daena
daena is one of my favorite artists. I first interviewed her for the release of her EP Electric! back in 2020 and I never stopped supporting her. She’s been making great quality music and I honestly never get tired of her songs. She also has some of the best vocals ever. Amazing tone.
Today she’s releasing her debut album Alter Ego and I’m super proud to feature her once again ! The indie pop/rock project was produced by Alexander Frieden and Blake Burchette, and it was co-written with Michael & Chuckie Aiello, Paige Keiner, Keyler Matthews, Reagan Beem, Molly Bowers, Kären McCormick, Kate Yeager and Sam Rochford.
Alter Ego only has big songs; from uptempo to ballads, this record is absolutely phenomenal !
Congrats daena !
Alter Ego is out now !
Photo credit: Acacia Evans
Hi daena, how are you? You're getting ready to release your debut album Alter Ego - how does it feel like to release your first project ever?
I am SO excited!! Although standalone singles can be great, I absolutely love working on a project. Everything that goes into the creative process is amplified, and it becomes so much more meaningful to me when there’s a thread that ties the stories together.
When did you know it was time for you to drop an album? When did you start working on it?
This album has been about 2 years in the making (more, if you count writing some of the songs) and it really has been a labor of love. But I honestly didn’t even know I was going to make an album until my co-writer Paige Keiner and I wrote the title track. During that session, it just hit me that the message and sound of the song was exactly what I needed to say next as an artist.
Outside of that, last year marked 10 years since I moved to Nashville, and it somehow started to make sense that it was all leading up to this. I feel like only now, through my late twenties, have I started to figure out who I am as a person and as an artist, so in a sense this feels like a re-introduction.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this album? Who helped you create it?
There have been SO many people that helped turn this vision into a reality! I worked with Alexander Frieden on production for some of the songs, and then brought in my friend Blake Burchette to produce and take the rest over the finish line. Blake brought such a unique and raw feel to the record that I think really shines through on some of the deeper cuts like “Turn Lane” and “Lucky Number”. And of course none of these songs would exist without my incredible co-writers, who cultivate such a safe space to be vulnerable and to just have so much fun creating: Michael & Chuckie Aiello, Paige Keiner, Keyler Matthews, Reagan Beem, Molly Bowers, Kären McCormick, Kate Yeager and Sam Rochford.
What different topics are you talking about on this record? What's the story behind each song?
The album essentially walks you through my twenties. There are moments of über self confidence and moments of feeling frozen and scared of change. There’s a vulnerable love ballad that I wrote for my fiancée, a recollection of my one and only summer fling, and an emotional apology to my childhood best friend. To me, all totally valid manifestations of the different versions of myself over the past 10 years.
What was the biggest challenge when making this album? And do you have any favorite memories?
I think the biggest challenge for me was honestly overcoming self-doubt. I don’t think people realize just how long it takes to make a song from start to finish, let alone 8 songs! And when you work on something for so long, it can be easy to lose that spark of excitement from the writing room and start to doubt the art you’re making. But getting to share the finished songs with the world makes it all worth it!
One of my favorite memories of recording was what I’ve come to refer to as the “scream session” with my producer Blake. I was set on this idea for “Turn Lane” where I scream on the track (very inspired by Phoebe Bridgers on “I Know The End”). I turned all the lights off in the vocal booth and literally just screamed into the void and honestly, it was hilarious and freeing and I highly recommend. There was a moment afterwards where we sat there comping the screams, and it just hit me how funny the whole thing was. But it turned out to be such a perfect climax of the song, and I’m so glad we did it!
What can you tell us about the artwork?
I absolutely LOVE the artwork! The photoshoot (which I did with my incredibly talented friend Acacia Evans) was the start, but the concept really came together working with my dad to create the artwork. We cycled through a few different concepts before he came to me with an early version of that trippy background, which felt like I was sitting in the void and I loved. When he added the line that splits the cover down the middle with two different color palettes, it totally clicked into place for me.
He designs most all of my graphics and merch with me (including maybe my favorite thing we’ve ever worked on together, which is a comic book based on the title track, featuring an original story and hand-drawn artwork by him). I may be biased, but he is kind of the best!
What message do you want to deliver through this album? What's your goal for this album?
I want people to listen to this album and feel empowered to be exactly who they are right now, and know that it might (and probably will) change over time. I think as humans we are always in flux, growing and changing - but being proud of every era of yourself is so important. I hope you feel like you know ‘daena’ better after listening to this record - and I, for one, can’t wait to see what comes next :)
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
Hardest part: fighting your inner critic. Best part: the moments during creating when you realize you’re in the middle of making something really, really cool. That excitement, that thrill…it’s hard to beat. I think that’s what keeps every artist coming back to it no matter how difficult the industry is.
What are your thoughts on today's social media? How does it impact your career?
Social media has drastically changed the way artists release and promote their songs, and the way that listeners find new music. On one hand, platforms like TikTok have opened up a whole new world of listeners for me, and an alternative route to being an artist, whereas before you pretty much had to be a touring artist grinding on the road 24/7. It can definitely get frustrating sometimes to have to keep up with being a content creator as well as a musician, because that is not what a lot of us signed up for when we started out. But for me, I’ve always enjoyed being creative through videos as a secondary form of art and humor, from my early YouTube days of posting Taylor Swift covers or Jonas Brothers parody music videos. So in that sense, social media has kind of become that creative outlet for me. I do look at it as almost a side project that sits in tandem with my music, and I have a lot of fun with the videos I make!
How did your sound evolve since the release of your debut EP Electric! ?
Oh man, I feel like so much has changed since Electric! That EP was the start of daena, which had lived in my head for about two years beforehand as my “pop project”. I was super inspired by synth pop bands like MUNA (which I still am), but since my 2022 single “Oversharing”, I definitely made a conscious shift sonically and wanted to chase that more guitar-driven, pop/rock sound that artists like Olivia Rodrigo have led the charge on.
What biggest lessons have you learned since your first single? What advice would you give to young artists out there?
Oof, it has been a JOURNEY since my first single in 2019. First off, I still have no idea what I’m doing (laughs). But truthfully, I think I’ve learned to just follow my gut and instinct when it comes to writing and creating the art that I want to make. As much as I love being an independent musician and being in control of my artistic vision, it can be really hard for me to take those leaps and feel like I’m making the right decisions along the way. So I would say the number one thing is to trust yourself, because only YOU know the type of art you want to make, how you want to make it and what you want to say to the world. And number two, remember that it’s SO important to play and stay silly. If you’re not having fun, what’s the point?! We get to write our diary entries into music and sing about it every day for our career - so make sure you’re remembering to have fun :)
What can we expect to hear/see next?
After the album drops on October 4th, I would love to do some more shows and perhaps another music video - I also would love to do some live sessions of a few of the songs on the record. And call me crazy, but I’m already thinking about what songs to record for my next project haha…there may or may not be a Halloween single in the works for 2025 ;)
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