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Photos and Interview by: Camila Molina
Q and A disclaimer: Responses are lightly edited for grammar and clarity
Q: Why did you make "the bed i lie in"? Why this EP? Why now?
A: I feel like it's a great introduction to who I am as an artist. It really shows the audience what my sound is. With everything that's happened in the past year and a half, these songs reflect true events, whether it's heartbreak, loneliness, or expressing past addiction problems and bringing awareness to those moments. I named it "the bed i lie in" because this group of songs ties everything together. There's the bed I used to literally lie in, and now it's a new chapter—new vibes, new energy.
Q: Tell me more about the lyrics. “I'll do anything to get out of my head. Even Hollywood kills.”
A: Wow. I have been in many situations in my life where I would literally do anything, absolutely anything, to truly get out of my head. And that was like, you know, past struggles, whether it was like substance abuse or just acting out in inappropriate ways, like self-destruction. And also bringing the awareness that Hollywood and the idea of Hollywood isn't always so glamorous. It's not what you see on TV. I guess it also kind of goes into play with seeing people on social media, and they're one way, and then you meet them in person. Completely two different people. I'm meeting two different people...just bringing that awareness, and also just like doing anything to get out of my own self and having to be a part of that world, but also living in my truth and figuring out that.
Q: You describe yourself as more than just a musician—also a visual artist and advocate. Can you tell me more about your other artistic mediums and how they intersect to shape your creative experience?
A: Yes, I also make a lot of art. I have an art room at home. You know, I feel like it's not always just about music. Just as like a creative person, like, you know, music is just another piece to the whole thing. And, and I do, you know, I-I love guitar. I wouldn't classify myself as a photographer but I love appreciating other avenues of art. I play with different mediums like acrylic resin. During COVID, like everybody else, I couldn't do anything. And I was going crazy, so I just made a lot of art. And then I don't know, I just feel like everything is a thing, whether it's me continuing to try and find myself just as a person. I'm making mood boards. I'm like, alright, well, keep creating, you know, keep on discovering. My mom's side of the family is Native American, and I feel like it's my job and my duty to keep on talking about that. And, like, you know, educating people on what that means. And my native side of the family, something that we say a lot is, "we're still here," you know, like we're all very present. We're all still very alive and living. And it's very important to keep the story going and carry that on from when my great grandmother raised us. So just constantly bringing awareness to that, because people forget. Also, people just don't know. People think, "oh, there's still, they're still living on TP's."
Q: Many of your songs on the recent EP "the bed i lie in" have a variety of genres. Other than pop, how would you describe your music? Do you find it hard to categorize?
A: I kind of find it hard to categorize it. Now that I think about it, I would say pop punk. But it's like, I would feel like it is pop punk, you know. But I feel like we took a lot of that Deftones vibe and energy. And I don't feel like Deftones is pop, like, they're not pop punk, you know. So it's just a mixture. I don't wanna say like oh, I created a genre at all, but I do think it's cool grabbing these different sounds and these different, like, aggressive drums, get a guitar, and combining it where you do have rock. And then you also have the Avril Lavigne vibe, where it's pop punk, you just mix them too.
Q: You taught yourself guitar and piano. What made you so passionate about music? When did you know you were going to be a musician?
A: I struggled as a kid. I didn't know how to express my emotions. I didn't know how to tell people how I felt. I don't even know how to say it out loud, really. I felt a lot as a kid. And I started with journaling. I figured, "alright, well, if I can't speak how I feel, then I can at least give it a shot and write it down," and then that led to poetry. And then, I didn't take any poetry classes. I didn't know what I was doing. I was twelve at the time. Like, "okay, the birds in the trees, they're flying in between..." Just coming up with stuff. And then that led me to watching a lot of YouTube videos on how to play piano, how to play guitar, and using some of my poems and turning them into songs. I realized this actually makes me feel good, and I'm feeling better emotionally. And I started to use it as an outlet. I still use it as an outlet, but at that age, I just enjoyed writing. I was that kid that was like, my mom was watching TV, I'd get in front of the TV and be like, watch me dance, or listen to my song. And I was probably eight. Around 17, I hung out with a lot of kids that made music and really tapped into that world. After school, we'd go kick it with all the music kids. We would just be jamming in some kid's room and writing. I went to a very artsy school, so I met a lot of weird, artsy kids, and it almost made sense. Then it just trickled down to meeting people and getting into sessions and writing, and me being like, "I need to figure out how to make this my everyday."
To read the full interview, check out our upcoming quarterly issue, and to stream "the bed i lie in" click here!
