- What inspired you to pursue a career in music, and when did you first realize you wanted to be a musician?
I was inspired to have a career in music to help people escape their pain and go to a place of acceptance by listening to my music. I realized I wanted to be a musician when I was ten and started auditioning in talent shows and learning to play the guitar and drums.
- What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an emerging artist, and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I have faced as an independent artist is creating a natural fan base without having a viral moment. And another challenge I am facing today is trying to book shows and tours to expand my fanbase and it has been very hard to do that after a global pandemic. I have grown my fanbase by being more active and consistent on Instagram and tiktok. I have also started a youtube channel where I document my daily life. My fan base might be small today but I know one day all my hard work will pay off and we will be bigger than ever.
- Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and style?
My biggest musical influences are Micheal Jackson, Taylor Swift, and IU. Micheal Jackson inspires me to be a good performer and believes that the impossible is possible. Taylor swift inspires me to give myself the space to explore different genres and to not be afraid if my listeners don’t like it. IU is the only reason why I haven't quit being a musician after three years. She came from nothing and growing up she went after what she wanted and always been positive and now she is very successful. Thanks to IU I can visually see my face on billboards, and I can see a sold-out tour with my name on it.
- How do you approach the songwriting process, and where do you draw inspiration from for your lyrics and melodies?
All of my songs come from personal experience and when writing a song my goal is to heal from what I am writing about but also make sure my listeners can connect to it.
- What can listeners expect from your upcoming album or project, and how does it differ from your previous work?
Listeners can expect a lot of vocal growth, self-acceptance, and happiness from my second studio album “ZARA”. With my debut album, I wanted it to sound like what was going viral at the time and what was trending. And that did not turn out right, so with my new album, you will able to hear my true sound, a sound that makes me happy.
- How has your background or life experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
As a black queer artist my background and past impacts my music a lot. I feel like as a person of color we spend a good part of our 20s healing from childhood trauma. But as I am still in my teens, I am taking the time to heal from that trauma now.
- Can you talk about a particularly memorable or inspiring performance you've had, and what made it special?
I haven't had many performances yet, but I did perform in front of my school and it was so memorable to me because that is where it all started. It was inspiring because everyone was so accepting of me and my music and it just showed me that I could go far with it.
- What do you hope listeners take away from your music, and what message do you want to convey through your art?
I hope when people listen to my album they learn that it is okay to be traumatized and it is also okay to accept the trauma and own it. A peaceful mind equals a peaceful life, if you take care of your mental health first the rest of the healing will be easy, that is the message I hope to convey.
- How has the music industry changed since you first started, and how have you adapted to those changes as an artist?
There are a lot more doors opening up to independent artists now in the music industry and we are finally getting taken more series. I am learning to take advantage of these changes whether they are good or bad.
- What advice would you give to other emerging artists who are just starting out in the industry?