Diandra Interviews dani: Dreams, Fears, & Pop Melancholia

Going to LAMC, this year, was a strangely, wonderful journey because we are living in a new normal that, hopefully, becomes a better world. Such a notion was a recurring theme throughout the virtual fest, and in my interview with dani. Throughout this summer, I want to introduce more new artists, particularly ones that move my heart and have a sincere opportunity to move the world. dani’s music does exactly that for me. She is dream pop for the introvert and introspective; the person carrying fantasies in their brain while losing their mind over whether they can say “Hi” to anyone at the party. In our interview, we discuss how her music has made her come out of her shell .

Diandra: What do you feel is the essence of your sound?

dani: I think every person has their own style and customs. This I combine with, my producer, Aaron Roux’s styles and customs, and we have made a sound that is totally different. I am a person that is very sensitive and reflexive. I think about things a lot, and, unlike a lot of people, I really mull over how I eel about everything. I am very sensitive, and, at 22, I am already singing about time passing. Older people laugh like, what do you know about that, but I can’t help that I always think about it.
dani – Si te vas (official video)

Diandra: Well, I imagine, now more than ever, with the current state of the world, you are really thinking about time?

dani: Oh yeah! I think every generation has that historical moment that defines them or feels as surreal as a movie, and I think for my generation this is it. There has never been anything like this. It is so weird and has affected everyone globally. I am very conscious of what is happening, but I am still struggling to process it. In Galicia, it is getting better, which I am happy. I hope the world betters because this is a horror film in every way. I am lucky my family is okay, and the only way it affected me is that it pushed back my release. Even as an artist, I am not as affected compared to others, which is very lucky.

Diandra: Well, I am sure pushing back your release was hurtful.

dani: Oh yeah! It, definitely, got me down because you don’t know if the world wants to hear something new. Naturally, as an over-thinker, I was thinking about this. Yet, even with all this madness, I know I am okay, and I will release it. I think every artist doubted whether they could release anything.
dani – Dónde estás (official video)

Diandra: Well, what do you think will be the future?

dani: I think that, in the future, people will be more prepared. Many times, in my life and career, there have been things that went over my head. As an artist, my music has helped me process what has gone on around me and take it on better.

Diandra: You have described your music as dreams and fears? What is your dream and fear?

dani: My dream is to have a career, as an artist, that is filled with creative freedom, economic stability, and feeling that I can identify with my own music. Ever since I signed with Volcan music that ambition has really been fueled. My fear is routine and how time passes. I am always thinking about those things, and my songs help me accept that they are apart of life.
dani – Mira (official video)

Diandra: I have yet to meet an artist that does not fear routine and time.

dani: Yeah! I mean you have to be bold and adventurous to enter this world, and it is, naturally, hard to get a routine. It is so up and down. One month you can have money and the next be broke. I am lucky that I am starting my career and I got signed to a great label, but I am aware that I have a lot more to go through. When you enter the world of music, you have to know that stability is not going to be common or even possible. Again, one week you are busy and the next you are not.

Diandra: It is like being Don Quijote. You have to have a vision that no one else sees.

dani: Oh yeah! We have to have a sense of fantasy and dreaminess to our perspective. We have to have a vision and a belief that we can make it reality, especially coming into this business and having to convince others that your dream is the one that can, actually, come true.

Diandra: Do you feel then that you music is the fantasy version of you or the purest form?

dani: My music is completely born from me, and all my feelings and reflections as a person.
dani – Lágrimas (official video)

Diandra: So then do you agree with the description that you are melancholic?

dani: I think that my songs are very lyrically direct, and are always about complicated feelings. I don’t think they are, necessarily, sad but they go into the complexity of sentiments. For me, the most inspiration I get is from my own personal stories, including the ones of my family. I would love to get inspired by a science fiction film or a fantasy book, but, for now, it is my experiences that have inspired me.

Diandra: I always ask, “Do you have a favorite childhood memory with music?”

dani: This question is hard because I have so many great ones. When I was 14, I had reunited with a bunch of conservatory friends, and I got the opportunity to sing in this old, very known theater in my city. It was great to mount this show with my friends. Also, my mother LOVES to dance, and I just remember dancing and laughing with them every weekend and all of us dancing. I cherish that memory always. She said the most important thing to do in life is to dance.

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