Interview with Pop Artist Adrie

MuzicNotez: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.

What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?

• Adrie: Thank you so much for having me! Music’s been a part of my life ever since I was a baby. There was always music in my house, I remember quite vividly how my parents would play music every morning before going to school. I started taking piano lessons at about 3-4 years old and I was that annoying kid who was always singing and dancing at family gatherings. At 11, everyone at school had to pick an instrument to learn and I chose the alto saxophone. As a teen, my friends and I had a rock band for a brief period, and a few years later I started studying musical theatre. In terms of creating music, writing songs was always kind of an outlet for me, but I began getting more serious about it during my last year in college. I’d say the motivation to create music comes from a desire to express and process what I feel but also to form connections and communicate with those around me.

MuzicNotez: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?

• Adrie: I’ve had such a wide range of influences and I feel that they all contribute to my sound today in one way or another. I think my first idol when I was about 8 or 9 was Avril Lavigne, I had massive posters of her in my room and I considered myself a “skater girl” ha. During those years I was also a big Destiny’s Child and Shakira fan. As a teen I started getting into more indie-folk / alternative music and I remember listening to Band of Horses and Bright Eyes on repeat. As I got older I started listening to jazz and musical theatre more, as well as vocalists that I really admired. Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Eva Cassidy are some of the singers I’d listen to on Youtube like 500 times a day. In college and in my 20s I started paying attention to the songwriting / production and listening “analytically”. Some of those songwriters and producers range from Bill Withers to Damon Albarn. Throughout the years I’ve kept listening to artists that my parents introduced me to, like Leonard Cohen, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Led Zeppelin… I’m all over the place I guess!

MuzicNotez: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?

• Adrie: It’s hard for me to narrow it down to one goal, but I think it would be to keep progressing and challenging myself as an artist and human being. There is so much that I want to do in music, I want to explore so many different genres, and I have so many different albums and songs I’d like to make. I’m currently reading “How Music Works” by David Byrne, and he’s a great example of how I’d like to shape my career, he’s continued to evolve and play and explore with art for decades. I also want to create music that makes some sort of a difference in people’s lives – even in the smallest ways, if my song makes you smile on your way to work, that’s enough!

MuzicNotez: What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to or performed?

• Adrie: I don’t think I’ve performed my greatest concert yet, but one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever been to was Aerosmith in 2017 back home, in Madrid. It’s a very special memory because not only was the band fenomenal, but I went with my dad who’s been an Aerosmith fan since he was a kid. He knows every single one of their songs. We squeezed through the crowd to see them up close, and my dad, who’s a very quiet individual, was jumping up and down and singing every word. To me, it was a clear example of how music transcends generations, borders, and languages, bringing out our “inner child” in the purest way.

MuzicNotez: Your latest release is the single ‘Se Acaba’, the song is brilliant and been receiving a lot of success. What inspired this track? What’s it mean to you?

• Adrie: Thank you! I’m so happy you like the song! This is a very special record that I collaborated on with Spanish artist and producer Pablo Lesuit and Peruvian duo Alejandro y Maria Laura. We got together to write and produce it right after I’d moved from New York to LA. I picked up my things and drove across the country. As I traveled, I was inspired by how much of the US is composed of vast plains and desert. There was such an apocalyptic feel to that trip, and the song’s cumbia rhythm really brings that to life. Lyrically, I talk about the transitory nature of life, which is something I think about a lot.

MuzicNotez: You also have a music video for ‘Se Acaba’, which we think captured the vibe perfectly. What was the experience like filming this video?

• Adrie: I’m glad you think so! It was a really fun video to make because I filmed part of it with my mom. I’m really lucky to have the most talented and creative friends and family. My mom is an amazing artist and also just a really charismatic, enthusiastic person. So when I asked her to shoot these crazy, improvised shots in the desert at 6 am, she jumped right in. We then finished filming when I was working in Mexico with Vertov the Noise, who is the director I collaborate with on a lot of projects, and with Pablo Lesuit. As an independent artist, I try to be as resourceful as possible, and the whole video is actually shot on an iPhone. Editing was done in Spain by Javier Gómez and Jacobo Herrero. We wanted to capture the psychedelic / apocalyptic sounds in the music with the video, and I think we succeeded!

MuzicNotez: You have a very unique and soulful sound, it’s hard to describe. In your words, how would you describe it to somebody?

• Adrie: I really appreciate that unique and soulful is what comes to mind for you, thank you! I worked very hard on my voice for many years, and I continue to work on my sound with every song I make. I’m not sure how I’d synthesize it, people have told me I have a soothing voice and a chill / smooth sound. I like what you said about unique and soulful because I want to be as real as possible in my music and I try to communicate from the heart, so I think those two words portray that perfectly.

MuzicNotez: What else are you working on? What can we expect to see and hear from you in the future?

• Adrie: My EP, ‘Motel Kilomango’, will be coming out in November! I have just released the last single for the EP, “Japón,” a song and music video where I experimented with AI, I encourage you to check it out! I’m also starting to work on my debut album, which I plan to release in 2024. I want to continue to push myself musically and to keep exploring different rhythms and sounds in 2024. I’ll also be performing live more, so stay tuned for upcoming dates!

MuzicNotez: Anything else you wish to say about yourself or your music? Any message for your fans?

• Adrie: Just thank you, thank you, so much for listening! I hope my songs touch you in some way and that we can connect some time in the future!

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