Dalia explains how she reclaimed her voice in her third EP.

Hello and welcome to Who is Blank. Your new EP, ‘You Said My Sun Was Always Blue, But I’ll Let That Die With You’, has just come out. How are you feeling about it? 

I'm really excited. It's been a lot of building up because I've had this project done since last summer/spring. The release was delayed for a while. So I was just waiting to release it because I was really excited about it. But it feels good to know it's out in the world and that people can listen to it. I really love that I have a storyline for this EP as well because I didn't really have that for my other EPs. So it just feels like closing the chapter. 

That's what I was going to ask you. Did you have the intention of it following the theme, because when you listen to it, it does have a dark sound to it. There's like such a push and pull. Was that intentional? 

Not at all. I was actually just writing with my producer, Charlie, and then also with the other producer I work with, Jack. I was just writing about experiences and not overthinking it. I was just writing about what I was feeling, what I was experiencing. I wrote a few songs for the EP, not just the four, and then I realised there was a concept. 

Even in my personal life, I realised how throughout my teenage years and my early 20s, I really was obsessed with men and centring men. These past two years were about taking a step back and questioning: Why am I acting this way? Why do I want so much male validation? Why do I get so upset when they don't choose me? I think for me, writing this EP was about having grace for myself. Especially in those moments where I still chased that. Because I realised that every girl on earth has been taught to do that since we were young. But at the same time trying to unlearn all of that and step away from that side of myself. That's how I realised that there was a theme in the EP, because it related to my personal life as well. 

Were you writing so you had something, or were you writing with the intention of it becoming an EP? 

I wanted to write an EP. I released some songs last year that were not part of the EP. I always know what is meant to be on a project. While I was writing ‘Stupid Lover Girl’, ‘Eden’, ‘Blue June’, I was like, Oh, like this, they have similar sounds, like I really feel like this could be a project. 

This is your third EP. How was it different to your last two? Was the process of it different? 

With every project that I write, I find my sound even more and have more of an idea of what I want to do. I would say with my last two EPs, I was definitely still exploring. It was a trial-and-error situation. Now, when I listen back to my first EP, my fans hate when I say this, but my first EP, I can't even listen to it. That's not me at all. And my second EP, I still like it, but I wouldn't say it's the music I want to do. I think I'm still proud of it, and it's definitely something that I love. But it's definitely not a representation of the music I want to make anymore.

I think with every project I make, I figure out my sound more. And with this EP, I feel like it's the first EP where I'm proud of the sound. I really love it, and it represents me. But now I'm already writing for future music, for my future project. Already, my sound is changing. 

Do you learn anything new about yourself in the process of this? As you said, you play around with your sound. But as an artist, do you find a new version of yourself with every new release? 

Yeah, definitely. I write to process things in general and to figure things out. A lot of the time, I write because I need to get something off my chest. So even when I'm writing, I always learn about myself, about what I'm feeling, about what I'm thinking, about how I want to deal with the situation. And any person changes so much in every way. I think music definitely comes with that in my life. Not that I change, but my music changes with me. 

I want to talk about the incredible title. ‘You Said My Sun Was Always Blue, But I’ll Let That Die With You’, Where did that come from? It's such a good title. 

Thank you!  It's a lyric in my song, ‘Blue June’. 

Whenever I write songs with my producers or by myself, I have notes, like lots of lyric ideas and whatever.  And we were writing, and I just looked through my notes, and then I found something I'd written, 'You said my sun was always blue. And I believed you.'  It was different, and throughout writing the song, I changed the lyrics slightly to, ‘I let that die with you’. I didn't know that was gonna be the title of the EP. At first, I had another title that I was set on, but then once I realised what the concept was, this title fitted perfectly.

I think people will assume that it's directed at someone else. And in some ways it is, especially from the male perspective. But it's also directed to myself. I would say it's mostly directed at myself. And it's about reinventing your identity and who you are and not holding onto versions of yourself that you thought were so permanent. I think we grow up in a way that might feel like it's going to be like that forever. And then you realise that you change and it's not like that at all. And I think that's the beauty in life as well.

It is the perfect title for the EP.  Because with each song, you do feel like you've adjusted your perspective and you've learnt something. It represents that growth from the first song right until the last one. 

I really appreciate that because the order of the songs and the way I released them was very intentional.

Stupid Lover Girl Cover Art

‘Stupid Lover Girl’, for example, is very much about that part we have as girls of over-romanticising situations and idolising people and men. Then ‘Blue June’ was about actually being angry about that and standing up for myself. Kind of like bursting the bubble and being like, oh, it wasn't that good at all, like I was literally making it up in my head, and I actually don't want that.

‘Running with the Wolves’ was intentionally the last song. I think it really brings the message of the EP together. It is about the male perspective and having empathy for those people who have hurt me, but also realising that it's not my responsibility to take care of them or to fix them. 

I really love the lyrics in all the songs, but especially ‘Running With Wolves.’  You can feel like the sucker punch of like, this isn't my responsibility, this is up to you. When you're starting to write, do you have a sound or do you have the lyrics and the sound follows? 

It changes. Because with this EP, ‘Stupid Lover Girl’ for example, I wrote mostly all of it by myself in my room with my guitar. But I could imagine the sound. And then ‘Blue June’, I made it with my producer. The sound kind of just came to life while we were writing. ‘Running with the Wolves’ was also very organic; we were just writing, and then we just knew how it was supposed to sound.

I think it depends on every song. But, obviously, you want to relate the songs to each other. So you still have to think about it. But it happens very naturally, I would say. 

You grew up in Spain and moved to the UK. Does that affect your sound? And then did moving to the UK change it up in any way? Or do you kind of have both and play with them? 

I use my Spanish background as an advantage. I try to use that as inspiration, and I try to write in Spanish. In this EP,  I didn't write that much Spanish, but in other songs I released last year, I incorporated that in my writing, and I do that intentionally. 

I always grew up with American and British culture, like pop culture. I was always immersed in that, in that world. I grew up with Hannah Montana, like Disney Channel, and Selena Gomez. So I was always in that world. But I still try to incorporate the other side of my background into my music.

Do you have a goal you have for this EP or anything you want to achieve? Or just for people to enjoy the music and take what they want from it? 

My intention in making music is always for people to enjoy it or for it to be there for someone in some way. That's the dream as an artist, for something you create to be there for someone in any way they need.

But with  ‘Running With The Wolves, ’ I wonder what men feel like when they listen to that.  If someone feels seen because there aren’t many songs out there that talk about that perspective. So many men are taught not to be emotional and are taught to be aggressive. I wonder how that might make some men feel when they listen to it. 

Is that why you make music? So you can connect with others and help them process feelings that they might not be able to without music. 

Oh, 100%. I think that's always been my intention with music. This past year, I've just figured out who I want to be as an artist. I really know what I want to do with my music and have a clear vision. In these songs and in every song I've released, my intention has always been to be there for people. I think even more so with my next projects, I have songs that are directed to my audience and to how they feel. I'm very excited about it. 

How does it feel to be able to build a community off your music? What is it like knowing you have this group of people whom you've helped a lot?

I mean, they helped me. It still feels really, really surreal. When people show up to my gigs, they're just so passionate. Some people fly from other countries, and I'm always like, " Are you sure you want to be here? Like, you're sure it's worth it." I still have to process it. And they're like, "No, no, like, this is everything to me." I still can't believe it, honestly.

Dalia Fan Hangout (@demiwaitvisual)

I have a group chat with my supporters on WhatsApp and almost 300 people. A lot of them are friends with each other. Like they've become friends in the group chat and hang out outside of the group chat. And that brings me to tears because that's the most beautiful thing ever. Honestly, they are the sweetest, most supportive, loving supporters ever. I just feel so motivated, and they remind me of why I want to do what I want to do. I feel so lucky that I get to have that support early on in my career. I love them so much.

Has there been a moment so far in your career where you'd be like, " What is going on? This is crazy. Like, how am I here right now?"

@sofiaspages

I had a gig in December supporting Rachel Newnham. I had quite a few supporters come to that gig, and they were screaming, like screaming. And because there were a few of them, they were taking over, and they were so loud, and I couldn't hear myself. They were screaming every word, and they were crying, which made me tear up. And in that moment, I was like, oh my God, like I can't believe they know every word, like, and they're like crying. It's so surreal. They also made me a surprise book with notes from everyone. And that also made me cry, of course. I'll never forget that because I was just like, "How do I deserve you? You're just so sweet." I'm so grateful for them. 

For the final question, if no one's heard your music before, where's the best place for them to start? What are three essential tracks they should listen to?

I would say, ‘Running With the Wolves', ‘Girls Insane,’ and ‘Bellyfish.’ 

Dalia’s third EP, ‘You Said My Sun Was Always Blue, But I’ll Let That Die With You,’ is available to stream now.