Anie Delgado – You Ruined Forever

By starrymag | January 16, 2023

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

A) Ethereal songwriter-forward pop.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) From a young age, my parents introduced me to really cool music like Led Zeppelin and Abba and then when I got into music discovery myself, I discovered Taylor Swift right at the beginning of her career, and I pretty much grew up with her. Before that, I admired other pop stars like Christina [Aguilera], Britney [Spears], Gwen [Stefani] but I never knew that you could write your own songs. I was in middle school when I started listening to Taylor Swift and writing and learning about her introduced me to some of her influences which are some of the greatest female song writers like Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith and Carly Simon. When I was in NYC studying music, I got into experimental rock. I’d like to think that my eclectic taste found its way into my music just a little.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Indie Bands + Cigarettes?”

A) This song is about the moments after I broke up with a really formative ex-boyfriend of mine. He left and all of the sudden I felt a huge weight lifted off my chest, but I also felt really lonely and lost. You know those keychains that people get you on vacation that say, “My friend went on vacation and all I got was this shitty keychain?” I felt like that but instead it was like, “I dated this jerk for three years and all I got was good taste in indie bands and the smell of cigarette smoke everywhere.” I wrote this song about the frustration of trying to find yourself in another person and being at the start of the journey to re-discovering yourself again.

 

Q) There are some great bands and musicians featured in the posters behind you in the video. Was some of it shot in your actual bedroom?

A) No! This was a studio in Los Angeles called Groovy Pads. The owner is really cool and it’s a really great spot although I absolutely loved all of the posters and décor – that’s why I picked it, especially Selena. Being a Latinx artist I look up to her. Anything for Selena.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) Gosh, unfortunately I think the experience of dating someone and losing pieces of yourself to them is pretty universal. I get lots of DMs telling me that this song helped them through a breakup and that they like to scream the ending and I’m like yeah me too. [laughs]

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can write lyrics?

A) It varies depending on the people I’m collaborating with, but my favorite way to write is to be in the studio with a producer. Usually, I give them some inspo for a track like a song concept with a key and a beat type and tempo. While they’re building out the beat, I’m usually writing out lyric ideas, singing melody ideas into my voice memos as they come to me, and developing the concept further. Once we have a general vibe and structure for the song, I’ll usually go into the booth and sing some gibberish to get an idea for the melody and we’ll record it. Once we have the melody, I sit and write the lyrics. Sometimes we’ll start at the beginning but sometimes we’ll start at the hook. It’s always different which can be really fun!

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I’m really hands on with the producers I collaborate with. I’m actually learning how to produce myself. My song “You Ruined Forever,” I originally fully wrote and produced myself as a demo then I brought George [Gleeson] and Gary [Dillon] in to improve it because there are things that I still don’t know how to do production wise. I’d say most songs I have a hand in suggesting production elements. I love for my sessions to be super collaborative, so I am always keen to let everyone bring production and songwriting ideas to the table.

 

Q) Your EP You Ruined Forever is out now. What are some themes you explore in it?

A) It is! The most obvious theme is heartbreak. It’s definitely a breakup album, but there are some underlying themes that were specific to my journey and perspective that I hope can help anyone else going through a breakup. One major theme is healing and forgiveness. My song No Other Way is about giving yourself and your ex grace for the breakup. It basically accepts that breakups are just messy and it’s best to just let go and move on sometimes. The EP kind of walks through the steps of grief as well if you listen in order. “Jekyll + Hyde” is denial. “Indie Bands” is anger. “You Ruined Forever” is bargaining. “Broken China” is depression. “No Other Way” is acceptance. “Narcissist” is also anger, I guess. I wanted the EP to reflect all of the different colors and emotions you feel when you lose someone really important to you. Sometimes that manifests as red hot anger, sometimes as nostalgia, sometimes as sadness. My ex did some really awful things to me but there’s also a love and nostalgia for him which I think is showcased in the EP.

 

Q) Which tracks off the EP hold a special significance for you?

A) “You Ruined Forever” is really special to me because I originally wrote and produced the demo myself and it was the first time fully trusting myself in that way, but the one that snuck up on me was “Broken China.” I wasn’t sure what to write that day in the studio and I gave myself the prompt of how it felt to leave my apartment where I lived with my ex for the last time and this song came. It was actually really healing to write it even though it’s a sad track. I loved the production choices George made, too.

 

Q) As a self-confessed breakup EP, were there songs that left you feeling raw and emotional after recording them?

A) Absolutely. “Jekyll + Hyde” really tore me up after recording it. I recorded it in a studio twice but didn’t love the vocals so I asked the producer if I could engineer my own vocal session. I sat in my room one night and recorded and did as many takes as I needed for it to feel raw. It really reminded me of that moment years ago when I sat in my apartment contemplating if I should end things with my ex. Grieving the guy I still loved and cursing his abusive alter ego for making me do it.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from exploring You Ruined Forever?

A) I want listeners to know that it’s ok to burn it all down. That sounds aggressive but I just think it’s so easy to be complacent in a relationship. Before I broke up with my ex, I was on a trip to Iceland with my family and my dad asked me if I was happy and I told him I was happy enough. I was crazy to think that was an acceptable answer. My parents now will tell me they knew then it wasn’t going to work out with my ex, but I spent years accepting way less than what I deserved. When I broke up with him it really felt like I had ruined everything. That life was ending. That forever that I had planned on was gone. But this EP is just a really tangible reminder that there are many versions of forever and letting go of something that no longer serves you is not only the best act of self-care it’s also a great adventure to start over and re-discover yourself.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those places so significant to you?

A) I love Madam Siam in Los Angeles because I have a core memory of one of my first nights out in LA I had gone to the Fonda to see Jon Hopkins and we all went out dancing at Madam Siam afterward. I got to perform there a few years later which was really fun. I also love the Bowery Electric in NYC it’s a great venue!

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) My super far-reach dream collab is Phoebe Bridgers. She’s my favorite artist right now and her songwriting is so incredible.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) Like everyone I’m obsessed with SZA’s new album. Other than her, I’ve been really into FKA Twigs lately. I love Papi Bones.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I love that being able to chat with my fans is just fingertips away. I’m dying to tour and connect that way, but until then social media keeps us in touch. A lot of them are creative to and I love to see what they create with my songs.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of your work?

A) I love you so much! It means a lot. I can’t wait to see you on the road soon.