waverly
I’m happy to share with you this conversation with singer/songwriter/producer waverly.
Hailing from Texas, the artist stepped into the music world during quarantine and released his debut single “every little thing” in 2022. As he is continuing to develop his artistry, waverly is now revealing his newest single “overcomplicated”. Following the latest single “carsick” released last month, “overcomplicated” is waverly’s most vulnerable record to date. Blending pop and trap into his production, waverly managed to deliver an emotional and unique record.
“overcomplicated” is a song you’d want to listen on repeat.
Go stream it now !
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi !! My name is waverly, a 24 year old producer, songwriter and artist creating songs to dream or dance to. I was born in Cambodia and raised in Austin Texas where I’m currently based. I’ve always been proud of my Austin roots and have been discovering my Cambodian heritage through my new solo artist project, primarily living in a pop & trap world. At the genesis of the waverly artist project, I struggled to find a lot of representation for Asian and especially Southeast Asian representation in mainstream music and media, and changing that has become my main motivation while getting to discover myself in the process.
What did you grow up listening to?
I listened to a bunch of classical music growing up, as I studied classical double bass through college. I definitely showed up to university thinking I would play in an orchestra professionally, and now make pop beats in my bedroom. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Growing up, who were your favorite producers?
I only started listening to mainstream/modern music while in music college, but some producers that I really appreciate are two Latin producers, Big One from Argentina and Tainy from Puerto Rico. Both make such interesting, musical, and dynamic tracks that always inspire me, while making me want to dance in the process.
When did you start making music? What was the biggest challenge when you first started?
While I grew up learning and teaching myself a variety of instruments, I didn’t start producing or properly songwriting until the beginning of 2020, right in time for the pandemic. I think the biggest challenge initially was starting in isolation without other people to build with. Being naturally drawn to collaborations, I became pretty adept at zoom sessions and zoom writes, and didn’t actually have my first in-person session until a year into production. After that, my eyes were opened to the speed and possibilities working with other creatives provided and I’ve been improving rapidly since.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
At the genesis of “waverly,” I had just come off a long spell of only writing songs for other artist’s projects. While I enjoyed the tracks we made, none truly excited me or made me feel truly represented. I trust my ears, primarily due to the sheer volume and variety of music that I consume, and wanted to take the leap to create music where I had full control. Surviving classical music school with a positive mindset is enough of a confidence builder that by the time I graduated, I created a very healthy mindset and work ethic in the face of the many setbacks faced by music artists.
"overcomplicated" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
“overcomplicated” is my most vulnerable track to date. I wrote it while I was struggling with a lot of family and social pressures about music as a whole, while also digging way too deep in my head chasing after hopeless crushes. I was talking with a fellow artist, Christina Li, about how it was hard to write upbeat or love songs while I was mentally feeling tense, and she immediately replied “just write about that then.” “overcomplicated” stemmed from me being honest with myself and how I was feeling in that moment, something that I’d say was a great leap in my songwriting and honestly my mental maturity in general.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? When did you start working on it?
I started writing a majority of the song summer of 2022 over a different, older beat I had been sitting on for over a year. It was much more chill, was slower, and had a bit of an ominous vibe that ultimately felt disconnected from the song. I was inspired to play more guitar after teaching the instrument, and started layering guitar layers until I had something flowing, cranked up the BPM and created a blend of Pop-Punk/Trap that I always toyed with but never fully committed to. I love how the track to some people feels hard hitting and driving, while feeling chill, lush, and wavy to others.
What's your favorite lyric on "overcomplicated"?
“can’t keep track of dates, my alarms are always makeshift.”
I honestly don’t know exactly what draws me to this line, but it was definitely accurate, as I was extremely scattered, forgetting commitments I had made and showing up horribly late to things. “Makeshift” just sounds cool too (laughs).
What made you want to release "overcomplicated" as a single?
In preparation of dropping my most vulnerable track, I was wondering “how do I get people to listen to this? I should drop it on my birthday.” And here we are (: I’m not quite in EP mode, and I personally love listening to singles as opposed to longer collections. “overcomplicated” tells the story I want to tell whether it be part of a larger project, or be a standalone track.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The “overcomplicated” art was shot by my incredibly talented friend Brynach (@brynach.hogan). I sent him the track so we could collaborate on the vision, and he immediately sent back black and white film photos which were a dream to me. We did a late afternoon shoot on a cold windy day, and the vibe felt right the whole time.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
I think the hardest part is staying consistent and motivated. I’ve often fallen into the trap of feeling like I haven’t made any progress because there are no immediate giant returns or results. Setting goals has never been a driver for me, so learning to acknowledge the smaller wins, or even taking a step back to see how much you have improved has been vital.
I love meeting people that inspire me. Whether it be getting to work with other artists that I can learn from and be amazed by, or seeing how a listener reacts to one of my songs, getting to experience those connections is incredible and I feel incredibly lucky.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
It’s very busy. But also very small? It’s very strange. If I could change one thing, it would be better representation and treatment for minorities in the scene, especially womxn/non-binary and BIPOC creatives. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have always worked with a female and/or BIPOC team, and the ability to share experiences and learn their perspectives has been invaluable.
What can we expect to hear/see from you next?
More music. 2023 is shaping out to be an incredible year. I’m very excited for more waverly tracks, in addition to the launch of an incredible Viet-Rap/Pop project called “promqueen” I’ve had the luxury to produce and develop. Austin music scene is known for its live music and less of its business/industry, but I’m taking it upon myself to change that.
What message do you want to give to anyone struggling with anxiety?
I feel like I’m talking directly to myself but take more breaks, and don’t feel guilty about taking breaks. I live such a fast paced life and constantly am on the grind. Taking time for yourself, taking time to learn about yourself, and finding things that get you truly excited is worth every minute, hour or day.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I think we care too much about how other people and their actions *might* affect ourselves, and don’t realize or acknowledge how much our own actions affect other people. If everyone had like 3% more selflessness, 4% empathy, and be better at looking at the big picture, we would all be better.
What biggest life lessons have you learned this year?
Days move slow, weeks move fast, months move faster. Time is whack. But happy to be here.
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