In Conversation with Teyla

Conducted by Bethany M

"Hi! I am teyla, and I'm recent graduate from a music conservatory. I've been writing music for a while but this year I decided to take the next step in my career and fully commit myself to being an independent artist! I am originally from Massachusetts and grew up in a very musical family which has definitely influenced the kind of music that I make. Other than songwriting, I love to read/write poetry and crochet!"

What's the song that you've written that you feel most represents who you are, not as an artist, but as a person?

I think the song would be one that I have called "Millbrook Street," which is not out yet. It's coming out in March, but it's named after the street I grew up on. It's very nostalgic for me. I really miss home. I'm originally from Massachusetts, so it's very suburban compared to being in New York now. That song kind of just reminds me of home. It definitely feels like the song version of me. If I were a song, it would be that song.

What's one of the most surprising things about yourself that you've learned through songwriting and releasing music?

I think that I'm a much more emotional person than I thought. Since I started songwriting and writing things down, realizing that I have a lot of depth to pull from, I noticed that I used to kind of make up stories and situations that I never experienced. Once I started allowing myself to look at my own life and emotions, I realized I had a lot to pull from. I guess I'm really emotional, so I will write about that. It's been really interesting to figure that out.

What is the message behind "Crimson Joy?"

I think the message is about being a very anxious person. I tend not to trust when good things happen to me. I wrote this song at a point in my life where I was seeing progress in my life and career but wasn't able to enjoy those good things, because I felt that if something good happened, something bad also had to happen, which isn't true. I tend to be very pessimistic, and that's the main message of the song.

Do you face any challenges as a smaller singer-songwriter, and if so, how have you faced them?

I think the hardest challenge right now is that I have a lot of friends and family who support me and listen to my music. I put out music because it's fun and because I love it, it's the only thing I want to do. But nowadays, it's important to have the social media aspect as well as the in-person live aspect. I like the in-person life better. If my numbers don't reflect the actual people in real life who are listening, that can sometimes lead to fewer opportunities.

I also think I'm fairly new compared to a lot of people, so it's going to take time to grow that marketing aspect. It can be harder to get your foot in the door, especially when live venues value social media impact in order to perform there, which is really interesting. A lot of the time, those things don't correlate. Just because you have numbers on social media doesn't mean those people will show up and buy tickets.

What is your favorite part about being a smaller artist?

I think it's being able to form connections really quickly with other small artists and building that circle from the beginning, seeing who wants to stick around, collaborate, and work on things. Working with other small artists is honestly the best part. It's kind of like learning how to build our careers together.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

I think it would be Alex G. I bring him up every time I talk about music, but he's one of my favorite artists to listen to and one of my biggest inspirations. I really love his production, and if I could have a song produced by him, that would probably be my dream as an artist right now.

If you had any advice for your younger self or anyone wanting to pursue music, what would it be?

I think it would be to be delusional, in the sense that you have to be completely convinced that you're going to achieve your goals. You have to be so confident that you don't let outside things interfere. If you truly believe you're going to succeed, you have to have no doubt, which is really hard and much easier said than done. I would remind my younger self, or anyone else, that when people ask, "Is this going to be your career?" you just have to say yes. Most importantly, don't treat it like a hobby, treat it like a real goal. I think it's realistic in the sense that the world is so crazy, so you might as well try what you want to do in life and see if it works.