Hometown: I grew up just outside Los Angeles in a small town called Agua Dulce.

Homebase: I live in Larchmont, which is a sweet little neighborhood in Los Angeles!

Why is your album called Good Look For You?

Good Look for You is a confident statement, and since I'm in a more confident place than I've ever been with the progression of my music, I thought it was a fun way to communicate that. When I started writing the EP, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go stylistically and lyrically until I met Chris Hartz and Tim K — two producers who really shaped the sound. They both knew I was greatly influenced by the disco era and older funk and soul music, yet they took my older influences and helped my make them accessible and relevant.

The first song that gave me that feeling we were going in the right direction was “On The Line,” which is the first track on the EP, produced by Chris Hartz. I wrote it out of straight frustration with my career; overwhelmed with the feeling that I was running out of time. It was my way of convincing myself to keep going despite my self-doubt. That honesty really set the stage for the rest of the writing process.

"Good Look For You," produced by Tim K, was a song that I knew was special from the moment we started writing it. The melody, bass line and synths are all very nostalgic, yet the phrase “that’s a good look for you” is so current. The song is really about knowing your value and confidently communicating it. Most of the songs are relational and upbeat; I love a good pop song. My own personal experiences informed every lyric and I hope that my emotions whether, giddy, forlorn, confident, confused, or hopeful, genuinely resonate with whoever listens. Something I absolutely love about certain pop hits from the past, such as Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” and Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You” or Chic’s “I Want Your Love”, was the fact that these simple, catchy songs, got stuck in your head, were honest and made you wanna dance. I really truly hope this EP has a similar effect.

How — and why — do you write your songs?

Lately I like to let the producer set the tone with a simple drum beat and bass line and then from there I get melody and lyric ideas. Sometimes I come into a session with a strong idea or feeling that I want to indulge and then other times I truly let the music act as my therapist; helping me uncover underlying thoughts or feelings I need to write about.

My personal experiences and emotions are definitely my biggest influences when I write. Sometimes I write songs based on other people's experiences or a fictional narrative. If I'm not writing from my own thoughts and feelings, I try to imagine how I would respond to various circumstances that I read or hear about.

Does living in Los Angeles influence your songwriting?

Being born and raised in Los Angeles, I feel like I was fortunate to be exposed to so much good music from a young age. I've been going to see live music around LA since I was 15 thanks to my older sister's ID. Seeing musicians and various artists out there hustling and doing what they loved to do as a high schooler definitely gave me the confidence to just give music a shot. I feel like indie rock used to rule the scene, now jazz and funk are having their moment. I love that to stay relevant here, you have to evolve. LA keeps me hungry. I think I write better in good weather too.

You can definitely hear MJ and disco-era singers in your music. Who are your musical influences that have helped shape your sound?

Have to say my all time favorites are Michael Jackson, Feist, Stevie Wonder, LCD Soundsystem, Donna Summer, Roberta Flack and The Police, all of which have deeply inspired me as a songwriter and helped shape the way I perceive music. The artists that have most inspired and helped shape my performance and artistry are Prince, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson; all of which possessed a fierceness and confidence on stage that make them irresistible, timeless, and incredibly entertaining.

What was the eureka moment where you knew you wanted to be a musician?

Definitely discovered music and a love for music in my parents home. My first memories are of my mom singing and my dad playing the piano. Our entire family sang and loved harmonizing and listening to music. Even though I grew up singing and performing, my eureka moment was when I graduated college and realized I could not go down the corporate road; I wouldn't be happy unless I gave music a shot and I'm so glad I did.

So did you always want to perform?

I grew up watching my mother sing and practice daily. She would sing every Sunday at a coffee house for hours and I picked up on lyrics of those songs pretty easily. One night I remember I walked into her practice room when she was taking a break and I sang one of her songs, start to finish. I think she was shocked that I knew the song and that I could sing! I think I was 4 or 5 then. I knew that the desire to perform was there and I started singing in public soon after that.

What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?

One fan came to my show and afterwards gifted me with a bunch of amazing, old Diana Ross albums on vinyl. I thought that was crazy in a good way. So incredibly thoughtful!

What’s on your bucket list for 2017?

Tour the US, Europe and Japan and play more festivals! I also think I should go scuba diving at some point.

If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

#slavetothfringe #bighairdontcare #dianarossismyspiritanimal

Do you have an interesting story about being on Myspace as a musician?

Yes! When I first starting making music, my sister actually put it on myspace and made me a page and everything. Not too long after, Tokimonsta reached out to me through Myspace asking if I wanted to collab. The rest is history so thank you Myspace!

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