Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I’m Macarena and I was born and raised in Amsterdam. What made me want to start writing songs is that I found it to be a very nice way of expressing myself. Writing songs helps me to understand the world around me and helps me get a closer look at my feelings.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: Right now, I’m listening to Kehlani’s and Bad Bunny’s latest albums the most. I often have albums on repeat instead of playlists. I like to get carried away in a body of work because it gives me a glimpse into the artist’s mind. It’s like a time capsule.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: My strongest influences aren’t necessarily tied to a person. For me it’s more about the feeling. Any artist that is able to be very descriptive and poetic in their work has a big influence on me. People that fall into this category for me are: Raye, Cleo Sol, Sinead Harnett, J. Cole and Mac Miller.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Paradise’. Is there a story behind it?
A: I used the pandemic to reflect. I created Paradise, an alternative R&B track, that lays down how I’d been hiding who I was and was slowly making the decision to show more of me to myself and the world around me. Throughout the track I look for my own paradise of self-acceptance and -confidence in a melancholic yet powerful way.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Yes, I am currently working on a new project. But I have no idea when it will be done. So I want to say near future, but I don’t know when that will be.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: I think what resonates is that it comes from a very vulnerable place. It’s raw, it’s full of emotions and feelings and navigating through that. My sound is all about experimenting with harmonies and being playful with words. I think that’s what makes people interested.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: Working on a song can be a long process sometimes. I don’t always feel fulfilled right away, but I do have moments in between working on songs or sometimes a while after releasing a track, that I look at what I made and feel very proud of what I did. Sometimes I listen to my songs and I can hear what I was going through so well, that can be a very fulfilling feeling. But also sharing songs on a stage can be fulfilling at times. Seeing how people react to a song and sing along is one of the best feelings.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: My creative process is very different each time. Sometimes I sit down and work on a song where the beat is already ready. Some other times I only come up with a lyric first and then build the music around it, and other times all I have as a starting point is a melody. So it’s always very different, and it comes at different moments as well.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: I don’t think anything has been too difficult. I mean, I get in my head sometimes and overthink things. That can be an obstacle during my creative process, but it has always helped me to get where I want the song to be. So it always works out in the end. Making music is about finding relief and processing the things that happen to me.
I guess, making music makes living life a bit easier.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: Anytime I put out a song is a proud and significant moment for me. Just being able to put into words what I’m trying to say and working on a sound that goes with that is something I find success in. I’m proud about what I’m doing in general and consider myself lucky that I make music the way I do.
