Brianna Musco – Alter Ego

By: Alejandra Gil M.

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) My sound is a mix of alternative pop and dark synth-pop

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Some of my musical influences include Halsey, Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish.

Q) Your debut EP Alter Ego releases on Friday, April 22nd. What was your songwriting process like? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Coming from a guitar background, I usually write the music first and then put melodies and lyrics to it. All five tracks began with a simple guitar or piano part and grew to be songs featured on the EP. My favorite melody in the EP was the chorus for “Not Done Hating You.” I wrote it on the piano.

Q) Alter Ego is a recollection of a healing journey, including moments of self-realization/self-growth, as well as several personal experiences, like being closeted for most of your formative and adult years, that shaped her into who you are. That´s a very important journey, being a queer Latina myself. Why is it important for you to stay vocal?

A) I think it is so important to stay vocal because representation matters, no matter how big or small. I wasn’t exposed to LGBTQ+ media or grew up with a queer role model until I was in college, which is why I was closeted for so long. I want to help show that it is perfectly okay to be yourself and it is also okay if you don’t know who that is yet. The most important thing for me is I can’t change my past, but I want to be a role model and presence for younger generations to realize it is okay to be gay.

Q) This EP includes songs like “Not Done Hating You,” “Great Escape,” “Nobody Needs to Know,” “My Only Pretty Thing” and (my personal favorite) “Paradise.” Do you have a track that stands out or that was harder to record and what makes it so special to you?

A) I’m so happy you like “Paradise!” It holds such a special place in my heart as I never thought I would be able to release it since I was closeted, but “Not Done Hating You” was definitely the hardest track to record because of all the vocal layers. It is probably my all-around favorite because I spent the entire pandemic practicing my singing and I think this song, in particular, showcases my growth as a vocalist

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

A) My producer/engineer, Nick Mavromatis, is honestly one of the best in the business. He guides me with so much such as melodies, structure and instrumentation and I write all the lyrics and record the guitar solos. His ability to take a simple chord progression and turn it into an epic instrumental is why I look forward to working with him every day. We never know what we’ll come up with!

Q) You recorded all of the featured tracks and the single “Never Stay” in Newcastle, England with producer Nick Mavromatis. What kind of say did you have though when it came to the production side of your music?

A) Nick and I are always bouncing ideas off of each other. I trust his judgment and input on everything. When it comes down to the very end of finishing up a song, I weigh all options and trust my gut for decision-making. There have been plenty of times that we have disagreed on decisions but then we order food, talk about funny memes trending and start fresh the next day. Especially being a female in a male-dominated industry, I love working with him mostly because he respects my decisions and always puts my safety as a top priority. These are things that, unfortunately, we have to consider when being a woman and I have had such great experiences working with him and we have the music to show for it.

Q) The EP captures some of the feelings about searching for who we are and suffering from imposter syndrome. What do you hope people take away from it?

A) I hope what people take away from this EP is that you yourself are the top priority. You are the main character. Be unapologetically yourself. It’s okay to be whoever you want and when obstacles get in your way, like anxiety, loss or loneliness, it’s okay to reach out for help.

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

A) I would really love to collaborate with G Flip– showcasing their incredible drumming and my guitar background. I think it would be an insane tune!

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

A) Social media is the most efficient way for me to meet new fans. I can post a video of me singing and if it gets four hundred views or fifty thousand views, that’s still a huge crowd to have performed in front of. It takes time to travel and tour all different cities, posting one video on social media can hit every location in the span of seconds and have the same positive effect on potential music lovers wanting to follow me and promote my music for free.

Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of you and your music?

A) I can’t wait to make you all proud. From the absolute bottom of my heart, thank you SO much for believing in me as a small indie artist and I can’t wait to start playing shows and finally getting to meet you after this pandemic!