Lisa Danaë – a Californian native pop singer – has been keeping busy this entire quarantine. Bringing new content through her podcast, Sound Scrub, her reaction videos on YouTube, and releasing her own music throughout the summer! With the release of her latest single “Weigh Me Down” earlier this month, I got the chance to talk to Danaë about her latest song and also some of her inspiration!
Sydney Durst: With the current times – COVID, social change, etc – has any of it spark inspiration behind or for new music?
Lisa Danaë: Definitely. “Weigh Me Down” was written during quarantine because I kept hearing the phrase “it is what it is.” We actually almost ended up using that as the title and writing in that phrase, but I don’t like it, so we decided to focus on the positive moment of clarity to let go of things out of our control. I centered the theme around my experience as an independent artist and social media because I tend to compare myself to others, which I was hearing a lot more people talking about that during the quarantine.
People were having different experiences and it seemed like the ones that were having a harder time were watching others that had a more positive experience, whether it was exploring new hobbies or rediscovering a hobby, compare their journey and feel pressured to turn it around instead of allowing their mind to take in what was happening in the world. My last release, “STARLET,” wasn’t inspired by current events, however, with the events happening around social change and the timing of the release, it brought a whole new meaning to the song for me and I feel more empowered than I did when we were writing it last year.
Sydney: Will the song “Weigh Me Down” be a stand-alone single or will it be apart of a future album or EP?
Danaë: Initially, I planned for it to be a stand-alone single and to continue to just release singles for now through 2021. However, I’ve been recently pulling inspiration and writing as events in my life unfold and staying in the present rather than pulling from my past, so thematically everything is under one umbrella that I would love to package up, so I am currently working on an EP which will now include “Weigh Me Down”.
Sydney: What was your favorite lyric in “Weigh Me Down”?
Danaë: Funny you ask me that because I ask this on Sound Scrub and it stumps everyone, so now I get a taste of my own medicine. Mine would be “When I feel good for you, then I feel good for me”. This sums up my intent for this song. Allowing yourself to be genuinely happy for someone over something that you may want for yourself is very hard for people.
But if you live your life in a more jealous state, you end up subconsciously stuck in a negative space that closes off opportunities that could potentially lead you to your ultimate goal. I’m a very empathetic person, so I feed off of people’s emotions and it fills my heart when someone calls me celebrating a big win. Again, this is something I want fans and new listeners to take from my music, however, society as a whole needs to learn how to tap into that emotion as well.
Sydney: What’s some of the inspiration behind your music?
Danaë: Lyrically, definitely my life experiences. There’s so much that goes on in the world and in our lives that someone else is going through, so I’m inspired by the thought that I could help others that may be going through the same thing as me. Musically, I grew up listening to Queen, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, Mariah Carey, Etta James, and many more artists, so I love infusing different genres to create my dark pop, electropop, trap sound.
Sydney: What’s one thing you’d like your fans and new listeners of you to take away from your music?
Danaë: Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. It takes a lot of courage to open up to people especially in a time of need. Everyone goes through different struggles, so we need to learn how to be more empathetic with one another.
Sydney: I listened to your podcast, Sound Scrub, and it’s great! What inspired you to start it up?
Danaë: Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy it! When I started recording new songs in 2018, there was a lot going on in the writing and recording process that I found very cool, whether it was why a song went through a rewrite or how we were making our own sounds to put into the production. So I initially started it just to share my process along with my co-writer, a girl named jaen, and the producer, John McLucas.
From there, I wanted to learn how other artists and bands bring their songs to life because everyone’s process is different and I thought it would also be interesting for their fans to learn how a particular song came together. I also wanted to give another platform to the independent artist community in hopes of them being discovered and introduced to a new audience and I’ve had a lot of fun connecting with new artists.
Sydney: When it’s safe to tour in person again, where are the first few places you want to have a show?
Danaë: I would love to perform in Austin, Portland, Nashville, London, and honestly even just in Pasadena, CA, where I live. Not only do I miss the community here, but even the music community we have. I have so much to share with them from this year, so I would love to perform in person again.
Sydney: Do you have any plans to host a virtual show in the future?
Danaë: I will be performing a set on a virtual show put on by Memento Viviere Entertainment on December 19th, which I’m very thankful to be a part of. Besides that, I would love to livestream more. That’s something I want to focus on in 2021 especially as I’m piecing the EP together, but nothing specific planned on the calendar yet. Keep an eye out on my website and socials though!
To listen to more of Lisa Danaë’s music you can find her on all streaming platforms. Sound Scrub can be found anywhere where podcasts are found. Check out Danaë’s latest single “Weigh Me Down” here and my personal thoughts on it here!