Siren and the Sea
Producer/Songwriter
Los Angeles
Sounds like you moved around a lot...where are you from and where is home now?
Sure did! I was born in Hawaii, my parents moved us to Bogota, Colombia when I was a baby
because that is where my father is from. We later moved to Miami where I grew up until I was
about 14. After that there were various cross-country landscapes for my teenage angst until I
ultimately landed in Portland where I was making music for a little over a decade. On leap day
2020, I moved to Los Angeles where I live now. Ultimately I just belong by the water, and that is
where I am now, happy as a clam.
Tell us about the inspiration for your new single “Fountain of Youth”
A few years ago I was taking a daytime bubble bath, very much cheebed, enjoying my self-care
time and daydreaming about being underneath a luxurious waterfall in Hawaii (where I was
born). I was thinking about how rejuvenating a fresh spring can feel, and how often after a good
dip, it feels as if I’m a whole new person. I started singing the line “I’d like to believe that I have
found the fountain of youth,” and from there started writing the song. I wanted it to be a flowy,
energetic song that also highlighted the contradictions that are easy to face on the journey to
finding confidence. I sarcastically say at one point “luckily, it's not hard to be a woman for you”
because I do think it can be a balancing act to try to be everything for everyone, rally to be all
the things you yourself want to be, and also to just find that sacred groundedness we all want to
discover. By the end of the song, I aim to cleanse the anxieties away.
What’s your writing process?
It varies, though I often sing a line outloud, take it to the keys or guitar, and then build my song
around that. For ‘Fountain of Youth’ I really wanted it to sound like I was filling up the tub with
energy, and fun vibes so I worked hard to capture that in the production. I had a fun time writing
that sweepy laid back arp that swirls around like bubbles popping, then took it to an 80’s edge
with the rhythm production. Later I brought in my bandmate Ethan Fox Tucker to put down some
bass which really amped the energy up to the next level. After everything has been laid down
including vocals, harmonies, etc, I went back through to add finishing touches with some
textural synth to give it some atmosphere.
How would you describe your sound?
A few years ago I sort of half-kidding coined the term ‘swimwave’ to describe my sound to a
journalist and that seemed to really stick and ultimately just makes thematic sense. Someone
else also said that my songs were perfect for “crying and dancing to at the same time” and
honestly, what a chef’s kiss honor.
We all miss live music, what do you miss about it the most?
I miss absolutely fukineverything about playing shows, even the mundane boring stuff. I miss
loading my car with gear and forgetting half of my merch at home. I miss being at soundcheck
too early and running around trying to find the guest list so I can add my friends. I miss my band
showing up one by one and it making my heart sing that I get to play music with them. I miss
playing that game of “should I use my drink ticket before or after my set?” I miss looking out at a
sea of faces and the room going completely quiet and then singing something I’ve never sang
out loud before. I miss hugging people, meeting new fans, and hearing the other artists on the
bill play. Most of all I misssssss dancing!!!!
What is in your beach bag?
Grapefruit soda water, a can of wine (classy), Gummies, giant sunglasses, coconut oil, a huge
blanket and towel, sushi, and a magazine because I like to leave my phone in the car.
Your upcoming album is called ‘For Bathing?’ what’s this about? Singing in the shower?
Haha. I went a bit off the deep end with the concept of For Bathing. When I wrote it I was in
what I like to call my “Cancer-Moon” year where I was taking a ton of baths, sort of getting in
touch with my grounding rituals more, and being more comfortable with self-reflection. I wanted
to write an album that someone could listen to in the bath, that would take them on the
cleansing journey that I often find helpful. The track listing is even designed to take the listener
through the full process of filling the tub with fun bubbly tunes, then sitting with some more
reflective vibes, and by the end of the record, there are some major dance tunes meant to
shake it all off with. Sonically the theme was present throughout the whole process, and
additionally informed by the great work from my fellow musicians, my engineer, and all the other
angels that touched this record.
Tell us your bathing recipe:
Turn off your phone
Hide anything in the room that stresses you out
Light 3 to 30 candles
Flowers in your space
Open a window if you can
Epsom salts & Bath Bombs in your tub
Cedarwood, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Yling Ylang Essential Oils
Something cold and bubbly to hydrate with
Face mask
Secret Sauce
Siren and the Sea’s ‘For Bathing’ playing ;)
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