LA duo STALGIA, comprised of B & Yaya, are ready to wow the music world with their upcoming EP. If their recent single, “BDY” is anything similar to what they have in store, set yourself some time to listen to the whole thing as soon as it hits because it’ll be worth it. We got a chance to chat with the two to talk about how they got their start with music, working in the industry, and what their goals are for the rest of the year!
When did you know that the music industry was something you wanted to pursue a career in? How were you introduced to the idea of becoming a musician?
B – I knew when I was 14. I wrote my first song on the piano and never looked back. I have loved music ever since I could remember. I used to make drum beats with my mouth, kind of like beatboxing. I ended up studying with a really great musician and mentor by the name of Joe Pocarro, also known as the father of pretty much everyone in the band TOTO. He was extremely influential in my decision to pursue music as a career.
YAYA – I knew when I was about 10 years old. I used to put on concerts in my best friend’s kitchen, and I vividly remember saying to her with my 10 year old vocabulary, “I am going to do this one day in front of thousands of people.” I’ve always been strangely creative and have written poetry since I could write. The older I got, the more shyer I got when it came to my voice. If it weren’t for Brandon, I never would have fully tapped into my artistry. Now, I am the musician I always hoped I would be.
How did you come about to decide what type of music Stalgia will be creating?
STALGIA – It’s really weird actually. When we wrote our first song, “Rust” we really didn’t know who would f*ck with it. Which was probably a good thing because we ended up writing music from the heart instead of conforming to genre clichés. There was no real plan, like “let’s make some super dark ambient synthy trap music” or anything like that. We just wrote and wrote and wrote some more until we had developed our style. It wasn’t until we stopped trying to please people, and we just listened to our souls, that we really found our sound.
Having asked the previous question, I feel like music today sort of all fit different genres and no longer stick to one sound, how would you define your sound, if possible?
STALGIA – As advocates for not having to label every single thing, we love the fusion of sounds. Our music is exactly that. You can’t really describe it or fit it in one genre, and we love that. We don’t make music to fit a style, we make music to feel, enlighten, and transcend.
Since you two have been working in music for a while now, how has your outlook of the music industry changed over the years?
STALGIA – The industry is ever-changing, but our vision has always stayed the same, and that’s to put out real music.
I love how you guys really like to take your time on things and make sure everything is exactly how you want it to be. How do you actually know when something is finished and doesn’t need to be touched/edited anymore?
STALGIA – We like to hear the song a few different ways before deciding on final production. We write every song as a surfer rock tune then take a B-line into something hip hop. We add tons of production and then taper it back. Then there’s that moment when you listen to it, and you just know.
How did the song “BDY” come to life? Why or how did you decide that this will be a song you’ll put out there for everyone to sort of become introduced to you if they haven’t heard “Heaven + Mimosas” or “In The Trees”?
B – [Brian] wrote the melodies and instrumentals then I wrote the lyrics. We held onto it for a while because we didn’t know if it should be the next single or not. There’s a lot of pressure when you’re trying to pick the next single because a flop can really set you back. We like putting out music that we think the world needs to hear at the moment. At that moment we felt like the universe was telling us to put out “BDY”.
Being managed by E. Kidd Bogart is huge! How did you two meet him and how’s the relationship been so far?
STALGIA – We met Evan through our old manager and working with him is an absolute pleasure and blessing. We could not ask for someone better to be behind us.
With your debut EP in the works, what did you find to be the most difficult thing putting it together?
STALGIA – To be honest, we have been so happy with the content that we’ve created, that the hardest part has having to narrow it down.
I know that a lot of information about your debut EP is under wraps… But what’s one thing our readers can expect to hear or is there anything you want them to take away after listening to it?
STALGIA – We want it to be memorable. We want to connect with people on the deepest level. We want it to be an experience.
Knowing that you’ll both be on the road in the near future, how do you envision your live performances to be like? Intimate, lots of visuals, etc.
STALGIA – We want to play in pitch dark. Let’s go back to when it was just about the music.
What are your goals for Stalgia in 2017 and beyond?
STALGIA – We just want to make music that we are proud of.
