daena [name not capitalized!] has put out a transcendently uplifting new single “Bright Enough” just in time for National Coming Out Day two days later. Picking up right where closing track “Show Your Bones” on her EP Electric! left off, “Bright Enough” continues the themes about truth and love explored on that debut album release and expands on daena’s smooth fusions of pop and electronic sounds. Accordingly, “Bright Enough” is about the pride and joy that comes with self-acceptance and coming out—and the fierceness and fearlessness it takes for queer people to break society’s rules on love. With such a promising start and another step in the right direction, Q Review saw it fit to ask daena all about her music and more!

What was the composition and recording process for “Bright Enough” like? Do you have a set process for these things or do you take different approaches with different songs?

I think for me, every song I create really is a different experience, from the writing process to going into the studio to the release and handing it over to the listeners. I wrote “Bright Enough” last summer, with my co-writers Nell Maynard and Molly Adele Brown, and it was one of the most honest and real writes I’ve ever had. It was actually the first time I’d met Molly, but it was crazy how quickly we connected over our experiences as queer women. I think all three of us knew when we finished it that this song was going to be something really special.

As for recording, I worked with griggs again, who produced my last EP, and we actually did this entire song remotely while quarantining due to the pandemic. As much fun as it is to physically go into a studio to record, it’s awesome that we were able to create this whole song out of our apartments over FaceTime! Again, the process behind every song is so different, but I love that we were able to make great art even when we couldn’t be in the room together.

You’ve presented “Bright Enough” as a song about self-acceptance and coming out, and—with lyrics like “Is my flag bright enough? / Am I waving it high, high enough? / And am I on the outside / Of the outside of everyone?”—I think this theme can also be applied to the gatekeeping about identity that some people in the queer community visit upon others (such as bisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary people). How do you feel about this exclusion and what should be done about it? Were there any other issues that were more inspirational to the song?

100%. To me, the fact that a community that has been discriminated against throughout history would (knowingly or unknowingly) push people away because of their identity, is absolutely horrific. In the song, I am personally speaking from my experience as a queer/pan woman often feeling out of place in the LGBTQIA+ community, but I can’t imagine dealing with the hate and sheer discrimination that many BIPOC and trans* and non-binary folx encounter on a daily basis.

I think that as a society, we are generally becoming more open-minded, but we still have so far to go to protect and lift up these underrepresented groups. But everything starts on a small scale, with asking questions like you are. Start conversations with your friends and family, support organizations that do the work to protect queer people, and most importantly, practice love whenever you can.

Another lyric in “Bright Enough” that stood out to me was, “Why is everybody trying to make me / Fit into the only way that they see?” I feel that these lines even apply to people who are unquestioningly included in the LGBTQ+ community, but who feel pressure to conform to what they might feel is the “right way” to be (or express being) queer. Have you noticed this in the queer community at all, either from those who accept only some forms of expression or from those who have felt mistreated? Any solutions to this problem too?

I’m so glad that spoke to you on that level, because that’s exactly what we were referring to when we wrote the line. To me, this lyric goes past the problem of outcasting queer people from society (which of course is also very real), and touches on the more intricate issues actually happening within the queer community, and one that I’ve dealt with directly. Realizing I was queer later in life, I felt a lot of pressure at first to act and look “gay” in order to validate myself as a queer person. It’s hard to combat the stereotypes that you’re constantly fed from media and your peers, and NOT feel shame about yourself when you don’t check those boxes.

I know now, but still have to remind myself sometimes, that I do not need to prove anything – anything – in order to exist and be valid as a queer person. “Bright Enough” serves as that kind of reminder to myself, and I would encourage listeners to allow themselves those little reminders every once in a while. Say to yourself – I am beautiful, and whole, and loved, and everything I was meant to be.

Many LGBTQ+ people indignantly resent the unjust ways society treats them even while they’re still closeted or questioning, but some queer people fall into self-loathing because of their identity. Why do you think this is and what can be done to prevent it or discourage it?

I think there are a lot of layers here. It’s a terrible balance of desperately wanting (and needing) love and protection, and being proud of who you are. But when you’re told – like so many LGBTQIA+ youth are – from media, from family, from classmates, all your life, that being gay is a bad thing, of course you’re going to feel deep-seated shame and fear to be yourself proudly. Because of course, beneath that, and I think in every person, is a desire to be loved. And so we fall into this self-hatred that becomes a vicious cycle, a losing battle between protecting your own safety and rights, and living your life truly as you are. We’re living in scary times right now in the US; the fact that just last week the Supreme Court was already talking about overturning marriage equality means that we have to fight for our rights and vote like our lives depend on it, because they absolutely do. I think that’s a good place to start to making real change in our laws and in our hearts.

So far, you’ve mostly written songs about love and relationships. These are things that someone could write about from both an inside and outside perspective. During the songwriting process, do you find yourself drawing more from personal experiences or observations about others’?

I do draw from both, but over the past few years, at least when writing for myself, I’ve found that it really helps to have some kind of personal connection with what I’m writing about. “Bright Enough” is definitely one of my more explicitly autobiographical songs. That being said, I do think it’s important to not get so attached to the original song inspiration that you become afraid to stray away from “what really happened” and lean into what will best serve the song. Sometimes when I do end up using my own life as inspiration, it turns into something completely different, it’s actually kind of cool that there are certain layers of meaning in the song that stay private.

You’ve said that you don’t really try to fit into any music genre. Appropriately, your music is hard to place aside from being some kind of electronic pop. I could call it synth-pop, but you don’t rely on synths. I detect new wave influence too, but some of your material is played a bit more straightforwardly than that would imply. What influences inform the sounds you combine?

It’s so hard to place even for me! I got kind of obsessed at one point trying to figure out what my genre is (these days, I usually call it indie pop), but I’ve definitely tried to let go of that and just focus on making music that I’m passionate about. Lately, I’ve been super influenced by artists like MUNA, HAIM, Caroline Polachek and Taylor Swift’s new “Folklore” album. But I’m also inspired, especially lyrically, by some of the greats, like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Bruce Springsteen. My “Electric!” EP incorporated a lot of sounds and influences from 80’s synth pop, but lately I’ve also been super into 90s alternative pop/rock (Liz Phair, Cranberries) and newer bedroom pop like Soccer Mommy, so I’m excited to potentially dig into that a bit more on my next project. Basically, I love music and I can’t seem to stop listening to it! Haha.

Your music makes use of electronic sounds like synths and drum machines, but also includes many uses of non-electronic instruments. How do you decide what to use where, and do you try to maintain a certain percentage or balance of electronic versus acoustic sounds in your catalogue of songs?

Having that balance was definitely an important factor when I started this artist project. In the past, I’ve released more acoustic, singer/songwriter – leaning music, but with my EP, I really wanted to explore creating a purposeful sound for myself, rather than, for example, having acoustic guitar on the track simply because that’s how I wrote the song. I always want to stay true to myself and to my roots, but it’s been so fun to also bring in those synths and electronic sounds that I love, that the artists I listen to incorporate into their music. Teaming up with my producer, griggs, has been instrumental (pun intended) in that. His left-of-center pop production sensibilities have really helped guide my music towards a cohesive sound that, despite being hard to place into a genre at times, still holds together from song to song (at least, that’s the goal)!

I heard that you play several different instruments. Which do you perform on your songs and who else do you get to play with you during recording sessions? How do these parts translate to your live performances?

I do! I mainly play guitar and piano, and although I sometimes perform those on my records I usually focus on doing vocals in the studio. I usually say that I play well enough to write songs on my instruments, but I’m totally happy to hand them over to players in the studio who I know will get the job done probably with more ease than I could. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to sit back a bit and really hone in on my craft (vocals). I’m pretty picky when it comes to getting every phrase right and love love love layering stacks of harmonies. My producer griggs is kind of a jack-of-all-trades (he’s played guitar, piano, omnichord, and programmed everything on the EP), but I did get the chance to feature a live sax player on “Gonna Catch Up”, which was awesome!

When it comes to live performances, I’ve done a lot of stripped down shows in the past. But with the release of my EP being the first time I’ve incorporated electronic sounds, I’m starting to experiment bringing those into gigs with sample pads and playing tracks live. I do have a handful of players that I’m pretty loyal to when it comes to live shows; I’ve found that the more I play with someone, the more comfortable I am on stage, which makes it all the more fun! Eagerly awaiting the end of the pandemic when it’s safe to do live music again.

On your first EP Electric!, “Overrated” is (in my opinion, a sorely needed) uniquely subversive take on love songs. Where did you get the inspiration for it?

So this is actually the oldest song on the EP; I wrote it while I was still at college, and it originally started as a list of things I thought were overrated (for some reason I wanted to share my hot takes against 3D movies and VIP sections). Obviously it wound up morphing into my tongue-in-cheek take on poking fun at relationship clichés. And for me, it takes on a triple meaning as a queer woman. I think it’s so important to normalize all kinds of relationships, because love is universal, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or anything else. When I first started dating my current girlfriend, I found myself wanting to indulge in silly things (like stargazing together and holding hands at the movies, as the song says) that are made to seem cliché and often shit on, especially by queer people dismantling heteronormativity. I’m all for that, but there’s nothing wrong with a little romance combined with a danceable pop song!

Aside from the new single, “Gonna Catch Up” is my favorite that you’ve done so far, so I need to ask you a few questions about it! You’ve mentioned that you sampled your grandmother Barbara Rogers’ song from the 80s in it. What song is it and what made you want to sample it?

Thank you so much! Yes, so I’ve always thought it was cool that my grandma on my dad’s side, Barbara Rogers, was a recording artist as well, but in recent years I’ve found myself wanting to connect with her more. Her original song that we wound up sampling was called “User” that’s always been one of my favorites. The idea at first was that I was just going to do a cover of it, but when my producer griggs and I were listening to the tape, we flipped it over and realized there was an instrumental version on the other side! So that really opened up the door for us creatively, and we decided to topline and write a completely new song over it (along with our co-writer Molly Bowers).

I think I hear the sample at the very beginning, but where else is it used in “Gonna Catch Up?” Did the idea to sample your grandmother’s song come first, or did you already have a song that you brought the sample to?

So yes, the whole intro of the song is straight up the original sample, but then we actually use the drumbeat and a few other elements (including some guitars and synths) throughout the rest of the song too. At one point, actually, there’s a guitar-like sound that comes in, which we realized later was actually a sample from her original vocal, so we decided to keep that in too! It’s pretty cool that I was able to collaborate with her in that way since she passed away when I was a kid. In terms of the songwriting process, it was kind of challenging to start off because griggs and I had heard “User” so many times that it was pretty engrained in our heads, which is why we decided to bring in Molly, who’d never heard the original song, to start from scratch and help craft the lyric and melody that you hear on the record!

Last but not least about “Gonna Catch Up,” I interpret the song as a critique of career narcissists and how they can especially be found not just in the entertainment industry, but also across social media. How accurate is that, and what inspired the theme of the song?

You’re pretty spot on there! This song is dedicated to the most annoying type of person – someone who thinks they’re invincible, yet is shocked when the gun’s suddenly pointed their way after. I think it’s especially apparent in the entertainment industry; luckily, Nashville is such a collaborative town that I don’t see it too often (and I generally try to avoid people like this), but in dog-eat-dog environments where things can get unnecessarily competitive, I think it’s a big problem. This song isn’t directed at anyone specific, but I think we’ve all come across those people who are just that blind to how self-absorbed they are. Luckily, as the chorus speaks to, I believe in karma and the idea that you get what you give in this world! Eventually, all that bad karma is gonna catch up to you, honey.

Also on Electric!, “Show Your Bones” is a powerful look at dealing with one’s innermost feelings openly and honestly. Can you tell us what the song means to you and what you want listeners to get out of it?

“Show Your Bones” is a super personal song for me. I wrote it about a pretty rough time in my life emotionally when I was struggling to admit to myself how bad I let things get. One of the things I pride myself on is being vulnerable, both in my personal life and in my music, and I wanted to be as honest as I could in writing about [it]. I hope that by speaking my truth, listeners can hear this song and know that they are absolutely not alone in their struggles. We all go through hard times, but I think the strength to look back at those painful moments, be open and vulnerable about them in your heart, and see how far you’ve come is far more valuable than feeling shameful about them.

Where has your musical journey brought you geographically (and mentally, emotionally, etc.!) and what have you learned from it so far? What brought you to Nashville and what’s keeping you there? What’s the Nashville queer scene like?

I was born and raised in Jersey, and my parents are huge music lovers, so growing up they always encouraged me to follow my passion for making music. In high school they would drive me to NYC and down the shore to Asbury Park to do open mics, and eventually I even got to play at The Stone Pony a few times (the legendary club where Bruce Springsteen got his start). So my parents fostered my love for music and writing songs for sure. But moving to Nashville brought both my love for music and seriousness about it as a career to a new level. I went to college at Belmont here, where I met a good portion of close collaborators and co-writers that I still work with today. I really had no insight into the world of songwriting before I started there, and learning from this town about music publishing, getting your songs into film/tv, and generally how the songwriting business works was incredible. As for the queer scene, that’s definitely an aspect of this city that’s a bit lacking, but it’s been nothing but good to me so far. It’s kind of like the rest of Nashville – a bigger sized city that feels more like a small town. You realize you have mutual friends with half the people on stage at most writer’s rounds and almost always run into someone you know on a coffee run. That’s, of course, elevated in the queer community because it is still so small here – but it also makes it feel like you’re always surrounded by friends, or friends of friends. Nashville has a long way to go when it comes to giving more queer artists a platform to share their art, but as our Pride festival grows each year and there become more places to meet and collaborate with queer artists, I’m optimistic that it will only grow with time.

Who are you outside of music? Any other hobbies and passions?

I’m a huge dog-lover + coffee drinker, and tbh I’m just a big geek – I love Doctor Who, video games, and my most recent obsession is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Is there anything you want to say to queer and questioning people about self-acceptance, coming out, or anything else?

You are beautiful, you are NOT alone, and you are more than enough. Take the time you need to know yourself, and then remember to love yourself. Those two things alone are probably going to be a lifelong journey, and that’s okay. You will always grow and change and evolve, but to me, that’s an amazing gift.

daena’s new single “Bright Enough” can be heard on all major music streaming platforms!

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About the Author
Dusk writes for The Q because propagandizing for the gay agenda is cool and badass. Some of their favorite genres of music are symphonic power metal, goth/ethereal wave, dream pop, shoegaze, and black metal (the kind that doesn’t espouse right-wing poseur dreck). They believe that the best way to achieve social justice is through economic justice, which can only be secured through organized, cooperative, mass political action. They do not use social media publicly, but accept hate mail, death threats, and all other backhanded compliments at duskarts@protonmail.com.