Arizona HOT: UPSAHL back in Phoenix and Burning Bright as ever
Sound Scribbles chats with the Arizona star at the inaugural Zona Fest, on the eve of the release of her new album, Sagittarius.
Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, UPSAHL attributes her desert home as a big support to her music career. “I grew up in a very musical family. My dad was in punk bands all throughout my childhood, so I was constantly surrounded by music going to his shows,” UPSAHL recounts. “There was never really a moment where I was like, oh, I think I wanna do music. It was always just like all I ever wanted to fucking do.”
“And the only thing I was ever good at,” she adds with a smile.
After graduating from Arizona School of the Arts in lieu of college, UPSAHL moved out to LA. There she applied an intensity to doing sessions every day and has been doing so since. “I credit a lot of it to how I grew up and my family was so supportive of me wanting to do music, for which I feel really grateful,” UPSAHL sums up.
We’re discussing her exciting musical career in Downtown Phoenix. It’s a buzzing Sunday early afternoon where the ground is muddy and puddles are sprinkled at Zona Fest Music Festival: a rare backdrop for UPSAHL’s usually arid and dry Arizona.
It’s been a big year for UPSAHL, coming from a tour that has taken her all across the globe, both as a headliner and supporting artists of the likes of K Flay, YUNGBLUD, and Fletcher. On top of that, she has been keeping her creative chops strong with a variety of hit and viral singles.
With such a packed year and rockstar schedule, UPSAHL still found some time for reflection.
What have been some of the biggest areas of learning and growth?
“I think the biggest thing I've had to learn is that when you choose to do this, it is a career. I think it's very easy to get caught up in the habit of chasing something constantly. And like, I got so tired of my whole life I've been chasing like the fucking Grammys or a sold out show at MSG or whatever.
“And I think, in the past couple of years I have learned that success for me is like the everyday,the fact that this is my job and I just get to do music” UPSAHL smiles on that thought.
I think living in LA too, like everyone and their fucking dog is doing what I'm trying to do, you know, so it's like, it's very easy to get caught up in the madness and like comparing your journey to other people's journeys and like, it starts to cloud your vision of what you're doing this for. And I think just reminding myself just in the past couple years, especially working on my albums and touring, just like putting my head down and enjoying just everyday for me has been like a big, a big step for me for sure.”
Your next album Sagittarius is coming out very soon. What are some of the biggest distinctions to it compared to your debut album Lady Jesus?
“I think my last album Lady Jesus was very autobiographical about a breakup and that whole healing process. So it kind of told a story in chronological order with the track listing. And this EP that I’m putting out next Friday called Sagittarius is still very much autobiographical, but for the first time in my life as a songwriter, like I got to go into the studio and I wasn't writing about a breakup. I wasn't writing about another person. I was just writing about myself. And I think this past summer in writing the EP, I found a very healthy level of selfishness in the studio, which was fun.
And just kind of got to dive into who I am and each song kind of represents a different part of me or that makes up me as a person. And then when I went to title the EP, I was like, what? Like describe me in one word and I was, oh, I'm a textbook Sagittarius <laughs>, we have to call it Sagittarius. Like the production I think has also been a very freeing process too. I feel like each song feels like it's coming from a different genre, which is fun for me. That's the first time I've gotten to do that, which is cool.”
You have a distinct sound that has exemplified and carved an ever growing place for you. With that too, it has attracted some collaboration with other artists. How have you approached that?
“I think for me, just any chance to get in the room with another artist, whether it's like us working together on a feature situation or like me co-writing for their project or whatever, I think it just gives me so much perspective and I get to, learn so much from how they all go about their lives.
“So I got to collaborate with Mike Shinoda on a song. He was like a fucking icon. And so like getting to learn from him and watch his process in the studio was insane. And then, getting to write for other artists, especially getting to write for other female artists is super inspiring for me too. Like getting to help them tell their story. So it's cool to learn from everyone else, honestly. It's really fun.”
What are some artists that have influenced you?
“Gwen Siani was my fucking idol growing up. No Doubt. Like I just wanted to be her. She was just this bad bitch woman, leading an all male band I thought was just so cool. And I think still to this day, she's always like the blueprint for me. I think she's just the definition of a chick who started in the alt scene and then transferred over to pop. She made that transition so effortlessly and just maintained doing whatever the fuck she wanted. I've always just looked up to her so much.”
How have you been interacting with your fans?
“I think during Covid, honestly, that's when I connected with my fans the most because we all were stuck at home and I was like, music is how we connect with people. I was like how do I make this a thing? So using TikTok and social media, that's how I honestly grew the fan base to now. I just finished my first headlining tour and all those people who came to the shows that I finally got to meet in person, we were already interacting online on Discord or social media during covid and so it's special cuz it feels we sort of built this little community of people around my music during a time where we were craving human interaction and now we all get to meet and they all get to make friends at shows and shit.
“It just feels very real. I'm just hanging with friends at shows honestly. It's really fucking fun.”
What’s on the horizon?
“Sagittarius is my baby right now that I'm really excited to bring out into the world and um, I think just like the start of next year, more music obviously and more tours. I just got off tour. I've been home for six days and I'm already itching to get back out on the road so I'll definitely be touring again.”
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Sagittarius is out now where ever you listen to your music.