(5.16.2020) Andria Rose

Interview by Aviva Pusey

Photography by Victoria Soto

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Things you want the audience to know about you!

My name is Andria Rose, I’m 20 years old and I’m a velvet dream-pop artist from Texas.

2. When did you start making music? Who were your inspirations?

I started writing my own music around 12 years old, once I picked up the guitar. Ever since I was little, I’ve been surrounded by music. My father was a big music head. He had a huge record collection and a lot of guitars. He would play Van Morrison’s ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ or Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots Were Made for Walking’ around the house quite often. My mother had a big record collection as well. She was always blasting Selena or Limite or George Strait, Frank Sinatra or Patsy Cline. Their universal music taste definitely rubbed off on me.

Once I got a little older, I saw the movie Selena, and it really had a big effect on me. I was immensely inspired. I also grew up in Corpus Christi for the first 7 years of my life, and Selena’s image was/is very big down there- since that’s where she was from. So constantly being around her image and her music really motivated me to create a musical life for myself, as she had.

3. How have you established your style, within music and beyond? What parts of your aesthetic do you think are essential to your music?

I’ve always been very drawn to music that’s dreamy and calming. I’ve always loved very chill, tranquil beats. I love the way it makes me feel to listen to music like that- almost like I’m in a daze. It’s relaxing.

So before I started releasing music of my own, I knew I wanted to make music that fell into those categories and emotions. I also realized early on what kind of singer I wanted to be. I don’t really like to belt. I like to sing in a way that compliments the music I’m singing over- dreamy. And in regards to my aesthetic, I would say it’s elegant and sultry. Red is my favorite color, and I adore red lipstick. I think that’s pretty evident in my cover art and photos. So I think realizing who I was as an artist before I started my career really helped create my own sound and style. But nonetheless, I’m constantly evolving.

4. How would you describe the music you make? Does it fit into a singular genre?

I would say it’s dream pop with a bit of jazz and psychedelia. I think it could fit into multiple genres, depending on how a listener perceives it. The new music I’m working on is incorporating a bit more of neo-psychedelia than my older work. I’ve been having a lot of fun fusing the genres together.

5. Can you talk a little bit about your musical/lyrical process? Does it change? Are there aspects that stay the same?

I often go inward or outward for my lyrics. I find inspiration in anything, really. Everything has a bit of inspiration in it. I’m inspired by melancholy. Writing music has always been a means of escape for me; and writing about my melancholy is therapeutic for me. I’m also inspired by beauty and happiness. Those notions haven’t changed in my song writing process. I suppose what changes is the image or color I center a song around. For my EP, Electric, I had red velvet sheets in mind when writing. For the newer songs I’m writing, I have the color blue in mind.

6. Who are some of your biggest creative inspirations? Artists that have influenced your style, producers who you love to work with.

At the moment I’m really obsessed with Alexandra Savior, Kali Uchis, and The Strokes’ new albums. I’m inspired by their lyricism and instrumentation. I’ve been a big fan of all of their work for a minute, so I think they definitely influence me. I was fortunate enough to open for Kali back in October, and seeing the way she commands a crowd really inspired me. She’s been a mentor for me for a while.

I think working with Kevin Parker someday would be an absolute dream. Anything he touches turns to gold, in my eyes. I also think working with Rick Nowels someday would be amazing. But at the moment, I produce music with my boyfriend and bandmate Bryan; and I think he is an absolute genius. He gets my vision to a T.

7. So I know you're the person behind the beautiful voice, but the music is not you alone. Can you talk about/introduce your band and how you guys came together? :)

Definitely! My right hand man, bassist and boyfriend Bryan has been making music with me for about three years. Funny story, we actually went to middle school together in a different city, but I had moved from that city and we lost touch. And by the grace of the universe, we met up again in college. A couple of months later, I asked him to join the band I was playing in at the moment and the rest is history! We met my drummer, Gilbert Salazar, through a coworker from a local music store I was working at about two years ago. He’s an absolutely amazing drummer. Through Gilbert, we met Blake Martin and Peter Diaz. Blake plays keys in the band and he’s a genius with them. Pedro plays guitar and he has tone that melts your ears. I am so grateful to have such talented men who are so good to me. We’ve been through a lot together and the shows are (thankfully) only getting bigger. They’ve been with me my whole musical journey.

8. Your debut EP 'Electric' was released in 2019! What did it feel like to complete it? What was the journey of its creation like? Did the EP have a main source of inspiration?

It was wild for sure. I’d tried to make that EP multiple times with different producers and different styles. It never really worked out. So when it finally did, it was surreal. I was so proud because it came out exactly as I envisioned. At the time, I wanted the theme to be centered around romance and reassurance. I’m so happy it’s been well received.

9. You've opened/toured with some amazing artists, I can only imagine the memories you hold from those experiences!

Yes! I am so grateful to have those memories. My first real tour ever was with The Maria’s. I was 18, and only in my old band (Andria Rose and the Youth) for a little bit of time- never having played shows as big as we did on that tour. I am forever indebted to them and their manager for giving us a chance. Tour life was interesting for sure! One big memory I laugh about now was our van breaking down in the middle of nowhere on our way to Dallas, Texas. By the grace of the universe, it broke down right in front of the only gas station for miles. It was also conveniently next to a motel. We had to push the van over to the motel and used some of the money we made from the show the night before to pay for a room. The next morning, The Maria’s came to our rescue and carried some of our gear to Dallas while we figured out our transportation. It was insane. And it was actually kind of fun and a fond memory.

Opening up for Kali is probably my favorite show I’ve played at the moment just because it was like two dreams coming true at once. I’ve been a huge fan of Kali for years, and the venue it was at had been a dream venue of mine to perform at for years (The Aztec Theatre). The crowd was so encouraging of me and I gained a lot of new listeners after that show.

10. If you could tour/collaborate with any creative, who would it be?

I would love to do a tour with Quelle Rox once this is all (hopefully) over. She’s become a new friend of mine and I adore her music and craft. I think she’s amazing!

11. What to you is success? What goals are you aiming for, where do you want your music to take you?

I’m very hard on myself, unfortunately. If I’m not constantly gaining momentum, I feel like I’m failing. So I suppose success to me is continuous growth. My goal is to have enough listeners overseas to one day be able to play a show or festival abroad. That would be a dream. But overall, having people listen to my music is a dream come true in itself. And younger me would be proud of how far I’ve come.

12. If you were speaking to the whole world right now, what would you say?

I would say to hang in there- stay safe and healthy and keep faith.