Vancouver-based Independent Pop musician, dancer, actress, and multi-talented artist TIYA recently spoke to ai love music via email about her history in the entertainment industry, influences, and the release of her newest single “Hydrogen Peroxide”. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada to two theatre artist parents, Tiya’s debut comes on the heels of a unique upbringing. She is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. and the bi-racial daughter of an African-American father and a Norwegian/Australian mother.
Now a talented actor and dancer in her own right, Tiya has a long list of credits that includes Sesame Street, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Finally, with the release of her debut single, her auspicious beginnings have given way to a multi-talented artist poised to take the music world by storm.
How does “Hydrogen Peroxide” tell about the emptiness in one’s life? Find out that answer by continuing to read on. Also, make sure to listen to TIYA’s newest single down below, and let me know what you think of it in the comments!
Could you introduce yourself to those who don’t know you?
I’m Tiya! A artist who enjoys making sad bops about my most vulnerable feelings. Based in Vancouver (which I consider my hometown even though I was born in Las Vegas), the theme of nostalgia runs through the stories I tell in my music. I strive to connect with people who are hurting in the same ways I am.
How did you get into music? And how has that journey been?
I have been writing songs since I was thirteen in my room by myself. I truly have a need to express myself through any idea that comes into my head. I love making music because it is all-encompassing. I write. I emote through my singing performance, my music videos, and get to conceptualize my feelings into art. I am an independent artist so everything I put out comes straight from my heart with the help of collaborators I genuinely love.
What musical genres and artists influence you?
I think there is often an overlooked beauty to pop music in its simplicity. I love writing pop music because it is really genre-less nowadays. It empowers me to say exactly how I feel in a song directly.
I grew up listening strictly to show tunes because both of my parents are Broadway professionals, and it influences my songwriting in a big way. I was exposed to so many different styles of music through theatre that I feel limitless with the references I can be inspired by. As far as modern pop influences, Julia Michaels and Troye Sivan are the music-making gods I worship.
You are a multi-talented person, Do your other talents influence music (like does acting or dancing influence your music). If so, how?
Oh my goodness, absolutely! Being a dancer has taught me to listen to music very precisely and as an actor, I can empathize when I am writing and come up with unique ideas. I have created rhythms for my music through tap dancing steps and I use my acting skills whenever I record a song to access the most emotional performance I can give. Although both those examples are ways I use my many facets behind the scenes, I intend to use them more prominently in my music project soon! I am excited to release music videos that are like mini-a24 movies and performances that let me dance my heart out.
You made your music debut this year. How is it being a new artist during the pandemic?
Being an artist during a pandemic is certainly an experience I never expected to have. Isolation and witnessing the turmoil of our world on an undeniable level over the past year made me realize how precious life is and how important my art is to me. It inspired me to stop making excuses and go after what I want: to make music.
With the release of my debut single “Chamomile Tea” in July, I was surprised at how many messages I got from people saying how they have deeply related to the lyrics, especially over the pandemic. I am so grateful to be able to connect with people during this time because we are all going through some sort of struggle.
“Hydrogen Peroxide” is about missing someone who used to sleep next to you and the sheets now losing their scent. I was feeling this emptiness in my life and only realized after writing the song that it was more about self-struggle, not missing an actual lover. I was missing who I used to be in a carefree world. I really loved the sterility of laundry to express this overly clean, empty feeling. Produced by Alex Flagstad (Ashton Irwin/ Morgan St.Jean) and Mixed/Mastered by Hope Brush (Alanis Morisette/ Ruel) this song is a vibe you didn’t know you needed.
What influenced you to write this tune?
I drew influences from a lot of places to write this song. I loved the idea of hydrogen peroxide as the title because I thought it was quite obscure. I wanted it to feel kind of trippy because at the time the emptiness I was feeling was hazy (especially when struggling to sleep.) The song came together very quickly because I just needed to articulate what I was experiencing at the moment.
What was the production like? What was your favorite part?
I LOVE this question! Let me talk to you about my producer, Alex Flagstad. I found Alex on the internet and instinctively felt he was the perfect person to collaborate with. We worked on the song via zoom because he was in LA and I was in Canada. I was lucky that he immediately understood the vibe and the sentiment of the song. We finished it in two sittings. Two of my favorite things that ended up in the production are the laundromat coin drop (which acts as a snare) and the psychedelic vocoder on my vocal in the chorus.
What do you want listeners to listen to in your music?
EVERYTHING! (I feel like every artist says that lol). I pay a lot of attention to detail in my music whether that be clever subtleties in the lyrics or layered storytelling through production. My songs beg you to listen to them more than once to catch all the little things. At the end of the day, I give this music to the listeners so whatever they hear and like about it, is perfect.
Any future plans?
I am releasing my very first full-length music video alongside “Hydrogen Peroxide” and new music next month with ANOTHER music video (the biggest one yet!). I am releasing music almost monthly over the rest of the year and am hoping to start playing live shows as soon as this music is out! It’s gonna be such a party. I’m so psyched to have a great time in all of our struggles through my music.
