Yana
Yana. What a beautiful discovery. I instantly fell in love with her voice. She’s just released her second single “Don’t Want Your Love” and wow. I get chills every time I listen to it. The melodies and her vocals are captivating. The production is brilliant. “Don’t Want Your Love” is phenomenal.
I’m excited to hear her upcoming debut EP but for now, I will listen to this song on repeat because it deserves so much love and attention.
Go show her some love and go stream “Don’t Want Your love” - out now !!
Photo credit: Elizabeth Miranda
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I’m Yana, 23 year-old pop artist from Long Beach, California. As a child, I moved with my family from Bulgaria to the US and soon thereafter developed an interest in the piano, playing classically for a little under a decade. As I got older, contemporary music took hold and pop/r&b albums reeled me in. I started writing as a result of finding myself endlessly picking at tracks I heard on the radio and changing them in my head. Expressing myself in song soon became the norm, and I got a degree from Berklee College of Music in songwriting. Now I’m here, talking about “Don’t Want Your Love,” the second song off of my debut EP.
What did you grow up listening to?
As a younger sibling, a lot of the music I was exposed to growing up came from my sister’s burned CDs. At the time, it was a whole lotta N’Sync, Evanescence, Usher, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, The Fray, The All-American Rejects. It was all over the place, but typically on the charts. My parents hadn’t listened to many English songs in Bulgaria, so my sister and I had free rein to explore pretty much every genre. I mainly gravitated toward pop, but also enjoyed my fair share of r&b, rap, and alternative rock.
When did you start writing songs?
When I was around 9 or 10, my mom would drive me to “music bootcamps” on the weekends where I would learn how to train my voice, perform on stage and write songs. Each week, a new mentor came in and lead a masterclass for something industry-related. I was too young to really grasp the value of what I being taught, but I remember enjoying the writing sessions the most. I felt like I had something to offer and the creative freedom was liberating. It wasn’t until right before college that I started writing more frequently and with a purpose, and began collaborating with other writers and producers.
At what point did you know you had to be an artist and release your original music?
I don’t think I saw myself as an artist for the first few years I was writing, even though I wanted to. Whenever I went to sessions, I conditioned myself to believe that writing was my only role. Going into my first session with Franco (my co-writer on Don’t Want Your Love), I remember saying that I didn’t want to release the song as an artist. They were my words, and it was my story, but I couldn’t completely see myself as the face. Fortunately, Franco didn’t give life to my concerns (and may not even remember that there were any) and instead lended inspiration for the songs that would make up my EP.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
Cliché as it may be, it was my mom. Despite her many challenges as an immigrant, she chose to nurture the interest that I had in music and took me to piano and guitar lessons, vocal training, and performance camps that helped me develop my songwriting and artistic independence. She sat front row at every show I had, and never made me feel like what I wanted wasn’t worth pursuing.
"Don't Want Your Love" is your new single - what's the inspiration/story behind this song?
When I was 20, I was in a complicated (and underwhelming) “situationship” that left me confused and moderately heartbroken when it ended, because it didn’t last long enough for me to experience what could have been. A few months passed, and I still felt longing for them but also recognized that what we had wasn’t strong enough for me to keep holding on, so I put down my experience in writing.
When did you start working on this song? Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
I put down the first idea for the chorus in a voice memo in December of 2018, and out of excitement, posted a clip of me playing the song on piano on my instagram shortly after. It caught the attention of someone who soon became my close friend and collaborator, Franco, who asked to write it with me in LA. We finished it in March of 2019, and recorded it at producer/engineer Jon Joseph’s studio in Los Angeles later that year.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I was angry. Exhausted. I was getting tired of writing songs about how upset I was, or ones that fed into my delusion of getting back together. This song felt like the first time I was telling the truth. I knew that “Don’t Want Your Love” was something special, so after I wrote the chorus, I left the song untouched for 4 months. I wasn’t ready to write the rest, and if I was meant to finish a song about finding closure, I needed more time. I’m glad I did, because by the time it was done, it became one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made.
What made you want to release "Don't Want Your Love" as a single?
On top of it being one of my favorite songs to write and record, “Don’t Want Your Love” seems to inspire a response in listeners that I’ve never seen before when playing a song. This track is the most lyrically vulnerable and melodically captivating of the bunch, so it felt only right to give it its moment in the sun.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
Towards the tail end of our “situationship,” this person and I spent a day at the beach together. Sun was out, waves were rolling, and we were talking about the future. It was the first time I had felt a glimmer of hope about a relationship, but it was the last time I saw him. Things between us ended shortly thereafter. When I was thinking about the artwork, I thought it fitting to go back to that time and take a photo at the same beach, but in a different light. I’m pictured alone on the sand, facing away from the shore, the sun behind me. After some experimentation in the editing process, I landed on what became the final version. The photo was taken by my dear boyfriend who was very helpful with and understanding of my vision.
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?
As an homage to my cultural roots and the origins of my musical interests, the EP is made up of three laid back pop tracks and one modern interpretation of a well-known traditional Bulgarian folk song. I chose the name “Hindsight” as the title of the record because it felt true to the themes explored in each of the four songs. In “Like It,” my attempt at rationalizing loneliness as means of defense leads me to discover that it’s just a front. “Don’t Want Your Love” looks back in time for closure, recalling memories from a relationship long gone. The EP in its entirety explores the simplicity of lyric, melody, and harmony in a pop-inspired structure and captures the intimacy between the piano and the voice. I was heavily influenced by The Japanese House and The Fray while writing for this album, as well as Imogen Heap. Three out of the four songs were recorded in North Hollywood with Franco Reid and Jon Joseph. We teamed up with producer Charlie Stavish to record the remaining song at the Clock Tower Recorder in Joshua Tree.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
As I’m sure more than a few independent artists might say, the hardest part can be getting my music heard, and all the “hats” an indie musician must wear when supporting themselves. Every one of my songs is self-funded, with no label, publisher, or agent behind me, and while it’s something I’m proud of, naturally it has limitations. On the other hand, I’m grateful for the generosity of my collaborators, creatives, and friends who’ve believed in my art and worked with me along the way to help bring my ideas to life.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
One thing I’ve noticed recently is the reliance on constantly producing social media content in order to keep oneself top-of-mind and relevant. One’s music and art is forced to take a back seat, as up-and-coming artists have to choose between quantity and quality. As a consequence, it seems musicians have become beholden to social platforms. I’ve always been a moderately private person, online and off, so it’s been an interesting adjustment. I would hope that the future might trend toward a more reasonable balance between music and social content for coming artists.
Besides music, what are you passionate about?
Little house plants. Reading fiction. Tim Urban’s blog “Wait But Why.” Daily planning (Passion Planner keeps me alive). Pokémon GO. Mindfulness meditation (which I don’t do nearly enough). Walks in the sun. Carrying a million things in my purse in preparation for ANY circumstance. “Trust, but verify.” Reflective journaling. Breaking free of “group-think” despite the threat of ostracism. Tetris.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Although it would impact the careers and livelihoods of many, I’d say the world might be better with a little less internet usage. I’ve personally seen my own patience and attentiveness dwindle significantly as a result of spending so much time alone/online, which can impact my friendships and the ability to form meaningful relationships. I cherish face-to-face community, so a little less time online wouldn’t hurt.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
“Fortune befriends the bold.” I spent a lot of time waiting, planning, ruminating. I often didn’t ask for help or verbalize what I wanted. When things didn’t work out with patience, I’d be left angry and confused. I started analyzing the actions and perspectives of people I’d looked up to, and recognized that behind the bits of luck and “overnight” successes were hundreds of actionable steps and thousands of hours of hard work. Most importantly, I noticed that they often expressed their desires in advance and reached out for help. So while it seems obvious, I have to remind myself that no one can read my mind.
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