an emotion, an awkward social situation or just a particular atmosphere that feels familiar. And if someone listens to one of my songs and thinks, “Oh, so I’m not the only one who feels this way,” that would mean a lot to me.
What’s next? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
Quite a few things, actually! My second single, “Social Skills,” was released on October 30th, 2026. It’s a little different from “Somewhere in Between.” “Social Skills” captures the tiredness of performing all day: smiling on cue, reading the room, saying the right thing to people who rarely mean what they say. It starts out wry and detached, then builds into frustration, and ends with a defiant sense of freedom. Fitting in, it turns out, isn’t worth losing yourself over.
For now, I’m enjoying the process of releasing music, connecting with listeners and seeing where this little Atomic Cherry adventure takes me!
Where can we follow you on social media?
You’ll find me on Instagram, which is where I share the music along with my very human, slightly awkward self, so I’d definitely recommend following me there. If you want to hear more, my music is on Spotify, Bandcamp and SoundCloud.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicherryy
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5bfjngfFTytSXJy35ca5Co
Bandcamp: https://atomicherry.bandcamp.com
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/atomic-cherry-132046583
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
