Leah Culver — the singer-songwriter-slash-producer-slash-DJ — is releasing her video for her summer jam “Ex is a Loser” on Myspace today. Off of her upcoming EP Radiance (out this summer), the track is an amalgam of insouciance, bratty appeal and techno mastery of the pop hook. (No wonder Culver has been compared to Kesha, Katy Perry and Zedd!)

The musician formerly known as MK Ultra is an actual singer and musician who is as comfortable on guitars and drums as she is on turntables and computer software. She fell into deejaying while she was working at a promotion company in 2011. “The promoter said, ‘There are no female DJs in Atlanta.’ I was just fucking with him, but I was like, ‘I’m a female DJ.’ He replied, ‘Okay, you’re booked for Wednesday.’ That happened to be EDM’s biggest night in the city at the time. I was living with some other DJs, and I took what I knew rhythmically as a drummer and learned as much as I could that week. The show ended up being so crazy they booked me again!”

Culver talks to Myspace about whether her songs are autobiographical, why she changed her name from MK Ultra and her songs on 2005 Myspace.

Hometown: The beautiful, tree-filled Atlanta, GA

Homebase: All trees die here but it’s still beautiful in Los Angeles, CA

So, “Ex Is A Loser.” Is it autobiographical?

It started as a joke in a writing session with a few friends and then we laughed and went with it. It has nothing to do with any of my exes at all but in the process of the song being out I’ve seen a lot of positive feedback, of the song helping people through their break ups! For that I couldn’t be happier!

What inspired your EP Radiance?

I want to make songs that can lift people up whether it be through sharing experiences and telling them they can do it like in “Get Going.” “Woman Up” has a similar theme of strength and standing up for what you believe in. All of the songs are very belty and emotional for sure and all of them have a more live sound mixed with EDM.

How would you describe your style of music to someone who'd never heard you before?

I myself am just figuring that out but I would say very melodic and anthem like in the first EP, all the songs I have newly worked on have been very melody and vocal driven of course. I like crunchy synths and layering in saw waves. I feel the song isn’t done until arps and saws are added. I may be getting away from the question though. My style is hard to pin down sometimes when recording and writing. I’ve had people tell me I sound like several different versions of me when I record and that I need to work on that.

Why did you change your name from MK Ultra to your real name?

When you Google MK Ultra you will find Project MK Ultra and I wanted to get away from what that was. Project MK Ultra was a real thing that happened involving the government doing experiments on people to learn to use mind control. In the beginning of 2011 I was mostly doing dubstep and I felt it made for a pretty sick dubstep name. It hid my actual name and gender as to avoid people having preconceived sexist ideas about me as an artist. As I’ve evolved over the past six years, I am ready to give myself to everybody and the songs are a lot more me than ever in that I’m not just hiding behind the decks sheepishly anymore. I’m running out front and belting my experiences. There’s no more hiding myself, this is me.

What was your first EDM experience and how did it change your life?

When I think back to the first song that I heard, that I remember liking, I think back to when I was maybe 10 watching the comedy Dirty Love with Jenny McCarthy on the Super Station and there was an edit of Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction.” I remember he was the first artist that I liked as a child, and of course I continued to hear that song in a ton of movies forever after. I had been around drum and bass since as long as I could remember being that my older brother was a DJ in the room next to me since I was two years old onward, so I have a lot of memories as a toddler and child watching him scratch on turntables. My brother is a very talented turntablist and he definitely sparked my interest at a young age.

What are your biggest challenges as a female DJ in this industry? Do you have advice for other up and coming female DJs?

There are no real challenges. The only challenges are the ones you yourself decide are chipping at you. My advice is be yourself and don’t change what you want to do for anybody.

What do you like better, deejaying or writing music?

Honestly they both have their own perfect parts to them. I like the shows and connecting with people. The shows give me a whole bunch of energy and I become another person entirely. Often I get told I’m not like what they thought I’d be like, being I’m a little quiet and reserved and on stage I have a lot of energy.

When writing in the studio I block out a week or two at a time and I’m in there nonstop. Rarely hanging out with people and delving fully in to whatever the project is in my mind that day. You definitely have to take breaks of course just to get a fresh ear and come back to it. This break is usually food or a half day and when you come back you can hear everything wrong with it. I can tell you after writing two EPs since January I’m a little burnt out but when I stop and take a break I’m eager to get back in to keep working.

Both shows and writing are crucial to me, I’m usually writing on my way to shows as well. I’ve been making music since I was a kid and I think if suddenly it was a life or death matter where I had to stop messing with music all together a big piece of my soul would die. So for the sake of answering proper I’ll say I can’t go without making music.

Is it easier to be a DJ when you have musical chops, since you play actual instruments?

I picked up DJing really fast and I think this was because of watching my older brother growing up, and mostly because I’ve been a drummer and guitarist a really long time before I thought of being a DJ. Counting and rhythm are both key to live instruments and DJing so I would say that was an advantage for sure.

Whose songs do you love to remix and which artists do you enjoy listening to and inspire you?

I had a lot of fun and inspiration in the beginning remixing metal songs that I liked. I think it would be fun to collaborate with Keyshia Cole, she’s such a good singer. Every time I hear her sing, I have a mild excitement seizure wherever I’m standing. I get inspired by all sorts of music. Alvin Risk got me to listen to classical music and that inspired me a lot. Also have been inspired by the latest Panic at the Disco album to use more brass in my songs and write stronger hooks.

What pop songs are your guilty pleasures?

Off the top of my head right now, two songs come to mind. I still love Britney’s “Womanizer” and I can get down to Eiffel 65’s “Blue.” Songs that I love now include Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun,” Panic at the Disco’s “Emperor’s New Clothes,” everything Lady Gaga and Adele!

Do you have a cool Myspace story to share as a musician, ala Katy Perry?

Back in 2005 I used to write and record songs on my friend Ether Wave’s Tascam DP02 8 Track. We would just press record and make up stuff and usually we would keep those takes. Ether is a very talented musician that I implore everybody to check out! We used to upload the songs to Myspace Music.

If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

#pizzapirate