Deza
American poetic pop artist Deza has released her new single “June”.
Co-produced with Elvira Lundahl and Alton Sato, the new single tells the story of falling in love during a trip in Norway and leaving that love behind.
“June feels wildly bittersweet for me. While in Norway for a year, I fell pretty damn hard for the kindest Norwegian boy. Our love had this atomic ending in sight - me, on a plane in June, heading back to the states, and him, remaining in Norway. In the lyrics, I try to focus on the present moment, but I keep asking “Where is the life I get to keep you?” You can feel the confusion and desperation throughout the whole track, singing “When it’s done and it’s been said, will you find me again?” , explains Deza.
With “June”, the singer/songwriter reveals a heartfelt and catchy track that will make us dance throughout the Summer.
“June” is now available everywhere.
Photo credit: Siri Elton
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi! My name is Deza, and I’m a poetic pop artist. I’m in the melodramatic, feeling, lyric driven sector of the pop world I like to call poetic pop. I’m an artist, songwriter, and on my best days, an okay producer. :)
When did you start feeling connected to music? Do you remember a specific moment in your life where music made a huge difference?
I had the luck of growing up in a musical home, so some of my earliest memories are of watching my parent’s rehearse for Sunday morning worship service, or hearing my grandpa’s organ ring through the halls of the house. I don’t know that there’s ever been a specific light bulb moment, because music has always been this constant light house for me instead. Steady, present, guiding. Most of my decisions in life were made in light of how they affected my music, or how they played into my career and passion.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
I was born risk taker, and I’ve always had a strange underlying faith in myself when it comes to my music. I think it comes from being raised in a way that I feel comfortable to fuck up, to make mistakes, and to just shrug my shoulders and try again. This kind of energy makes it pretty easy to ask, “Why not me?” In an industry that requires reckless self-belief and hustling with wanton abandon, I’m glad to have the naive confidence I do. Not only that, but I’ve also been lucky to have lots of supporters along the way, urging me towards my goals. Without their constant reassurance and focused care, I definitely would not be able to create in the same way.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
Definitely my parents. They're both musicians, so their feedback on my music was never just the vague “Good job sweetie!” We’d go to my performances, and in the car on the ride home, we’d discuss everything that just went down. How did it go? How did it look? What was great? What can be better? How do we cope with failure on stage? It felt like continual forward motion because of their attention to detail, concern for my craft, and general support. And it wasn’t only in my performances - it was in the songs I was writing, it was financing music school and voice lessons, it’s the unconditional love.
How would you define Deza, the artist?
Poetic pop. Bold, at ease with the varying emotions of being human, accessible & relatable. The pocket of Jon Bellion, the recklessness of Tove Lo, the depth of Lorde.
"June" is your new single - what's the story behind this song?
June was formed from the bittersweet ache of love coming to an end, far before you want it to. I just spent the last year of my life studying music at LIMPI in Norway, and, because of who I am, I fell in love with a Norwegian boy. (During a pandemic!!!) Even though we both knew I was headed back to the states in June, you can’t help magnets. So, June tells our little tragic love story. How I can see the plane on the jetway, how I know the end is coming, but the closer we get, the harder we fall. And the more I’m desperate to find the life I get to keep him. It’s by far my most vulnerable yet.
Who helped you create this single? When did you start working on it?
The way this song was created is really interesting - like a big game of telephone through all of my good friends and collaborators. I started writing it in quarantine in April, and started producing a version by myself. I had the verses and the chorus, but wasn’t sure where to take it next, so I let one of my good friends and fellow female producer, Elvira Lundahl, take a stab at it. She came up with that magnificent harmony arrangement in the bridge, which allowed me to write the bridge and lead us into the final chorus, and also helped me finesse the lyrics. After that, we handed it to my other best friend Alton Sato, to add some edge to the production. After he was done, we got the Norwegian boy I fell in love with, Philip Handeland, to mix it. So it’s been passed around through all my favorite people, and I think it definitely shows in the song. We’ve crafted this one very carefully, very delicately.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I started writing it about a month after I started falling for this boy, so it was crafted from the full depth of those emotions. I would keep envisioning the ending, and it was holding me back from being fully present. So when I hit the line “still we stay June,” it just reminded me: stay here, stay present, allow yourself to feel all of this, in spite of the end. I think writing it allowed me to open up to my own love story that was unfolding in front of me. I truly believe the muse leads us to write songs that we need to hear, that we need to feel.
What made you want to release "June" as a single?
Most of my fans/friends know that I’ve been in Norway, and they’ve watched this relationship develop as I have, too. I’ve always been keen on releasing songs that are relevant to the time they drop, because if I’m still emotionally in this story, I think my audience will be too. I love the idea of creating and releasing quickly alongside each other, and not hoarding songs & stories for months. I want to look back at my discography like looking back at snapshots of my life, and I love including my audience in that framework.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
I wanted something super organic - so the whole flowers in the pants look turned out pretty great. I call them “tiddy flowers” but I’m not sure if that’s like, illicit for the interview hahaha. You can cut that out if it is. We actually got this shot while filming the music video! We had picked wildflowers from the little hills of Norway (they’re everywhere), and my friend Siri Elton ended up nailing the shot & we knew it had to be the artwork. Then, I’ve always wanted to use that lime green color, and I threw it into Photoshop and added the text behind and it was done!
How does music impact your life?
This question is big and beautiful. It’s everything I do. Music has been my main thought for most of my waking life, in some form or another. Like, even considering that fact kinda blows my mind: most of my life, this has been my life. How many hours have I spent in front of the keys, crafting lyrics? How many nights slaving over the PR for my next release? How many weeks scheduling the future, planning my brand, managing this whole mini empire I’m trying to build? It sounds dramatic, because I am, but it’s quite honestly all that I do. How damn lucky is that. For music to be what I do!!! That is so cool!!
What biggest lesson have you learned since your very first release?
I think it’s to focus on the story, on the content, and the idea that I need to care deeply about each release. Personally, it’s hard to fabricate energy for a story that doesn’t feel like mine, so those releases never do as well. But if I show up, do the hard work, and craft an era around each release, not only will I be happier, but the audience has a better chance of understanding the inner workings of the story.
What are your thoughts on today's fight against racism and the Black Lives Matter movement?
As a young person, I’m so damn proud of this generation for rightfully rising up. This revolution is long overdue, and we have a lot of learning to do. As a white person, I’m doing my best to learn history better, to learn how to be a better ally, and to educate the other white people from my Southern hometown. I’m honored to be witnessing this time in history, and I can’t wait to get back to the states to join the protests physically and not just on social media.
It’s been almost a bit awkward to self-promote, and there’s been a lot of shame thrown at white artists for moving forward with releasing. But damn, this shit is important. Creating is connection. We have to keep doing that ALONGSIDE the dismantling of white supremacy and systemic racism. We can dance and also defund the police at the same time!!
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If Christians actually acted like the ALL people-loving, rabble-rousing, grace giving, politically defiant Jesus in the bible. And if Trump wasn’t our president. :)
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Dare to feel your feelings, dare to connect with yourself, dare to be aware of the divine.
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