Another new music Friday is here, and today, it is all about singer-songwriter Soaky Siren and her brand new release, M.I.A; out today. For the past few years, the rapper and singer-songwriter has been tearing into the Los Angeles music scene with a fierce, raw, kinetic, in-your-face sound and style that has established Soaky as a multi-platinum, Latin Grammy-nominated songwriter. And now back with a brand new summer track; we sat down with the singer, ahead of the release, to chat about music, the new single, and plans for the rest of 2020! So keep on reading for the full interview down below!
TSU: For those who aren’t as familiar with you and your music, how would you best describe your sound?
SS: Urban resort would be the best way. It’s the pieces of paradise that aren’t so polished, the sound is wavy and energetic.
TSU: Tell me a bit about when you first got started in music?
SS: I started in Miami. I’d hustle and intern at different studios so I could plug in with the right people. While doing that, I began to write for people to get my foot in the door and that led me to LA. Once I got here I started working with different artists and what was intended to be a foot in the door became a full-on career.
TSU: Where do you draw your inspiration from; what, or who inspires you?
SS: My inspiration comes from so many things. Sometimes it comes from personal experiences or conversations but in some cases, it’s random af. I come up with some of my most creative concepts on the road or in the shower so I guess solitude has hand in it. Inspiration is wild though. There’s no button to push for the wave, it’s disrespectful as hell – it shows up when it wants.
TSU: Tell me a bit more about your creative, song-writing process.
SS: I’m very concept and sound driven so two things need to exist for me to hold a vibe: I have to have a story to tell and the music has to slap. Once I have those two things, I throw around melodies, get a structure, and overthink my way through the lyrics. When I’m really inspired the songs end up writing themselves. Especially when the production is fire. MIA was produced by B Ham and Chizzy and both of them are beasts. When I got the track, I remember freestyling the verse immediately because the energy was so precise.
TSU: For those who may not know, you’ve co-written a lot of tracks for some incredible artists including; Jason Derulo’s ‘Tip Toe’, Rita Ora and Chris Brown’s ‘Body on Me’, Pitbull, J Balvin, and Camila Cabello’s smash hit ‘Hey Ma’, and more. What’s that process like, writing for other artists; and how does it influence your personal sound and vibe?
SS: The process is more collaborative and isn’t as personal when I’m writing for other artists. There are certain things that are very specific to me so I know to set those ideas aside when I’m writing with or for other artists. Even looking at some of the titles on my upcoming EP, I see them and it’s like there’s no way this would work on another artist. What’s considered too far out of the box is usually right at home for me creatively so I have to keep adjusting those scales.
TSU: You’re just about to release a brand new single “M.I.A.”; congratulations! Tell me a bit more about the single and the inspiration behind it!
SS: Yuhhh! Thank you! This song has some layers to it. At the core, it’s about going off-grid with your person and ghosting the world. You fly somewhere or drive until you end up in a place where the signal is bad, your battery’s dead, and you don’t even care because you’re with your person. Even though the experience is low-key the track is big energy so that blend is an entire experience. Then there’s the element of the culture. When I tell people where I’m from they assume life is some kind of resort-like fairy tale because that’s how they’ve experienced it. That’s not a reality for us. It’s a necessity over luxury and how we thrive in spite of it not being available to everyone. It’s an ode to simple times dressed up as a bop.
TSU: What do you want listeners to take away from listening to “M.I.A.”?
SS: I want them to unplug. There’s a lot of chaos in the world right now and even though we can’t ignore any of it, it’s important to break from it. If you have a ting with you, even better. Social media is too much and people have to disconnect.
TSU: The follow on from your previous release earlier this year, Kombucha; how does MIA fit into your discography and musical direction?
SS: MIA bridges my sound on LUCAYA with the sound of my upcoming EP. Heritage and energy will always be the common thread in my music but MIA foreshadows a slightly darker sound and mood for me.
TSU: What can we expect from you for the rest of the year, musically?
SS: I’m rolling out a new EP and I’m soooo hype about this one. It’s another body of work that I’m really proud of. I tap into different genres – some of it slaps, some of it transports you and altogether it feels timeless. You’ll also catch the music in more shows and films so there are more ways to discover it.
An absolute pleasure to chat to Soaky Siren, make sure to check out the rest of her incredible discography over on Spotify, here. And to keep up to date with all things Soaky Siren, head over to her socials, and follow her there @SoakySiren
Photo cred @ Zac Poor
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