Lisa Danaë – California native, Disney fanatic, and child of the 90’s – uses music as a platform to narrate her story of growth and empowerment. Her music is a combination of powerful pop hooks and heartfelt lyrics that draws inspiration from her past and how she intends to conquer her future.
Interview conducted on July 16, 2020
By Dan Locke
An Epic Tribute to Self-Love and Owning Your Own Identity, Release Date: July 24, 2020
You are Filipino-American what was your upbringing like?
Very family oriented and always surrounded by amazing food! My parents and I would go to my grandparents’ house every weekend and we would play games, sing karaoke, and just eat a lot of food. Sometimes we would have parties with just the extended family, but sometimes other family friends and cousins would join as well. Everyone was considered family! As an only child, it was great because now I consider my cousins to be my siblings and we’re all still very close and host our own family parties. Other than that, my parents weren’t too strict, but they established how important trust was, so I’ve always been open and honest with them. They were definitely strict when it came to school attendance and grades though, and they made sure I was very active and was involved in lots of extracurricular activities.
Have you had the chance to go visit the Philippines?
Sadly, I have not! I was actually planning to go there this past February, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I cancelled my trip. I’m hoping that I will be able to go next year, but right now, we all have to take it day by day.
What is your favorite Filipino food?
That is a very tough question, but I would say lumpia! If there isn’t lumpia at a family gathering, then it’s not a party!
Are you into fashion? I saw the 4th Annual White Party and Fashion show.
I am! My mom was very into fashion and when I was younger, she allowed me to use it as another chance for me to be creative, so it just carried on, as I got older. I’m always browsing through Pinterest for new fashion ideas.
How did you discover music?
My parents are music lovers! My dad has a pretty decent record collection and uses music as a way to express his mood. My mom was surrounded by music when she was growing up in the Philippines especially since my grandpa loved music. My parents always made sure that I was well-rounded with music and listened to all types of genres. They wanted to make sure I could appreciate all styles as each one influences the other. I started singing when I was 3 to the Disney Sing-along tapes. I would line up my stuffed animals in front of the TV and stand on the couch to perform to them. I got my first microphone when I was 6 and never wanted to put it down.
How did you start to write music?
I started in 2008 when I was working on my first album, but ended up focusing on other things after that release, so I didn’t really get back into songwriting until 2013. I would actually say I’m still very new to songwriting and I enjoy co-writing with other writers because most of the time, they’ve been through what you want to write about and it’s interesting to hear their perspective and blend ideas together.
Dark Pop Princess?
Many people ask me this question and I wish I had a really cool explanation for it, but for me, I guess you could call me “old school”. I really loved it when that term was used heavily back in the late 90s/early 2000s, even though it was used in a negative way trying to pin other female pop artists against each other, but maybe for me, the term “pop princess” is nostalgic. The reason I went with “dark pop princess,” though, is because I feel my music is best represented under that genre as it plays with major/minor, light/dark, and is more cinematic.
Do you remember how you got your first guitar?
I was 12 when my parents gave me a navy-blue Fender Squire for Christmas!
Moreover, do you still have it?
I do! It’s hanging on my wall above my keyboard!
Why didn’t you use Easter as your performing name?
Therefore, I actually did, at first. My first album was released in 2009 under Lisa Easter, but I decided to switch to use my middle name, Danaë, when my dad told me to! My reasoning for wanting to use Easter, originally, was because, growing up, a lot of people thought it was so memorable and “cool”. My dad constantly bugged me to switch because he thought Lisa Danaë sounded more like a pop star.
Let’s talk about Starlet. Which is released on July 24, 2020.
This song was based on a review a music writer wrote of my past singles, “Type Erase” and “1445”. She called me a “rising pop starlet” and my co-writer, a girl named Jaen, not only loved the review, but also noticed that term and called me saying, “We need to write a song called ‘Starlet,’” and I agreed. From there, the song grew into being about starlets I looked up to and wanted to be like, to then realizing that you are more of a starlet when you love and accept yourself and own your identity. Individuality and authenticity will always win.
Starlet is the first of three singles, which you are releasing. Why three? This is going to be your trilogy.
Three is actually my favorite number, but honestly, I didn’t really come up with a reasoning as to why I am choosing to release three this year other than the fact that all three came together pretty naturally and lyrically sums up my life the past year since the last song I released was “1445” on July 26, 2019.
How soon before we hear the other two?
Because of everything going on in the world right now, I may end up spacing out the releases more than I wanted to, but I was hoping to release the second one by late September and the third by November. We will see though! I may have a fourth one that could potentially go into production later this year, so order of the releases may change as well.
How was it to work with A girl named Jaen?
It was really great! We started writing together at the end of 2017, so she co-wrote my last collection of singles that was released starting mid-2018 to mid-2019. I came to her with new lyrical concepts for these next three and I guess she also enjoys writing with me because she said yes! She is a very talented writer and artist as well, and has helped me find my sound by just asking a lot of questions and understanding my voice, so I am just thankful to have her continue to write with me.
What is Chicago Freestyle?
It’s actually a song by Drake! I am a huge Drake fan and I love covering his songs!
What are your feelings about streaming music?
I was pretty against it at first. I actually have a pretty good-sized CD collection and I just loved buying songs and/or albums to show my support for artists that I love. The amount of money artists get per stream is pretty sad to me especially knowing how much money it can potentially cost to create music and how much time artists put into their craft. I felt it was depreciating the art value and demeaning in a way. I also really love albums and the thought that’s put into creating a story for an album, which the streaming industry killed off, so now it’s just a singles world. I think the streaming world tests our patience and attention spans, which, sadly, I feel has lessened more and more.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Vinyl! Like I said, my dad has a pretty decent record collection and he gave me a record player for Christmas one year. However, there’s just something about holding an actual record and the raw sound that is being played through a record player.
Any plans to tour?
I would love to, but don’t have any plans in motion as of yet. I used to work for bands as their Merch girl, so I’ve been on a few tours and I cannot wait to make that happen for myself. However, again, with everything going on in the world, I’m just not sure when that will become reality.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
This song isn’t too old, but one that is always in my head is “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera. I was very insecure about my physical appearance growing up, especially around the time, this song was released. Boys never seemed interested in me, while all my girlfriends had boys chasing after them, and I just didn’t understand why boys always wanted to be my friend, but never anything more. I remember I changed my look and interests so I could have something in common with a crush, but I would always look in the mirror and be like this is not you at all, you are just playing a role. When this song, and the album, Stripped, came out, I remember thinking ok, Christina has something here. She is and has always been unapologetically herself, which is something I admired and I just really felt like she was speaking to me. From there, I stopped playing the act of whom I thought people, specifically boys, would like and just started being me.
You used to collect buttons. Which one is the most prized one of your collection?
I had a blink-182 rabbit button that I loved. I really like how the cartoon looked and yes, it goes with my last name, so maybe that was another reason as to why I liked it. Also, I would say my black and red nautical star button because I’m obsessed with stars! I used to have those along with others on my school backpack.
How did you start your podcast?
I got the idea because I wanted to film a series with my co-writer, a girl named Jaen, and producer, John McLucas, where we sat down and talked about how each song of mine came to life. There were cool moments in the studio when we put together my last collection like how we created certain sounds or our favorite moments in each song, so I wanted to create that for my fans! From there, I started thinking, you know, I really want to learn how other artists and producers create their songs and hear about their experiences when it comes to the writing, production, and recording process. I also wanted to give another platform for independent artists. Then Sound Scrub was born!
Who are some of the people you have had on it?
I’ve featured pop/metal core band, Designer Disguise, singer-songwriter, Michelle Creber, and some of my close artist friends like a girl named Jaen, John McLucas, and KrissyG.
How did your premiering party with Krissy G at the times Nightclub go on March 31, 2020?
It was really fun! It went by really fast, but I’d never heard a song of mine in a club before, so I thought it was really cool and people seemed to really love it.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I think that it will affect independent artists in a very positive way, which is what I want to focus on since I am an independent artist. I’ve been participating in a lot of music industry Zoom meetings, specifically ones that focus on sync licensing, and music supervisors have been transparent as far as letting us know that there are lower budgets for music. Again, in my eyes, and even after listening in on these meetings, I truly believe it is time for independent artists to rise up. The majority of us have already been collaborating and making music in our bedrooms, we don’t need fancy studios, we don’t necessarily expect to be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to play a show, so I think there will be a lot more opportunities for us to gain more exposure.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Well, I can tell you what I haven’t been doing, which is getting a good amount of sleep! Actually, I recently started manifestation meditation, which has been helping with my insomnia. My mind has been moving 100 mph since quarantine started in March. I’ve kind of been going full force during this time whether it’s with my YouTube channel, TikTok, songwriting and production, and more! I’ve really been enjoying this time, but when I do feel lonely, I generally FaceTime with my friends and family or just make funny, relatable videos that talk about what it’s like quarantining alone.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Many of my hobbies growing up had to deal with creating, so other than what I have already been doing, I started creating digital collages. When I was younger, I made collages out of magazine cutouts and I would frame them, so I just took that hobby digitally and use Pinterest and Photoshop. It’s been really therapeutic, but I’ve also been implementing it for my visuals for “STARLET”.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I see you are busy with your podcast and your funny little videos. And you can’t forget about you singing Capella in the bathroom?
Gotta love singing a cappella in bathrooms! The acoustics in there are amazing. Mine is not that great compared to others I’ve randomly sung in, but there’s just something about it that I love! I will say that I need to get back into live-streaming. At times, I feel like I’ve taken on too much since I am self-managed and I’m doing everything on my own when it comes to producing social media content and whatnot, but I love creating on all aspects, so I wouldn’t trade it for anything else right now.
This would be a good time for you to start doing makeup videos again. You have been making some crazy video during the lockdown. What are some of your craziest videos?
Well, I do want to point out that, yes, I have Halloween makeup tutorials on my YouTube channel, but I wasn’t the one creating the looks. Olivia came on my channel because I love Halloween and I wanted her to use my face as the canvas to highlight her makeup talents because I am definitely not a makeup artist. As far as my craziest videos that I’ve made so far, this isn’t really crazy, but the music video for “The End of the Line” was very difficult. The majority of the video was filmed at the OC Fair and my videographer and co-director, Josh Suguitan, and I just didn’t really think about how loud it would be! I was trying to lip-sync to the song to get performance shots and I must give myself credit for really knowing timing and knowing the structure of that song because I couldn’t hear the song at all. Josh had to have the speaker by him, so he can line up the music in editing and I’m at least 5 feet in front of him with a bunch of screaming and talking going on, so yeah, I don’t know how we did that, but it was amazing. Also, we were at the fair in the middle of summer, so everyone was just walking into frame constantly. Another video that was difficult to film was “1445”. I have a scene where I submerge underwater in the bathtub and overall, that was probably the most emotional scene I have shot so far for a video of mine. Getting into that dark headspace that I was in at the end of 2016 into 2017 combined with wanting to get a good shot so I’m submerged for a good minute not breathing, I guess when we were storyboarding I didn’t think it would be tough, but I was just shaken up after that.
I see you did a TikTok on washing your hands while singing Happy Birthday. Have you had any problems with that because the owns of the copyright of Happy Birthday love to go after anyone who sings it on line or on a recording?
I actually forgot that “Happy Birthday” isn’t public domain, but I haven’t had any problems so far and didn’t think anything of it. I mainly posted it because at the beginning of quarantine, everyone suggested that the preferred amount of time you should spend washing your hands lasts the same amount of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. I thought it would be funny to make a little joke out of it and accentuate how a singer and how long it would take a singer to wash their hands.
Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way? First, it was an article in the New York Times, then Rolling Stones talked about it and finally Live Nation CEO said that concerts might not start again until fall of 2021. Do you think this could happen?
I think we just have to take it day by day. Information about COVID seems to be changing daily, but I could see how it’s possible to start up concerts by then. Recently, there was a drive-in concert in Anaheim, which seems like a really cool idea to me and I would love to attend one to see how it goes! Artists tend to feed off of the audience’s energy, so if you’re allowed to stand outside of your cars and practice social distancing, I feel like drive-in concerts could definitely work not only for fans, but for the artists and bands that really enjoy the crowd’s interaction.
With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it may be the end of music fest for the next couple of years?
Yeah, unfortunately, I just don’t see how you’d be able to social distance in that type of setting, but everyone has their own opinions on that subject alone. I don’t personally see myself going to a music festival for a few years, again, just because information is constantly changing, so I’m kind of just putting myself in situations where I feel comfortable. But yeah, if I’m looking at it in a business perspective, would I want to hold a music festival and get blamed if say no one’s social distancing and there’s an outbreak? I don’t know. At a festival, how would you even monitor social distancing? You would now have to hire more staff and security and hope that people listen to them and they can control the crowd.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
This would be very interesting and I’d probably give this idea a try at least once. I was at Coachella when they had Tupac’s hologram, which was cool, but also a little morbid at the same time for obvious reasons. I’d be interested to know how they could make that possible bringing it to our living rooms though. Also, I hear holograms are extremely expensive, so cost wise, I’m not sure if the average person would be able to afford it, but I’m sure diehard fans would want to be able to dance with their favorite artists in their living rooms!
In your 50 facts about you, you said that you can’t stand a dirty kitchen. Have you ever seen a Dirty Kitchen in the Philippines? Which is a kitchen that is used to cook food.
Oh man, yes, I am very OCD, so I always try to keep my kitchen clean, but I have never seen a Dirty Kitchen in the Philippines. My parents also raised me to go to sleep with a clean kitchen and washed dishes.
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
Simply put, I see myself continuing to make music, connecting with fans all over the world, hearing my music in TV and film, living in a house, and continuing to spread awareness of all of the amazing Filipino-American artists and creators.
Anything you would like to say in closing?
I can’t emphasize enough how much I truly believe in independent artists and how I think it is our time to be heard. With all of the networking I’ve been doing lately and meeting new artists through Sound Scrub, just too much talent doesn’t get recognition. Whether it’s producers, writers, artists, photographers, videographers, I’ve been meeting some amazing talent and this is our time. That’s what “STARLET” is all about and as awesome as it may be to have a label back you financially with marketing and song production, I would rather have full control of my art as change to be packaged in a way that does not represent who I am not only as an artist, but as a human being.
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