In this interview spotlight, I chat with Someya about her latest release, motivations, challenges and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

Halsey is a huge influence on my current genre of music. I really connect with the vibes of her songs and enjoy the mood they put me in. Growing up, I was a big fan of Avril Lavigne. The electric guitar draws me to her music. My current direction is a combo of ethereal and electric vibes. It’s not for everyone, but I’m a fan of it.

What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?

That’s an interesting question. I’ve loved music ever since I can remember. I sang all the time when I was little and used to covet my iPods, which would contain around 30 songs. I’d listen to them 24/7. Whenever I’ve gone to concerts, I’ve always been thoroughly mesmerized. When I sing, write, and perform, nothing feels more natural to me. I just love it, and I want everyone else to love it too. I guess that’s what drives me.

Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?

Some of my favorite singers when I was younger were Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Swift. From there, I started listening to more pop/rock like Kelly Clarkson’s older music and Avril Lavigne. Now, some of my favorites are Halsey and Lana Del Rey. Meanwhile, I’ve always loved musical theatre, jazz, rock, and a number of other genres. My taste in music is always evolving.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific with this new single? Creatively or otherwise?

I think I was definitely trying to find and showcase my own style through this single. To enjoy my music, you have to listen to the lyrics and find beauty in the story as well as the melody. In a lot of pop, you don’t have to do that. In my EP, “This Flame”, I was still trying to find my style, and it was all over the place. Part of me wanted to listen to everyone else and go completely pop and another part of me wanted to go into a completely direction. It was difficult finding my true style. You Saved Me, however, encompasses the vibes I was going for. Production-wise, it’s more me than the other songs I’ve released so far.

What was the last song you listened to?

Superman by Eminem. I can’t stop listening to it.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

This is tough. I always preferred CDs to anything else when I was little. I had my trusty Hello Kitty CD player, which I would always be listening to. Now, I have a lot of CDs, but I don’t have a CD player so it’s not a perfect setup. This is why I love vinyls. They’re so fun. They always put me in a mood. I love vintage things and record players are really cool. I love physically having records to hold on to and flip over. It’s great.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

Even though I love physical ways of listening to music, these days, I mostly use Spotify and iTunes. For me, Spotify is a great way of finding new music. I’ve recently started to utilize the playlists tool. I have a playlist for every genre and mood now. It’s perfect for me, considering sometimes I’ll be in a French Jazz mood and then the next day, I’ll be in an emu rock mood.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?

It’s been tough to find fans who prefer my genre of music. Statistically, more females listen to and connect with my music than males and yet, more males follow me on social media. This can be annoying.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?

Definitely Instagram and Twitter. For listening to music, I recommend Spotify. @someyamusic is where everyone can find me.

Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?

You should never let anyone bring you down for doing something you love and believe in. As cheesy as it sounds, always stay true to yourself. Becoming fake for the sake of others just leads to unhappiness and toxicity. People are always going to find reasons to hate on you, especially if you’re thriving.