Hi, thanks for sitting down with us today. I feel like this doesn’t get asked enough in interviews, so how are you doing today?
Heyhey! Thank you so much for having me! Today I’m alright; had a very busy weekend (good weekend though!) and still getting some work done in preparation for my next single. How are you? Hope you’re doing amazing!
Tell us about your relationship with music. Do you turn to it more when you’re sad or down, or when you’re happy?
I grew up with music, with Britney Spears and Utada Hikaru being my first faves, going through a J-Pop phase, Lady Gaga bringing me back to more western music, and now mostly K-Pop (but really a bit of everything). I can’t not be listening to music and I can’t not be singing. So honestly, I tend to listen to music based on how I’m feeling. If I’m really happy, the songs are happy. If I’m sad, then it’ll be more emotional tracks. If I’m getting ready for a night out, then it’ll be more sassy upbeat vibes. So on and so forth. The music feeds me and in return that dictates my musical choices.
What themes seem to show up over and over in your songs, if any? Why do you think that is?
Love for sure hahaha. Both spectrums, the happy and the heartbreak. It’s definitely an easy topic to write about, and one that’s so relatable. Another theme however is this sense of future striving. Like I wrote about it in a few tracks already, such as “gloire (outro)” and “Triomphe” (actually, “gloire (outro)” stemmed from “Triomphe”, despite it releasing earlier), and I have at least one more song in the works that continues that same theme. For me I think it’s because uncertainty is the biggest fear for me, and especially during these times and in a field such as the entertainment industry, it’s never guaranteed whether you’ll be successful or totally ignored. I’ve dealt with some pushback and a few obstacles and yet I’m still where I am, and though it may not be where I want to be I also feel like it isn’t the end of my journey. Maybe it’s me being optimistic or trying to speak it into existence, but either way it ends up giving me some solid tracks, so I ain’t mad about it.
What have you found most difficult about releasing music?
Two things: 1. making sure everything goes according to plan, and 2 how to not be a super perfectionist. They both kind of go hand-in-hand, because what happens is I have a release all sorted out, in terms of release date, video idea, etc. etc., and then one thing goes awry and I have to either scramble to meet deadline or completely shift gears. It’s definitely harder when you’re doing it mostly on your own, versus having a manager or a full team to keep things on track. Things happen, and I’ll have my moment, but then I immediately get back to working and making magic.
Tell us about what you’re working on right now!
So I’ve been working on my latest musical venture, VOL.24. It’s not an album, but a single-a-month project, complete with a music video for each single. I just released my latest single, “Baby Blues,” in November, which has so far been one of my faves to work on. It’s this really smooth R&B/pop-style track, which is new for me since most of my stuff before it has been more straight pop or pop-rock oriented. But I’ve been working on it for a while, co-writing it with Charlie Fisher and working closely on the choreography with Tai Teamer. I love working with friends so much.
Speaking of though, I’m already working on the December single. It’s called “Body Party,” and it’s the first track in my discography to have featured artists. Not just one, but two! I brought my drag mom, Laveau Contraire, and my burlesque sister, Synamin Vixen, on board to bring this song to life, and they truly did bring the energy to every single part of the process. It’s a high-energy queer-focused house-pop track, which is perfect for ringing in the New Year since I’m dropping it on the 31st, and it’s a banger in every sense of the word. I’m still editing the music video as we speak, but I’m so so SO excited to share this one with y’all.
Do you have a favorite lyric or verse from your upcoming recent single?
“In the face of the apocalypse / we dance / forget everything around us in this midnight romance.” I wrote this line last year during the height of the pandemic, and honestly what better way to bring in a new year than that particular lyric?
Thanks so much for chatting with us today! Where can we find your music online?
“Baby Blues” is out now on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, and more! The music video is also out on YouTube. “Body Party feat. Synamin Vixen and Laveau Contraire” will be out December 31st as well. You can also keep in touch on all social media at @soracalling, so feel free to drop a line and keep me company!
End of Interview