surfing the soundwaves – Surfing the Soundwaves

Orange Crush Baby

Has anyone ever noticed how Orange Crush Soda is always just associated with Summer? I don’t think anyone is reaching for it in the cold Winter months. However, is anyone reaching for it in general? I’ve recently discovered that I am surrounded by people who hate orange flavored things. From Starburst, energy drinks, even to sodas. I feel like an oddball out, but in the best way.

I’ve always loved orange flavors and colors. If you’re feeling bold, peruse my Facebook. I had a pair of neon pants that would perfectly go with the theme of today’s post. Fortunately, those pants saw the light of a dumpster, many moons ago. However, I won’t say I don’t think about them from time to time.

Has anyone noticed how oranges are somehow always associated with groovy vibes? Or is it just me? I feel like the 80’s just loved orange more than we do. Any groovy song, whether it’s Pop or R&B always seems to have an orange background, more often than not. I also feel like they just drank way more soda back then, am I wrong about that too? Like what time period were the Fanta girls from? Someone let me know, I’ll wait. Here I am, just trying to draw any connections to my fave era. Let me live.

That was past me, but present me still loves a little orange moment from time to time. My favorite energy drink right now is, Celsius. Apparently the “healthy” version of Redbull, with enough caffeine to put pep in my step at 5:30am. Or, at 9am, you know how quarantine hours work. My favorite flavor? Orange. You just CAN’T do orange flavoring wrong. Does it taste like Cuties? Not really. However, not far off. I mean, c’mon, have y’all tried grape flavors?? WHAT IS THAT? Anyways, we are veering off topic.

When thinking of my love for orange flavored Celsius, I think of songs that put me in an uplifting Summer mood. Isn’t that what we all need right now? Before some of you knew me as the girl who’s head is so far up Dillon Francis’ ass, I was as Indie pop as it came. So much so, that I really didn’t have the mental capacity to enjoy any other types of music. I really went through a phase of only liking underground sounds. However, that’s okay! Now, I’ve morphed into my final form. I can listen to anything, such a threat I know. While I still love to rave in the night hours, the daytime is when I like to center myself. I find it hard to have total peace of mind, while hearing insane WOMP WOMP in the background. So, I busted out my old record player, and reconnected with some older sounds. Suddenly, I was feeling lighter, and more creative. Crazy how that works right?

That’s where I created this playlist. I have a feeling it has a little something for everyone. While I say that all the time, this time I mean it. Want to do some yoga? Listen to this playlist? Sitting on your floor writing a blog post? Listen to this playlist. Just generally trying to feel some good vibes? THIS PLAYLIST.

I know a lot of people will never understand this part of my creative process, but I love to go on daily drives. For some reason, it’s when I can really disconnect. With the windows down, COVID-19 filling my car, and the music blasting, I can think. Which is terrifying for all of you. I found out I have so much to say! The song that makes me feel most creative on this playlist is, “I Follow Rivers – The Magician Remix by Lykke Li.” She’s such a classic, good vibes soul. I know what you’re thinking, A REMIX? Don’t worry, it is mellow. However, if you want to zen out even more, you can listen to the original. Just as good. This also wouldn’t be a TRUE Orange Crush playlist, without a couple tracks off of Frank Ocean’s, “Channel Orange.” This album I think pulled me out of my quarantine depression. I hope it does the same for you.

So, what’s my point? Well, I know most of the world is truly going through IT right now. So, in the midst of the madness, it’s important to find the little things that make you happy. As well as the small things that make you feel centered. It’s all we have control over right now! I also know a lot of us are always trying to become the best versions of ourselves. This awkward time is the perfect chance to do that! It’s totally okay to go back to a version of yourself, you might have left behind. Sometimes, if you mix the old with the new, you create something amazing. For me, I created this playlist. Seems small to you, but to me, it really turned my lockdown around. So, I encourage you to dig into something that once brought you joy, and mix it with your current activities. You may be surprised at the outcome!

NEW MUSIC WEEKLY

Hi everyone! So, as we all know, I am an AVID Spotify user. However, I know a lot of my lovely humans out there love Apple Music. Some would even say Soundcloud is their favorite. With that being said, I am putting a link to my new music playlist here, officially. That way, if you do not have Spotify, and are unwilling to make the change for me, you can still enjoy each week’s new tunes! Here, the playlist will change every week, when I upload it. You can preview each song without downloading Spotify, and you get the full track name! That way you can take it to your respectable platform and enjoy on your own.

See you all here each week!

ZOHARA: The Interview

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? It’s April in the Coachella Valley. I am laying by the pool preparing for Day 2, Weekend 1. My friend, Alana, is extremely excited to see Gryffin tonight. At the time, I thought I had no idea who that was. She refreshes my memory by playing, “Tie Me Down”. A song that is popular in every Spotify playlist at the time. Her energy is contagious, and I am excited to go discover a new (to me) artist. What ensued that night, I was never expecting. To say I left Coachella in love with Gryffin’s sound, is an understatement.

While driving home at 5am, post festival depression kicking in, I was desperately trying to remember the song that resonated with me the most. And then, it came on shuffle. “Remember” by Gryffin featuring ZOHARA. I honestly have no idea why this song hit me right in my little feelies. I had no boy drama at the time, so I was existing peacefully. Maybe it was the voice that resonated with me the most. ZOHARA is a voice to be reckoned with. I am honestly shocked nobody has picked up on her sooner. However, getting her break with Gryffin is a magical start, to say the least. Her debut song, “Remember,” is a love song with an amazing tune. The lyrics tell a story of possible love fading, or maybe just two people trying to hold on. Whatever your interpretation, it’s hard not to dance to this tune. Now after listening to this bop, if you realize you just can’t get enough, you’re in luck! Gryffin debuted his album, Gravity, in which ZOHARA gave us another bop. This time with a more mellow tune. “Out Of My Mind,” goes into what we all experience when we’re super into someone. You literally can’t get them out of your mind, so you go crazy. Whether you’re thinking about their toxicity, or how amazing they are, it wont leave your head. This song taps into that emotion we are all too familiar with.

Now, while I could go on forever about how amazing her voice is, as well as these two songs, I thought I would bring you a new take. For once, instead of me rambling, I present you the artist herself. With ZOHARA emerging, we all have so many questions for her. So, I thought I would jump the gun and get her take on some of my pressing ideas.

So, without any more rambling, I give you: ZOHARA, The Interview.

When your song “Remember” fell into the hands of Gryffin, what was your initial reaction?

I was ecstatic! I knew the song was special when I wrote it three years ago and had no doubt it was going to be picked up, it was just a matter of when! Gryffin took the song to it’s next level and I’m super grateful to him!

I know you have a new song coming out soon with Gryffin as well titled ‘Out of My Mind,’ would you say the sounds are comparable to ‘Remember’? Or a completely new vibe?

I think both Remember and OOMM share many things in common – they’re both so relatable and tell such raw stories, yet they give the listener a totally different feeling. OOMM is the type of song I would listen to in the car on my way back from the beach while Remember will forever be my go to party song. I’m so grateful to have two songs on the album that showcase different aspects of my writing and my voice.

What was your first impression of LA when you moved? The East Coast vs. West Coast debate is large, so I would love to know what you think, considering you have now lived on both sides!

I have a lot to say about this so I’ll try to keep it short! Everyone who knows me well knows that I prefer NY over LA anyday. I was raised in NY and my entire family is still out there which makes LA a bit harder for me (I’m very close with my family, so I don’t like to be away from them for too long). I usually go back to NY every 2 months to refresh my mind. Reboot! I feel more inspired in NY – I love the subway because I get all my ideas there. While in LA, everyday starts to feel the same after a while and I start to miss home. BUT I have to say, the opportunities here in LA are unparalleled – which is something I am grateful for about LA…and grateful for the LA sunsets. I love the beauty of NY, it keeps me alive! I always tell people that I love NY so much because I feel like I’m part of this huge machine that never sleeps – I feel like I’m part of something and like I’m never alone because I have that commonality with everyone else walking on the street. NY makes me feel fearless. My dream is to make it big so I can move back to NY and split my time between there and LA 🙂

What has been your favorite venue or festival to play at so far, and why?

I would say Coachella was my favorite festival by far! It will always be special to me because it was a day of many firsts! It was my first time performing in front of an audience (unless you count my high school theatre days haha) and my first ever coachella! It was the most surreal weekend of my life. It’s a crazy story actually! I was only supposed to perform weekend 2 but when I went to the souncheck here in LA right before weekend 1 to prep for weekend 2, I met Gryffin for the first time and he heard me sing and told me “pack your bags, you need to perform with us tomorrow in palm springs. It’s going to be live streamed and it wouldn’t be the same without you. You got some pipes on you! You can really sing!” A few hours later I was on a bus with his entire crew to palm springs…I crashed at a friends house that was rented and then 24 hours later performed for the first time in front of 60,000 people. None of my family or friends came because of how last minute it was but I am so proud of myself because I was able to do it on my own. It is a huge accomplishment for me 🙂

What do you think you would be doing right now, if you weren’t all over performing with Gryffin?

Very good question! I have no clue haha I see myself focusing on my own music and my own artistry. Really going in 100% on who I am and showcasing that in my music.

On Instagram, you’re like a fashion icon! Where do you get inspo for your style?

Thank you! I’ve always loved fashion and am a huge believer in feeling good & special in what you wear and owning it! Having grown up in NY I got a lot of my inspiration from just seeing people walking down the street in their crazy outfits. I also get a lot of my inspo from Elsa Hosk & Emily Ratajkowski! Obsessed with them.
Lastly, can we be looking forward to a debut album sometime in the near future?

Yes!!! One of my main goals right now is to create music that gets me excited. It’s easy to write songs that are for other people (which I’ve been doing since I’ve lived here in LA for the past three years) but it’s a totally different ball game when its your feelings and your heart on the table. I want to show everyone the raw, vulnerable yet strong person I am through my music. I can’t wait to get creative and share it with the world.