Spotlight: Mila Degray Has Arrived and She’s Here to Stay
IT’S A SOUND WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF –– and Mila Degray does it well. At just 18 years old, she's bringing indie alt rock, shoegaze, bubblegum grunge, and pop punk to the mainstream. With eerily relatable songs about life’s difficult moments, she reminds listeners that there’s power in vulnerability and self-discovery.
For her 14th birthday, Degray was gifted a guitar and never looked back. It was the first time she was able to translate her emotions into words and share them with other people, a moment she hasn’t forgotten.
“I was figuring out who I was,” Degray said. “The entire process of basically being able to speak to someone through a song was mind blowing to me… I struggled so much expressing myself and it was honestly very liberating for me.”
When playing her music, Degray wants to create a safe space where you can put on your headphones and feel seen. That feeling is something she gravitates toward when choosing what goes on her playlists.
“I've listened to so many artists and types of music in the past that I take bits of pieces of sonic or melodic inspiration and make something that I can call mine,” Degray said. “Some notable artists I can confidently say inspire me are Soccer Mommy, Alex G, and Melanie Martinez.”
For her, music is a constant that holds things together. It helps her make sense of the world and get through life’s hard moments. It’s also her way of sharing these intimate emotions with those around her, so they can understand where she’s coming from a little more, or receive support if they’re going through the same thing.
“I want people to be able to listen to my music and just be able to cope with whatever they’re going through,” Degray said. “Music helps me so much with that whenever I’m having a panic attack or feeling anxious, and I want to be that artist for someone.”
Making music is empowering for Degray and is a relaxing presence she welcomes. She explains that it’s her medication, since it hits a part of her brain that needs it the most when she’s going through it.
She wrote her single, “Not Nancy,” while recovering from the whirlwind of 2020. After her track “Ragdoll” was released, Degray wanted to write about how she was feeling without it being a love song and in the process learned a lot.
“This song helped me so much with learning about myself and how turning myself off emotionally isn’t the best thing to do for my mental health,” Degray said. “It actually makes it worse. I had one of the best years of my life after I wrote this song. I think I just had to go through that experience and write about it to get over it.”
In 2021, Degray connected with other musicians, broke into the music industry, and performed at her first live shows. She also found security in her relationships with herself and her family. To others starting out she champions, “Finding something to be original with — honestly doing what you want.“
She encourages speaking honestly and when you’re struggling to find the words and looking through old journals for inspiration. Degray has about 10 journals with pages upon pages of words and collages saying what she was feeling in those moments that she draws upon when songwriting.
“I’m validating myself as I write these songs,” she explains. “Regardless of what it is, I feel like what I have to say is important because it matters to me. There were times when I felt silenced growing up but when I’m making music I’m not. You know people can be mean, and you know what? Fuck it. Allowing that vulnerability to accept yourself is so important.”
Degray released “Not Nancy” on August 17 and more new music is coming soon. In the next few years, she’d love to go on tour and perform with the likes of Beebaddoobee, Momma, or The Marias. As far as collaborations go, she has her eyes set on those she would vibe with during the creative process such as Wallice, Melanie Martinez, or Beebaddoobee.
“But my inspiration honestly fluctuates and that’s okay because I'm still growing up,” Degray said. “Maybe I’ll find inspiration from Drake all of a sudden, who knows?”
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