By: Kelly Kearney
Photo By Myron McClure
Q) What first sparked your passion for music? Was there a particular moment when you realized music was something you wanted to pursue yourself rather than simply listen to?
A) I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. I grew up performing, so being creative and expressing myself has always felt pretty natural. But writing my own music was different.
I think the turning point was realizing I could take something I was thinking about, something I might not even know how to explain to another person and turn it into a song.
I still remember how exciting it was to hear something I’d written start to become an actual song. It was like, wait, this thing that only existed in my head is real now? I wanted to keep doing that.
Q) You’re from the Bay Area, a region with a distinct creative identity and a rich musical history. How has growing up in that environment shaped your sound as a songwriter and the stories you want to tell through your music?
A) Growing up in the Bay Area is interesting because you’re surrounded by people doing completely different things. There’s so much creativity here, but also this feeling that you’re supposed to be doing something important with your life.
I think that combination has influenced me more than any particular musical sound.
I’m naturally curious about people and why they do the things they do. I notice little details and conversations, and sometimes those end up becoming songs.
I also like that California has a history of people doing things their own way. That’s something I’m trying to figure out as an artist, too. What actually feels like me, instead of what I’m supposed to sound like.
Q) San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area have produced some legendary musicians across generations and genres. Are there any artists from the region who have influenced you, whether musically or in the way they’ve approached their careers?
A) The Bay Area has such an interesting music history because so many completely different artists have come from here.
Stevie Nicks went to high school in this area, which I think is pretty cool. I love how her songs tell stories without explaining every little detail.
And then there’s Green Day, which is such a different sound. Billie Joe Armstrong’s writing has so much personality and attitude.
I like that artists from the same area can have completely different ways of expressing themselves. It’s a reminder that there’s no one way you’re supposed to sound.
Q) You recently released two singles, “Seventeen Years” and “Gum,” which explore the complicated business of dealing with our emotions when realizing it’s time to let go. Starting with “Seventeen Years,” the song feels especially relatable to anyone who struggles with anxiety, overthinking or getting caught in their own head. What was going through your mind when you wrote it?
A) “Seventeen Years” came from thinking about how strange it is to be growing up and realizing how much is changing, sometimes before you even feel ready for it.
There’s this pressure to know who you are and what you’re going to do next, but I don’t think anyone really has that figured out, especially at seventeen years old.
I wanted to capture that feeling of having so much ahead of you while still trying to understand everything that’s happening right now.
It’s exciting and overwhelming at the same time, which is a really convenient combination.
Q) “Seventeen Years” leaves room for listeners to interpret its meaning through their own experiences. Was that openness intentional?
A) Not really in a planned-out way. I just don’t like explaining every little thing in a song.
I know what certain lyrics mean to me, but I don’t think everyone needs to hear them the same way. Sometimes leaving something unsaid is more interesting than spelling it all out.
And honestly, I like a little mystery.
Q) One lyric that really stands out is, “The quiet is getting too loud.” It captures that feeling when your thoughts become impossible to escape, even when everything around you is silent. As someone who can relate to the overthinking, I found that line particularly striking. How important was it for you to capture those feelings that make people with anxiety feel seen?
A) That line is one of my favorites because it’s such a strange feeling when everything around you is quiet, but your head is anything but.
Sometimes the moments when you’re supposed to be relaxing are when your thoughts get the loudest. It’s like your brain suddenly decides that’s the perfect time to bring up every possible thing you could worry about.
I wasn’t really trying to write a line about anxiety that other people would relate to. I was just trying to describe what that feeling was like.
But when someone recognizes themselves in something I wrote, that’s pretty special.
Q) Your newest single, “Gum,” tackles another frustratingly relatable experience: trying to move on from someone who somehow manages to stick around in your head long after the relationship is over. What inspired that “gum on your shoe” metaphor?
A) For me, it was actually more like gum stuck in your hair.
You can be completely done with someone and still have these little pieces of them stuck in your thoughts. Something they said, a memory or even just the way they made you feel.
“Gum” felt like the perfect metaphor because it’s such a small thing, but it’s ridiculously difficult to get rid of. And the more you mess with it, the worse it gets.
I was mostly just annoyed that I was still annoyed, which is probably the most accurate description of how the song started.
Q) Did writing this song help you shake off the inspiration behind it, or did putting those feelings to music open the door to the realization there could still be something there to unpack?
A) I’d love to say writing “GUM” made me stop thinking about what inspired it, but my brain didn’t get that memo.
Writing helps me understand what’s bothering me, even if it doesn’t make the feeling disappear. Sometimes I finish a song and realize there’s more to unpack, which is great, because apparently, I needed another thing to overthink.
Still, turning it into a song feels like a pretty good outcome. If someone’s going to be stuck in my head, they might as well help me write a hit.
Q) Let’s talk about your songwriting process. When an idea hits, do you tend to start with a lyric, a melody or a feeling you’re trying to put into words?
A) Usually, it starts with a question or something I’ve noticed.
I’m fascinated by the little things people do without realizing they’re doing them. Someone can say they’re completely fine but then spend twenty minutes explaining why they’re fine, which usually tells you everything you need to know.
I write down random thoughts and phrases in my phone. Sometimes they turn into lyrics, and sometimes I look back and have absolutely no idea what I meant.
It’s a very organized process, obviously.
Q) With these two singles introducing listeners to different sides of your artistry, fans are naturally going to want more. Can we expect an EP or full-length album in the near future?
A) I’m definitely writing more music and I have a lot of ideas I’m excited about.
Releasing singles has been really interesting because every song has taught me something different. Not just about songwriting, but about what happens when you put something personal out into the world.
I’d love to release a larger project when it feels like the right collection of songs. I don’t want to rush into an EP just because it’s the next thing I’m supposed to do.
For now, I’m enjoying experimenting. There are definitely more songs coming!
Q) Your music is relatable to any teen or young adult trying to find their way in the world. Have fans shared any reactions or personal stories that surprised you or made you look at your own songs differently?
A) A teen told me that “Girl I Buried” reminded them of losing an old version of themselves rather than losing another person.
I thought that was really interesting. It’s a song about identity and change, but hearing someone connect it to their own experience made me look at it a little differently.
I remember thinking, “Wait, I actually really like that interpretation.”
It’s kind of cool when someone makes you think about something you wrote in a way you hadn’t considered.
Q) What does it mean to know that something you wrote from your own experiences can resonate with someone else?
A) It’s a little surreal, honestly.
When I’m writing, I’m usually alone with my thoughts, trying to figure out how to put something into words. I’m not really thinking about how many people might eventually hear it.
Then, someone tells me a song meant something to them and suddenly it feels bigger than whatever was happening in my head when I wrote it.
That’s probably my favorite part. Knowing something I made actually mattered to someone.
Q) When people listen to your music, what do you hope they come away understanding about you as an artist and as a person?
A) I hope they feel like they’re getting to know the real me, not just whatever version of me happens to show up on social media.
I’ve spent a lot of my life performing and I’ve learned that getting someone’s attention and actually connecting with them are two different things.
I’m sarcastic, I overthink things and I don’t always have everything figured out. Sometimes my songs are really emotional and sometimes I’m writing about gum stuck in someone’s hair because apparently that’s where my brain decided to go.
I don’t want every song to sound the same because I’m not the same person every day. I just want the music to feel like me.
Q) There’s so much emerging talent coming out of the Bay Area. If you could collaborate with any artist, whether someone you grew up listening to, a legendary musician or an exciting new voice, who would be on your dream collaboration list?
A) There are so many! I would love to write with Gracie Abrams because I really admire how personal and conversational her lyrics feel.
Olivia Rodrigo would be incredible because she can take such specific emotions and turn them into songs that are both vulnerable and really fun.
I also love Phoebe Bridgers and Noah Kahan. They have such distinctive ways of telling stories, and I think it would be fascinating to see how they approach songwriting.
Honestly, I’d probably spend the first ten minutes trying not to act completely starstruck.
Q) Music isn’t your only creative outlet. You’ve also built an impressive modeling and acting career. We’ve seen you in Disney+’s “Coven Academy” and modeling in magazines, brands like Levi’s and Gap, and walking the runway in New York and Paris Fashion Week. Acting, modeling and music involve putting yourself out there, but they require very different kinds of expression. How does stepping in front of a camera compare with stepping onto a stage or sharing a deeply personal song?
A) I’ve been modeling and acting since I was little, so being in front of a camera has always felt pretty normal to me. But songwriting is different because it’s not a character or a campaign. It’s me.
I’ve walked runways in New York and Paris, but somehow sharing something I wrote in my bedroom can feel more intimidating. At least on a runway, nobody knows what I’m thinking.
I also recently worked with Disney as a content creator for the Disney+ series “Coven Academy.” I was selected for the creator junket and got to create promotional content with the cast. It was really interesting seeing how storytelling, marketing and audience engagement all come together.
I love that I get to experience entertainment from different sides. And I’m realizing that sharing my own thoughts might actually be the scariest one.
Q) Do you find that those two sides of your career influence each other?
A) Definitely. Acting has taught me to pay attention to the little things people do when they’re feeling something, even when they don’t say it out loud.
I notice those kinds of details when I’m writing songs too. Sometimes one tiny observation tells you more about someone than a whole conversation.
And modeling has taught me how much you can communicate without saying anything, which is kind of funny because with songwriting, I spend so much time trying to find exactly the right words.
Q) Beyond your creative work, you’re also an advocate for supporting the LA Mission, Toys for Tots and local animal rescues. You’ve developed a plug-and-play guidebook with resources to help people get involved in organizations to better the world. What inspired you to create that resource for others to get involved?
A) I realized that a lot of people genuinely want to help, but they don’t always know where to start.
When you hear someone organized a big toy drive, it can sound like this huge production that requires a ton of money, connections and probably a clipboard. But it really doesn’t.
I wanted to make it easier for other people, especially teens, to organize something themselves. You can start with a few friends, your school or your neighborhood.
That’s why I created the guidebook and resources. They’ve now been downloaded more than thirty thousand times and over five thousand families and teens have used them to help organize drives.
I don’t want someone to look at what I’ve done and think, “That’s impressive.” I’d rather they think, “Wait, I could do that.”
You don’t need a huge platform to make a difference. You just need somewhere to start.
Q) Was there a particular experience that sparked your commitment to giving back or has it been something that’s grown naturally alongside your career?
A) It’s definitely something that’s grown over time.
I’ve always loved animals and helping rescues has been important to me. But as I started getting involved in more community projects, I realized how much even a small effort can grow when other people get involved.
One of my favorite experiences was helping organize our Toys for Tots event at LA LIVE. Seeing everyone show up with toys and watching the Marines collect them was really special.
We collected 1,175 toys at that event and it made me realize how much people can accomplish when they work together.
I think that’s what motivates me most. It’s not about one person doing something huge. It’s about making it easier for more people to do something meaningful.
Q) Between new music, modeling and your advocacy work, you are busy. What’s next for you that fans can keep watch for?
A) Definitely more music! I’ve been writing a lot and I’m excited to keep exploring different sounds and sides of my personality.
I’m also continuing to work on acting and creating content, which I really enjoy because every project is different.
And we’re getting ready for another Toys for Tots event in December, which I’m especially excited about.
It’s a busy time, especially with school and college applications happening at the same time, but I wouldn’t want to give up any of it. Okay, maybe I’d give up a little homework.
Q) Finally, for the fans who have been following your journey and those just discovering you, what would you like to say to them?
A) Thank you for listening and giving my music a chance. It really means more than I can explain.
When I write something, I never know who it’s going to reach or what it might mean to them. So, every time someone listens, shares a song or tells me they connected with something I wrote, it’s really amazing l.
I’m still learning and figuring out what kind of artist I want to be. I’m excited to share that with everyone along the way.
And if you’re just discovering my music, hi! I’m really glad you’re here.