CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE ACTS WE CAUGHT AT SXSW!
AUSTIN, TX- Catching Miranda Del Sol’s midday acoustic performance at SXSW was such a treat. I was a fan of her recorded music, but stripped down to its core; her music revealed layers of raw emotion and musical intricacy that left me completely smitten. The intimacy of her acoustic set allowed her voice to shine, highlighting her exceptional songwriting and subtly captivating presence. I recently had the chance to ask her a few questions and delve deeper into her influences, her creative process, and her aspirations. Here’s what she had to share about her journey, her roots, and the evolving landscape of her musical identity.
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BLURRED CULTURE: How have your background and experiences in places like Miami and New York shaped your music and your identity as an artist?
MIRANDA DEL SOL: There’s a lot of traffic in Miami and I went to school far from home so I spent a lot of time in the car with my family, listening to music in English and Spanish. I think that’s where my love for pop music started, just from spending so much time listening to the radio. I also find that the CDs we had in the car growing up (Alicia Keys, Robin Thicke, Alejandro Sanz, Shakira, etc.) have shaped the kind of melodies and grooves I’m drawn to. Being in NYC has resulted in me doing deeper dives on all of that music, especially the Latin music, because I miss home. It also made me realize how much being Cuban/Argentinian and growing up in Miami has deeply shaped my identity. So many parts of my upbringing, both musically and personally, were so normal in my community but are a lot more specific to us than I realized.
I read somewhere that music runs in the family. Care to explain?
My dad is a producer and songwriter in the Latin space and my uncle is a percussionist, so it runs in the family in a literal sense. Most of my extended family is still in Cuba/Argentina so my parent’s friends became my family and a lot of them were also in the Miami music scene. My mom also loves music and dancing, so I’ve always been surrounded by it.
Can you share more about how your diverse cultural heritage influences your songwriting and music production?
More than anything, I am deeply fascinated by story and so many of the stories I am referencing or adding on to in my music, are stories that I have inherited because of my heritage. They shape my POV as a writer, the images I pull from, the themes I come back to, etc. In terms of production, I think it has shaped the way I relate to groove. In Cuba, dancing in the community is such a source of joy and freedom; it’s a part of everyday life. Because of that, I’m always feeling the way I want a song to move in my body first and programming drums according to that. Through my mom (she’s Argentinian and her parents are Spanish) I listened to a lot of flamenco and rock. They sound like really different genres, but they both share a kind of angst that is always showing up in my music, too. I’m always finding out new ways my culture shows up in my work, though—it’s everywhere.
I also read somewhere that would like to move away from the “Latina bedroom pop princess” label. How do you see your music and persona evolving in the future?
Even though I spend a lot of time making my music in my bedroom, I don’t think that genre represents what my music sounds like anymore. I also think our association with the trope of “pop princess” is very gendered and antiquated; we don’t imagine a pop princess as an auteur, writing and producing her own work (even if they are). That’s part of why I liked it originally; I wanted to challenge our idea of it. It’s just not the only persona I am interested in exploring, so I don’t want it to be ‘my thing’.
Could you walk us through your songwriting process? How do you go from an idea to a finished track?
I feel like every writer says this, but it really is different every time, haha. Sometimes I’m washing dishes, and sometimes, I’m sitting down with the intention of writing, but a melody usually comes with some words built-in, and I’m just chipping away at it until it shows me what it wants to be. Lately, I’ve been writing with my friend Maya Polsky. There, she usually starts playing something beautiful on the guitar and we’ll start singing along until something stands out to us. Sometimes we start filling in lyrics together, sometimes I just go home with a little voice memo and the right lyrics come to me weeks after at like 1 am. I’m lucky to make music with friends, so the production process is super collaborative. We lay down a skeleton for the way we want the song to grow and pick the lyrics that we want to accent with ear candy. I usually record vocals and layers by myself (that’s my favorite part).
From your experiences, what are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned about the music industry?
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is you have to believe in yourself FIRST. Especially with the way the industry has changed, you can’t wait for someone else to make your career happen for you. Instead of expecting people to pour their time and energy into your dream, start pouring YOUR love into your dream, and the right people will catch on eventually. Also, be protective over what hands are touching your work. You can usually feel when people are coming from a place of love and when people are in it for the wrong reasons so trust your gut on that.
Who are some artists or producers you dream of collaborating with, and why?
Timbaland, Danja, and Pharell basically soundtracked my childhood, so working with them would be surreal. Lido and Sega Bodega are also up there. There are so many artists I’d love to collaborate with, but off the top of my head are Judeline, Empress Of, and Amaarae.
How important is it for you to represent and incorporate your cultural roots into your music?
My cultural roots are a part of my identity, so I think they’re naturally incorporated into my music. That being said, I’m a biracial Latina, and I’m very aware of how that shapes the way people perceive my music, especially when it comes to genre. There weren’t that many black and brown Latinas present in mainstream music growing up, and that’s starting to change, but there’s still so much to go. I feel a huge responsibility to expand people’s idea of what being “latine” looks/sounds like and also uplift other black and brown latines that are doing the same.
How do you balance personal satisfaction with the external metrics of success in the industry?
I definitely haven’t mastered it but I try to separate Miranda ‘the artist’ from Miranda ‘the businesswoman’. The personal satisfaction I get as an artist comes from the creative process and from seeing other people connect with the music. The external metrics are just a marker of “am I successfully getting the music to the right audience”.
With the rise of social media, how do you engage with your fans, and how has it influenced your music?
Tik Tok gives me the opportunity to be silly and connect with my fans like they’re my friends, which is what I’ve always wanted. I try not to think about it while I’m actually making the music though.
What are your goals and aspirations for the next few years, both musically and personally?
My main goal is to create the same sense of community I’ve found online, IRL. To tour and create a little corner of the world my fans can escape to with me. I grew up acting and really love film so I’d also love to make a visual album in the next few years. My personal (I guess still musical?) dream is to book an airbnb somewhere for a few weeks and get to write with people I love. I’ve been thinking a lot about how much media I’m consuming constantly, especially in NYC, and I would love to see what comes out of me when I get a little quiet.
Follow Miranda Del Sol on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and X.
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CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE ACTS WE CAUGHT AT SXSW!
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