Solya pulled up to Medicine Box with a flight back to Texas booked for 30 minutes later — and still managed to drop one of the most disarmingly honest conversations we've had in the backyard. The singer-songwriter behind the debut album Queen of Texas talked recording on analog gear, touring with the band who made the record, and casually revealed she's been listening to Yeat on repeat — and wants to collab. Yes, really.
On Queen of Texas
Medicine Box: You just released your album Queen of Texas. What emotions come up for you when you're working on a project for so long and finally releasing it out to the world?
Solya: So Queen of Texas was only written in the span of four months and then it was recorded in just ten days. It's such a blip in time — like such a little blip in my life. Now that it's out I'm like, I'm ready to move on to the next record, but I'm very excited for everyone to hear this one because it's exactly how I felt at that time in my life when I was 18.
Medicine Box: And that was all recorded on analog equipment, right? That's insane. Does it feel like this is something that's been yours for so long and now it's out into the world for everyone to perceive and make their own opinions around?
Solya: It feels like I'm sharing a part of my soul that no one has seen before except for the people close to me. And it feels nice to have that out there for everyone to see. A lot of the songs — people won't know exactly what I'm talking about, and that's what I want. They can take it however they'd like, whatever helps them. It means what it means to me and it means what it means to them.
On Writing and Recording
Medicine Box: Looking back on the creation of Queen of Texas, what songs came the hardest — the most trial and error?
Solya: "Aimed to Kill" has taken maybe like six forms. From the time I began that song, it's not even the same song at all — not the same melody, not even close to the same words. I started out with something and ended up with something completely different. It took a long time.
Medicine Box: And on the flip side, what came the easiest?
Solya: "Tell Me It's Over" was really easy to write, that one didn't take me very long. And "And I'll Ask" — that took me like 20 minutes. I wrote that in 20 minutes. I was just so angry.
Medicine Box: Whenever I see an interview and an artist says a song took one session, 20 minutes — I'm just like, you have such a superpower.
Solya: Truly.
On Working with Danny Reisch
Medicine Box: Can you talk about working with Danny Reisch? This was your first time working with him.
Solya: I wrote all the songs independently in my bedroom and then sent them to Danny. But when he agreed to do the record with me, I didn't have anything. I just had a call with him and I was like, "Danny, let's make a record together." He was like, "Okay, do you have any demos?" And I was like, "No." He agreed to do it with me and I had nothing. So then I started sending him demos and he was like, "Okay, I can see where we're going with this." And we've become really close. He's honestly just like my second dad.
Medicine Box: How did you guys initially meet?
Solya: He works with this band Tele Novella and I like their music. So it was kind of a cold reach out — hey Danny — and now we have an album.
On Touring
Medicine Box: You're going on a long stint of shows across multiple cities through July. What excites you about touring, and what scares you a little?
Solya: What excites me is that I'm touring with my producer Danny Reisch, and also Jason Cronis, who played bass and slide guitar on the record. We're all touring together as a band because we were a band for the album, so now we're all going to be able to play the songs we made together for everyone who wants to listen. Having them there really comforts me because we've become like a family.
Medicine Box: What cities are you most excited to play?
Solya: I had a lot of fun playing the Texas shows. But I'm really excited to play Pittsburgh because I lived there for three years and I'm still in touch with pretty much all my friends from kindergarten. They all come to my shows when I go to Pittsburgh.
Medicine Box: I also want to talk about the setlist — fans don't always realize how much thought goes into how a set is structured.
Solya: Yeah, like we don't want to do too many sad things in a row, but then we don't want to do sad-happy-sad-happy either because then it's just an emotional roller coaster. So we have to find some kind of in-between where it all makes sense as a show.
On Growing Up in Texas
Medicine Box: How has Texas shaped your music?
Solya: I'm really into a lot of different genres and they all kind of roll together in the world I created for this record. I'm really into psychedelic music but I also like country music, so you can hear that with Jason's slide guitar, baritone guitar, tremolo playing — the Americana influences — and then the dream pop and psychedelic stuff I do on the synthesizers. It all blends together in an interesting way. And lyrically I've been really inspired by what I grew up around — the landscape of Texas, the desolation, the loneliness I felt growing up there.
On What She's Listening To — and Who She Wants to Collab With
Medicine Box: What artists are you listening to right now?
Solya: I'm really into rap right now. I really like Denzel Curry and... Yeat. Yeat is probably mostly what I listen to right now.
Medicine Box: I was not prepared for you to say that.
Solya: I told you I listen to everything.
Medicine Box: So if you were to collaborate with someone in the future, who would you be most excited about?
Solya: Me and Yeat would make a really cool song. I'm gunning for it. Yeat, if you're watching — I'm waiting in the studio for you.
