Gal De Paz: "If Jim Carrey is Down, Then I Am Too"
Singer Gal De Paz discusses her creative plans, her love for New York, her fears, sources of inspiration, and why she prefers cordyceps over coffee.
Where are we catching you?
— On the way back to Tel Aviv from a workshop I did at the Rimon School for young, beginner, and sweet musicians.
How and where do you drink your coffee?
— In no form, nowhere, and never. In my opinion, it is the most disgusting drink with the most disgusting taste and smell. If I want energy, I drink cordyceps, a mushroom powder that has good properties and also gives energy. Basically, I drink water most of the time.
With whom would you like to sit for a beer?
— With Jim Carrey. I have always admired him, he is terribly funny, there is something in his lightness and the simplicity with which he does what he does that speaks to me a lot. I am sure it would be an evening of laughter and jokes. I have a lot to learn from him because he is super deep. And if after that he is 'down', then I am 'down' with him.
What are you working on now?
— On July 30th, I have a show at the Heichal HaTarbut in Tel Aviv, so we are in a frenzy of rehearsals. This is probably the biggest show I've done so far in terms of tickets, and I'm very excited. It's going to be very 'me', but even bigger than usual, and I have guests: Red Band, Ester Rada, Jenny Penkin, The Paz Band, and the Drag Brunch. I also just released a new song, 'Can't Die From Love', and at the same time, I continue to write an album that I started before I participated in 'HaKochav HaBa'.
What is your quirk?
— If there is a last-minute change, I lose it, I fall apart. It can be the smallest thing, like something moving in my schedule, and I go into a panic. On 'HaKochav HaBa', the job of Ishgav (Dothan, the personal manager - ed.) was to reset me, because on television things change all the time. Chaos in general is something I don't deal with well, I need order in my life.
What is the best advice you have received?
— I have been writing and singing since I was 10. Once I told my mother that it was hard for me with music, and she threw at me: 'If it's hard, maybe it's not for you.' This is excellent advice, because by reverse psychology, she taught me to deal with difficulty — that if I give up, it won't happen. For me, there is no 'it's hard for me'.
How do you like to spend Friday afternoon?
— In complete idleness with people I love of all kinds: family, friends, loved ones. I am a serious binger, I re-watched 'Game of Thrones', and Khaleesi speaks to me on so many levels that it was really fun to watch it again. Basically, I like things that turn off my brain, so I also like to be a whole day with my friends at the Gordon Pool.
Who do you think is the sexiest person?
— I've had a crush on Daniel Day-Lewis since I was a child. They don't make them like that anymore.
What do you miss?
— My two fathers whom I lost: my biological father, whom I look exactly like, and the father who raised me, Muki, who passed away in 2022. He was a friend for life, and there are many moments I want to share with him.
Where would you most like to live?
— In New York. I am deeply in love with Tel Aviv, it is an amazing city stuck in an amazing country with a problematic government. I love Israel very much, it is our MAMAD in the world, our safe place. On the other hand, there is always that call to New York.
What do you like to spend your money on?
— Clothes, shoes, and nails — I have a crazy fetish for nails. I also spend on books and board games: 'Clue' is one of the best, and also 'Cards Against Humanity'. I burn money on pop culture — special editions of Disney figurines, Funko Pop dolls, and lots of books on the subject.
What would you like to change about yourself?
— To be a little less sensitive. Sometimes I have high empathy for others, and then I forget to see myself.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
— The fact that I always and still continue and don't stop — in my profession and in life in general in this country. Selling tickets is the hardest thing in the world. I've been doing it for years, writing and releasing albums, and nothing has ever come easily to me.
What scares you?
— I've been afraid of the dark since I was little. Many things scare me, I live in Israel: noises, people walking towards me quickly. Heights have scared me a lot in recent years. I just moved to a new apartment on the 6th floor, when I look down, I get dizzy.
What makes you happy?
— Love, of all kinds: romantic, audience, friends, my nephews. It fills me. I live a life of multiple loves — polyamory. Disney also always makes me happy. Watching a Disney movie, merchandise — my eyes light up, as if they told me they booked me a show at Madison Square Garden.
What are you missing most in life?
— Freedom. I don't remember when was the last time I went away for a week or two and disconnected from reality.
What do you consider your most valuable asset?
— My voice.
What trait do you most appreciate in your friends?
— Brutal honesty. In drag, there is the term 'Shade' — it's a funny moment but also a moment of brutal truth that resets you.
Who are the creators who influenced you?
— Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Carole King, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, Shoshana Damari, Chava Alberstein, Yehudit Ravitz, HaYehudim.
If you weren't a singer, what would you do?
— Designer of clothes, shoes, jewelry. Look in general is one of the things I love most in the world.
