Following the release of her glittering pop number “Just Fine”, 24 year old Amava demonstrates the importance of finding comfort in your own company with “Midnight Interlude” – a reflective, late night groove. 

Growing up in the rainy Pacific Northwest, Amava creates music that is unashamedly pop. “Midnight Interlude” is a darker, somber release from the young artist, detailing “the come down from a heavily social situation – it’s the lonely car ride home from a party”.

Now living in Nashville, Amava draws inspiration from pop icons such as Charli XCX, Phoebe Bridgers and Lorde as well as her small town’s folk music scene to create a rich tapestry of her own. Her music is a beautiful expression of the human condition, detailing love, grief, desire and loneliness into her expansive soundscapes. 

Capturing these fleeting moments with her astute, detailed songwriting, “Midnight Interlude” is the perfect companion for that long journey home. 

How did you get into music and art? 

My parents were very encouraging of the arts in our house from a young age. My Dad played in a few garage jam bands and they would set me up on the drums and a mic to “play” along. I also started a piano program from a very young age, even though I started playing the piano at age 4, you would never know.

My piano skills are trash. When we moved from California to Oregon, the school I went to had a HUGE emphasis on the arts and I was really integrated into the music program within the school. It was called the Americana Project and we were taught to play instruments, read music, songwriting, how to perform, etc. I did that all the way from the 5th grade to my senior year. I knew I wanted to be in must pretty much the second I started learning to write songs around age 10. 

How would you describe yourself as an artist? 

I’m very technical with how I write. I have a very concise process and I’ve been able to find what works for me. During COVID, I was just coming out of a pretty long writer’s block and in the first 2 months of quarantine, I pretty much flew through writing 10 new songs. I have this pretty shitty upright piano, but I’ve really fallen back in love with writing on acoustic instruments. I got very stuck in the loop of writing to tracks (which I love doing) but it was nice to get reintegrated with what I had originally started on. I really love starting or writing something full on the piano and then eventually taking that to producers and other co-writers and going from there.

What kind of music did you grow up listening to?

I listen to a wide range of genres. Growing up in the folk scene, I pull a lot of inspiration from the songwriting of folk artists, both large and/or local acts. I grew up with my parents listening to a wide range of artists from ABBA to Norah Jones to Ladysmith Black Mambazo. I feel like with such a wide range of music consumption growing up, my writing is really a blend of everything. I am heavily involved in the pop scene as well, just as a fan. Right now I have been listening to a lot of Dua Lipa. Some of my all time favorites artists are Lorde, Charli XCX and Phoebe Bridgers. I’m a pretty avid Spotify user and am always finding new artists I love. My most recent loves have been Del Water Gap and Perfume Genius. It’s all just a big mish mash of things. 

How would you describe your writing process? 

I absolutely love the process I put into songwriting. During COVID, I’ve really fallen back in love with acoustic instruments. I have that slightly out of tune upright piano that I just absolutely adore. Most of my songs start off with a singular lyric idea or word. I like just doing a few hour writing spree of coming up with anything pertaining to that idea and putting all that down. Something I’ve started doing is actually making mood boards for each song I’m putting a lot of effort into. It might sound a bit extra but I love putting together something visual for the song and how I imagine the song to “look.” I love scrolling through Pinterest and kind of “imagining” the song and it really helps me get a better grip on things when writing. 

What inspires your lyrics? 

Anything and everything. A feeling or emotion. Dead flowers. Sometimes I can only pull from so many things in my own life, that I turn to a lot of movies, books and other forms of art to inspire me. One of the newest songs I have written was greatly inspired by the relationship of Rue and Jules in the HBO show Euphoria. I am a huge sucker for escapism, so I love writing about other people and things to get out of my own head. 

Tell us about “Midnight Interlude”

I actually wrote this song a little over a year and a half ago which is kind of funny with the theme of loneliness being the core message and then releasing it during a time of isolation and uncertainty. I am a true, true introvert and like a lot of people, I like to be alone but the feeling of loneliness sucks. That car ride you take home from a party can feel very stark and isolating, but at the end of the day night, all I really have is myself and I’ve come to love that. I wanted to write about the power in being alone and owning it. I wrote it to this synth pad I had and finished it myself then took it to some producers and it just came to life! 

How are you gearing up to perform live again? 

I had my last big show in February of 2020 and it was a big showcase kind of “introducing” myself. I really thought that was gonna be the start of a long year of live shows and touring but obviously 2020 slapped me in the face so I had to put that WAY on the back burner of things that were happening in the world. I am really looking forward to getting back out there soon. I have a whole new set of music and have also spent a whole year of gaining confidence in my voice and doing a lot of online dance lessons. I really know who I am now and can’t wait to show that off. 

Who inspires your style and aesthetics? 

From a young age, my parents always let my sisters and I wear and dress however we wanted. I look back on photos now and wonder why on Earth my Mom let a toddler pick out clashing patterns like leopard print with paisley, but I really think that independence in fashion has really followed me into my 20’s. In the age of social media, it is very easy to consistently be inspired by people online posting their outfits.

I pull a lot of inspiration from what I see online and try to mesh it with my love of certain decades of fashion. I feel like I don’t have a very consistent style and it’s constantly changing based on what I’m feeling that week. I’m very into the Edwardian era of fashion right now and find myself wearing a lot of big gowns and frilly things and then pairing them with more gothic accessories like big boots and harnesses to give It an edge.

I take a lot of Inspiration from couture runway looks and then try to thrift similar items or let that inspire an outfit. I love anything glittery and loud but then I also love very simple monochromatic looks. I’m very into makeup; my sisters and I got into it at a very young age and I love a good glitter eye look or fun graphic eyeliner. It all depends on the day of the week.