Before Solya took her throne on stage at Club Dada, we talked about her signature look, that classic analog sound, and what it really feels like to represent the Lone Star State right now. When I caught up with her on Friday night, she’d just finished her VIP Meet & Greet at Dada Dallas. She had a warm, gracious presence with just a hint of nerves as the show was going to start soon.
We sat down on a couch in a tiny backstage room where Solya was waiting for the show to begin. This tour marks a milestone for Solya: her first time hitting the road with a full band, sharing the talents of guitarist Jason Chronis and drummer Danny Reisch. With the muffled sounds of people chattering outside echoing through the walls, we sat down and got right to it.
Melodic Magazine: You wear white dresses a lot, and then also I noticed that several fans lined up outside were wearing white dresses. Is there a significance to that?
Solya: I think that they just want to dress like me, and I think that’s really cute. It’s fun like, I guess that’s how I know I’ve made a signature look and I guess I did it kind of accidentally. I think I was just drawn to white dresses and then I did go on tour and I saw that everybody was in white dresses. And I was like, “Oh, so this is my signature look now.” So I’m going to stick to it because people like it.
MM: Yeah, and it works! And like, even the crosses. Sometimes you wear a hat too.
You know, and the cross thing, I just really liked my cross necklace and then I noticed people started—like, this was at the very beginning—people started just like drawing me with the cross necklace on. And then that again I was like, “Oh, okay, that’s like my signature thing now.” Like, so now I just always have it on.
MM: I bet! How does being from West Texas show up in your music or your style?
I’m always in cowboy boots. And in my music, especially the new record, there’s lots of slide guitar and baritone guitar, lots of twangy feel, and that is brought to you by Jason Chronis. He really helped me be able to get that, to capture that Texas vibe because of his, like, his playing slide and baritone tremolo guitar.
MM: Nice! Your fans call you the “Queen of Texas,” and now that’s the name of your tour. How does it feel to officially take on that title tonight? What does that mean to you?
The Queen of Texas. I think that it actually is a nice thing to where it gives people, maybe a new perspective on Texas because I think a lot of people do have a negative opinion on Texas because of the—I mean, the political state of Texas, especially right now.
And so I kind of hoped that my album and just my presence as a queer woman can give people some kind of hope as like a—I don’t know, somebody that… I don’t know. . .
MM: Like representation?
Yeah! And it’s like, I don’t know, it’s okay to be different and it’s just like a new perspective, a new outlook on Texas.
MM: Totally. So what has changed for you since you were 16 making music in your room?
My outlook on life has changed. I think I had a pretty negative outlook on life when I was 16 and that really came through in my first songs. They were pretty dramatically sad. And I was just a very depressed 16-year-old. And so I guess where I am now and having the support system I do within my family and my friends and my band, my outlook on life is much more positive than it was and I feel like I’m getting to have all kinds of opportunities that I never thought I would have because, I mean, I have such wonderful people that support me.
MM: Love that! It is really cool seeing your family here helping you on tour too. [Solya’s father, mother, and brother were there working on the tour]. Can you describe the mood of your shows, or even the mood that you’d like to have at your shows?
Well, last tour, I was just on stage by myself with my looper, and I would just loop synthesizer sounds and guitar sounds. It was just a one-man show, and now, this is my first show—it will be my first show with a band. And I hope that I can bring a really high-energy performance and like pump up the crowd and just—I hope it’s just really energetic and a lot of fun, is what I hope. But I’ve never played a show with a band before, so I guess we’ll see if that happens. [Spoiler alert – Solya and her band absolutely brought the energy and the crowd loved it.]
MM: Yeah, it’s a good goal for the tour. I think it’s great. What is your favorite instrument to play on stage?
I’d say my favorite instrument to play on stage is definitely the electric guitar. And then maybe my favorite instrument just in general is the synthesizer, but I think guitar’s more fun to play on stage.
MM: Which track of the album are you most excited for people to hear?
Out of the new ones, maybe “Aim to Kill.” That one is very ‘50s-inspired, very Buddy Holly, but also very ’60s inspired… it was inspired a lot by The Ronettes. And the whole album was done on analog equipment. I wanted it that way because it sounds like the records I grew up listening to, which are from the ’60s and ’70s. I wanted to capture that warmth in this record.
MM: The album talks about the challenges of growing up queer in a conservative town. Is it healing for you to play these songs live in Texas cities like Dallas and Austin tonight?
Actually, yes. Yeah, I’d say so. I’d say that seeing people so happy to hear these songs that empower them, that makes me very, very happy, and it makes me feel like I’ve achieved what I wanted to. It makes me feel like I have a purpose in this world.
MM: Aww, that’s wonderful. What is your favorite part about meeting your fans in person versus seeing them online?
Meeting them in person makes it feel much more real than it does online. I think it was the first time I ever met any fans that, like I was just like, “Oh wow, this does actually exist offline.” And these people are moved by what I do, and that means a lot to me because it’s different seeing it in person—it makes it feel… it makes it feel like it’s more meaningful. And then it also helps like, before a show, it actually makes me feel less nervous doing these meet and greets before the show because I see how nice everybody is. It makes me feel more like, welcome to go on and do my set because I know everybody’s there just to have fun and support what I’m doing.
Tickets for the Queen of Texas Tour are still available and can be found here.
Remaining Solya Tour Dates:
3/6 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
3/7 – Houston, TX – The Bronze Peacock at House of Blues
5/26 – Nashville, TN – The End
5/27 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Purgatory)
5/29 – Raleigh, NC – Kings
5/30 – Richmond, VA – The Canal Club
5/31 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis
6/2 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
6/3 – Somerville, MA – Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre
6/5 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall
6/6 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme (with Tele Novella)
6/7 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean (Upstairs)
6/9 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
6/10 – Kansas City, MO – Encore at The Uptown Theater
6/11 – Oklahoma City, OK – 89th Street Collective
6/17 – El Paso, TX – The Lowbrow Palace
6/18 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
6/19 – San Diego, CA – SOMA (Sidestage)
6/20 – Los Angeles, CA – Moroccan Lounge
6/24 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
6/26 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
6/27 – Seattle, WA – Vera Project
6/28 – Vancouver, BC – St. James Community Square
6/30 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club (Basement)
7/1 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
7/3 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
Photos by Jenn Terrell (@jennterrellphotogaphy) / www.jennterrellart.com
