From taking the world by storm with ‘Austin’ to taking our playlists by storm with the entirety of What Happens Now? Dasha is a force in the music industry! She rose to fame by gaining virality with ‘Austin’ and has since performed on some huge stages, making her late-night and award show debut! We were lucky enough to chat with Dasha about her meteoric rise to fame, her deluxe album, and so much more!
Stream What Happens Now? (Deluxe) here!
Hi Dasha! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! To start us off, can you describe your sound to someone who is just tuning in for the first time?
I’ve always loved storytelling and grew up listening to artists like Kacey Musgraves, Cage The Elephant, and Taylor Swift. I also love a pop hook. I want to get listeners with the hook and then get them to stay for the story. I, as a person, am pretty candid and unfiltered, so my songwriting follows that same line.
‘Austin’ has been what we’re sure can only be described as a whirlwind for you. What was the craziest “pinch me” moment you’ve had during the aftermath of that release?
There are truly so many it’s hard to pick, which sounds insane. I’ve been traveling around the world to different countries, meeting so many fans, a lot of whom don’t speak English as their first language. My song is being played at gas stations in random small towns in Germany…that’s crazy! During this tour in Europe, I played so many festivals and saw 15,000 people there before I even showed up on the stage, singing my songs back to me….I’ll never get over that.
Many people don’t know that you have been making incredible music since 2020 (’21st Birthday’ is a personal favorite of ours). What is a song from the early days of your career would you recommend to anyone who wants to do a deep dive?
‘Love Me Till August’ – It’s the first song that ever did anything on the internet. I got 10,000 views on TikTok and was truly freaking out.
We have to bring up your insane relationship with your pen! Not only have you written your own tracks, but you’ve also written songs for artists like Taylor Bickett, ayokay, and more! How does the writing process change when you’re writing for others vs when you know it will be a project you keep for yourself?
I feel like my creative songwriter brain gets to fly a little bit more. When you’re the artist in the room, you’re worried about so much more than the lyrics and the song. You’re thinking about the branding, the release timeline, and how it will fit with everything…but when you’re the writer, you just get to write. You use your craft.
The music video for ‘Austin’ is one of our favorite videos of the year so far! Where did the inspiration for the visuals come from?
Thank you so much!! I had the idea for the video when I was writing the song. I saw the music video in my head so vividly. When we went to make the video with Hunter Moreno, I told him my vision exactly how I saw it, and he expanded on that. It ended up even better than I imagined.
What Happens Now? has been out for several months. As you look ahead to the deluxe version, can you tell us about the new songs being added?
New songs add more attitude. More flirtiness. One of the songs is calling my ex-best friend out for sleeping with my boyfriend. On What Happens Now? Deluxe, you get a lot more real and detailed stories. Storylines have been added to the album that a lot of girls my age can relate to. These new songs complete the story of the album. ‘Bye Bye Bye’ is me finally walking away and getting myself back.
We want to go back a bit to Dirty Blonde, your debut album! We know that it takes a village to bring a project to life, and it’s often hard to pat yourself on the back, but what is something from that album process that you are proud of yourself for?
It was my first album I ever put together, and I am really proud of that. I learned a lot about visuals and how many little tiny details need to line up to create a project that is bigger than life and feels like a whole unit of something. The songwriting on that album – I f**king love. Half of the concept of the album was dirty; half was blonde. The project represents my first years living in LA and being a little bit of a menace. Blonde is nostalgia for growing up, getting scared about being in my 20s, and still wanting to be a kid sometimes.
Once again, thank you so much for chatting with us! Before we let you go, what is next? What is on the horizon as we look ahead to 2025?
You can expect a lot of new music in 2025. Some performances I am so excited about and can’t wait to share with you all. After What Happens Now? came out and I realized that my vision was so well received – something that came from my gut – I proved to myself that I do know what I’m doing. I can trust my intuition. 2025 is going to be even bigger and crazier.
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We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite song off of Dasha’s deluxe version of What Happens Now? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DASHA:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER
