Q&A with AV Alt-Pop Featured Artist: Sola
We had the opportunity to fire a few questions across the pond to Liverpool-based, Cali-born, alt-R&B upstart Megan Sola-Guinto, known to our ears and airwaves as Sola.
What first got you into music?
I was just a kid with a big personality who loved to sing and perform so I naturally gravitated toward music. My parents were huge music lovers and listened to all sorts of genres and eras of music, especially my dad. It inspired me to find my own bands and artists that I loved, and I just became obsessed with music and singing. My mom tells me I was singing before I was talking so I think my parents probably always knew what I'd end up pursuing!
Out of all of the songs you’ve released, which one is your favorite and why?
I feel like I always answer this one differently because each one is special for different reasons, but I'd say my favorite is either my newest song which is out on all music platforms called "Highs & Lows" or a demo I only released on my Soundcloud called "Dear God". "Highs & Lows" is both so personal and so fun; I really love this song so much for that. "Dear God" is also one of my favorites because it still really summarizes how I feel about the state of the world, politics, and my personal life for the last 5 years. Actually thinking of re-visiting that track, we'll see!
Where is your favorite place where you’ve had the opportunity to perform?
I'd say either the Hard Rock Cafe in Hyde Park in London or Sefton Park in Liverpool. I guess I love playing around nature, haha.
Which musician or producer would you most like to collaborate with?
There are SO many artists and producers I seriously love nowadays, so much great music coming out. But if I had to choose, I'd love to collab with this incredible producer/artist called Lido, who's been one of my faves for years now, or another amazing producer/artist called GRADES, who's also a personal fave of mine. They both have that secret sauce, haha.
If you could have your fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?
Honestly, I just hope people connect emotionally with the sentiments I write about. I want to make music that people connect with sonically of course but especially emotionally so that people out there recognize they aren't alone, someone else out there totally gets what they're thinking and feeling. So I hope people remember what moved them and why, and I hope that my music can actually help people work through their own shit.
What is your creative process like?
I usually start with chords or a musical idea first, then melody, then lyrics. Sometimes my songs are partly freestyles and the melody and lyrics or sometimes even chords all come at the same time, but even those songs will usually have sections where I use the first process.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
I'm also a podcaster, and I run my own podcast network called Sound Byte Podcasts where I currently host 2 podcasts called American Idiots Abroad and a new one we've just launched called Main Pod Girl, which is Reddit's largest pop music community r/popheads' official podcast. So probably just more podcasting, haha. If not that, I'm really fascinated by and passionate about politics and psychology so maybe something in there.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Just go for it, and don't doubt your talent or your passion. Plenty of people are going to question you along the way, just don't be one of them! You will become your own worst enemy if you self-sabotage. So trust your instincts, do what makes you happy, surround yourself with supportive people who aren't Yes-men, and just fuck what anyone else thinks honestly.
Is there anything you would like to add or anything new we should be looking out for?
I have a brand new music video out now for "Highs & Lows" that I made in my living room during November's lockdown here in the UK. You can watch it now on YouTube! I also have more new music coming in early 2021 so you can follow me on socials, Spotify, whatever to see when those come out! Also just want to thank everyone for listening and for the support -- it helps so much, and I seriously appreciate you!