Singer-songwriter Sierra Blax brings a fresh taste of soul, chill-pop & R&B

Born and raised on the island of Kaua’i, singer-songwriter Sierra Blax dropped a new track titled INYIM (It’s Not You It’s Me) and it’s a playful admission to Sierra’s life being somewhat a hot mess as she navigates her mysterious mind through the city of LA, trying not to break any hearts, including her own.

Her hook, “it’s not you it’s me” is a classic way of her saying “I got issues but get over yourself.”

The suggestive landscape of palm trees and the calming sounds of ocean breezes are almost an ingrained inspiration for her lyrics and melodies and her musical background dates back to when she started taking vocal lessons as a kid.

Here’s what Sierra had to say about herself and her music.

What are your main musical influences?

I love classic hits from Mo-town artists. I also sang in the Jazz ensemble in college and it sparked my interest in learning jazz chords and melodies

Tell Us about ‘INYIM (It’s Not You It’s Me)’

“It’s Not You It’s Me” is an unapologetic song that plays with the idea of commitment phobia and independence. I’ve always loved the use of this phrase, and in this case, I wanted to use it as a way that felt playful and sassy yet really giving honesty and reason to the “ME” in the phrase.

So I thought it would be interesting to really develop a narrative of flaws that give reason to why it’s ME and it’s not You. What you’ll hear in the verses is my testimony to why I can’t commit due to my insecurities and issues yet at the same time just simply wanting to be FREE & INDEPENDENT!

I think everyone can relate to the lyrics when you find yourself in a hot-mess or in an unrequited love all while having NO MONEY. I know it’s kind of specific but at the same time i’m sure most people have been through some kind of similar experience!

What inspires the way you create your visuals and the more aesthetical aspect of your act?

I love the old film vibes and DIY content if it’s done tastefully. So with my visuals I always want the overall vibe to feel light and fun, even if we don’t really have a specific storyline. With the “Good Type of Love” music video, I really wanted to get out of my comfort zone and create a story/ lil movie. I had filmmaker Bradley Crawford & DP Micheal Tanji (They’re also from Hawai’i) develop the story line for this music video and I really love how it turned out. I thought it was super interesting that we put an upbeat bop tune over a music video that displays a compelling and sad narrative.

Overall, I think the element of surprise is important to stand out as an artist, so I really just want to put out content that the listeners wouldn’t really expect.

You can tell your music is heavily inspired by the peaceful environment you grew up in but who do you take inspiration from for your lyrics?

Definitely Amy Winehouse. She writes from the soul and from her own personal experiences and because of her lyrics it’s got me through so many obstacles in my life, good and bad.

What would you say inspires your attitude, vibe and looks?

Without really knowing, I tend to pick up influences from the early 90’s a lot of the time. I grew up in that era while living in a small island so my style tends to be laid back but I do love adding a bit of glam to everything. This goes for my music as well.

How do you think your sound fits within the current music scene and industry?

I think neo-soul/ alt pop music like mine will kind of always be relevant but it for the most part isn’t always necessarily popular or “mainstream”.

I don’t really care to be honest, I’ve been down the road of trying to make my sound more “mainstream” and it just isn’t really me. So I think as long as i’m authentic to myself, people will at least respect that even if my sound isn’t really their cup of tea.