Q&A: Dalia Prepares Listeners For a More Raw and Intimate Portrayal of Fleeting Romance on Latest Single “Stupid Lover Girl”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SULLIVAN JORDAN ☆
PULSING DRUM AND GUITAR BEATS—accompany dramatic, sweeping string instrumentals that send listeners swirling head first into Dalia’s romantic, yet tragic world in her latest track “Stupid Lover Girl.” Dalia captures the whimsical delusion that builds to a breaking point throughout a momentary, but fiery and unforgettable connection with an unlikely stranger.
Dalia shares the intensity of a romantic night through sultry and raw vocals that match a grungy, yet airy and spiraling instrumental track: “You’ve got a hunger in your big brown eyes/I couldn’t look at you all night/You push me in/Hands around my back.” Whimsical backing vocals and string instrumentals contrast the more rough and intense drum and electric guitar rhythms, creating a push and pull, much like how Dalia is fighting against her hopelessly romantic disposition to fight for a connection that deep down she knows will not last.
“Stupid Lover Girl” marks the thrilling start to a new era of Dalia’s musical journey. Embracing her more emotional, grungy, and raw instincts, Dalia flips listener’s expectations about how love and infatuation can feel. Luna spoke with Dalia about how “Stupid Lover Girl” came to be and what she is most excited to work on in the future.
LUNA: Congrats on “Stupid Lover Girl!” I was so excited to hear it for the first time and I’ve been listening to it so much. How are you feeling about it being out? I'm sure you're really excited for it to finally be out and for listeners to experience these emotions with you.
DALIA: Yeah, it's actually been going better than I expected, which sounds bad, but it's my first song that got so many listens in the first week. I think we're at 80,000 streams now, which is insane for me, because I've never been able to achieve that in a week. So it's been very exciting to see people resonate with the song and connect to the lyrics, and just to know that people are liking it. It’s such a nice feeling.
LUNA: When I first listened to this song, I really loved how you approached writing about fleeting romance, but with a more dark, indie-rock production style. What inspired that sound?
DALIA: I started writing this song the day after, or maybe two days after. The song is about an actual night that I had with this guy I was seeing. And I started writing it one night, and I started writing the verse and then the chorus. From the sound, I could already tell it was a bit darker. The way I was seeing it, I could envision the production would be a bit darker. I work closely with my producer and friend Charlie, so I bring everything to him, and when I brought this song to him, I'm not even sure we had any references. We just really get each other. So when I tell him something, he immediately understands what I mean. To be honest, it was quite hard to finish this song because we had a lot of different ideas. There are just some songs that take a lot of trial and error, and we had a lot of different versions of this song, because at the beginning it was too dark. The demos were really, really, dark, and it was just not working. So then we had to make it a bit more upbeat.
LUNA: It's definitely a balance of keeping those rock elements while also keeping the right emotions there. Do you always write your songs in the moment or does it vary depending on the situation?
DALIA: I usually just write from intuition. I just get that feeling that I need to write to get something out, and then I decide whether I want to develop it or not, or if it was just something for me to express myself. It's never with the mindset of, “Okay, today I'm going to write a song.” So usually, if something has happened in my life that I feel like I need to write about, I'll write about it pretty quickly after, because I am in the moment and I'm feeling the emotions that I need to get out. But then I also can write about things that have happened in the past, but that's more of a decision for me rather than instinct.
LUNA: I'm a writer too and I feel very similarly. You kind of have to get things off your chest in the moment, or else you lose that honesty. I feel the lyrics in “Stupid Lover Girl” can, in some ways, represent the beginning of something, or the hope for a beginning, but then, on the other hand, it definitely also feels like the end of something, which I think gives the song so many layers, and listeners can really take away what they need from the song. How do you view the song personally? Or does it change for you?
DALIA: It was just very important for me to capture how I felt that night, because it was such a distinct feeling. It's that rush you feel when you really like someone, but then it's unspoken, but you both kind of know it, and you're both thinking of it. But then I knew he didn't want to have anything serious. So it was the start and the end at the same time, because we never actually spoke after that night. But at the same time, it felt like the beginning of what could have been something, but it never became anything.
LUNA: I want to discuss a little bit about your influences in music, because you're from Spain originally and now you're based in London. What are the differences between the music scene in Spain and the music scene in London? And how has being based out of London now influenced your sound as an artist?
DALIA: I moved to London when I was 18, and I'm 25 now, so my entire music career has been influenced by being here and working with people here. I do sing in Spanish in some of my songs, so I do want to bring that side of myself and my life into my projects more, but I would say that most of my influences come from the people I work with. My artistic influences change a lot. I think growing up, sad music has inspired me the most, but also some pop music. I would say Gracie Abrams, Billie Eilish, and Bon Iver have been my primary influences. But now it's shifting a bit. I'm obsessed with Beach House right now. My sound is actually changing a bit. I'm a bit indie-pop at the moment, but I feel like that is always changing. I feel like your influences will always just evolve and your sound will change.
LUNA: How did the connection with your producer Charlie come about? How long have you guys been working together?
DALIA: We met each other at university in Liverpool, and we both moved to London at the same time, but we weren't friends or anything. We knew each other. And then we just started having sessions just for fun, and then it ended up working really, really well, and we really clicked, and we've been working together for two years now. It feels like 10, because we really just get each other. The good part of that is that we are growing together, because I was worried that when my sound was changing, that maybe he wouldn't want to go with me. But we're so lucky that we're just evolving and growing together and learning. I feel really lucky, because I have a team that I work closely with, and it works, and I can see it going for a long time.
LUNA: That’s awesome! It's so great finding those partnerships and being able to trust one another, especially when, as you mentioned, your sound changes. When that happens, are you ever scared or worried that you might lose a part of your original sound? How do you approach that feeling?
DALIA: I feel like I have just found my sound. I've been writing since I was six years old, but I haven’t been producing. So I've always known the songs that I want to write, but with production, I’m constantly experimenting just to see what works and what I like. This summer, me and Charlie were working on a song, and we kind of just went a different direction, and then that's where it hit me. But I was like, “Oh, this is what I want to do” and I'm sure that will change. I'm sure at some point I'll be like, “Oh, actually, I don't want to do that anymore.” So, it doesn't scare me. I think it would scare me more to stay in the same sound for a long time, because I would feel trapped. And I don't want to feel like I'm in a box. I think it’s fun to try different things.
LUNA: I totally agree. Of course, it can be a bit nerve wracking as an artist, when you're experimenting and can't quite find your sound. You've been a writer for so long, so I feel like in all your songs, you're able to capture a feeling and something that is true, even if you were still figuring out what production styles you liked best. For people who might be new to your music, how would you describe your sound?
DALIA: If you like honest and vulnerable songwriting and lyrics that make you feel uncomfortable or make you feel something, then I would say my music might be for you. My sound definitely falls under the category of indie-pop at the moment.
LUNA: What is exciting you the most about songwriting and working in the music industry right now? Are there exciting projects in the works?
DALIA: I'm in the process of releasing an EP right now. “Stupid Lover Girl” is part of that EP. Me and Charlie and some other people we work with are already working on my next project after that, which is my favorite project that I've ever worked on because it is my favorite sound that I've made so far. I also love every single project I make. But I think I'm most excited for that because it’s more of a concept EP. It is about a certain subject close to my heart, and about my childhood, and I think it's way more emotional and honest and raw, and I think it will really connect with people.
