Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Dasha

Dasha is an exciting up-and-coming triple threat who has caught the eyes and ears of the industry with her upbeat and vibrant sound. She’s quickly building a name for herself with her signature authenticity and humor, which has resonated with fans around the world. Earlier this month, she dropped her brand new single and we got the inside scoop on “None of My Business.”

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Dasha: It started with dance at a young age. That was my first introduction to music. From there, I did dance shows and got into musical theater. I loved the idea of being on stage and being an entertainer. That stuck with me. Then I picked up guitar and piano. My school poetry assignments turned into songs and I realized, “Oh my God. This is actually a career.” By twelve, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a songwriter and artist.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Dasha: At first, it was Taylor Swift. As an eight year old, I loved her albums. I was like, “Oh my god. I want to be like that.” Definitely her and my older brother Bardo who is a producer and in the band, Beauty School Dropout. He’s done a few cuts with Trevor Daniel and such. From a young age, seeing him go so passionately after his music career made me want to do the same thing with mine.

PC: What is the biggest lesson you learned through dance that you’ve been able to apply to your music career?
Dasha: Be authentic through it all. There’s nothing better than just being genuinely you.

PC: Tell us about “None of My Business” and the inspiration behind the song.
Dasha: It’s based off a true emotion. The storyline of the song is actually made up. It’s the storyline of walking in on your best friend with your boyfriend, but it’s more of an empowerment song. The sentiment of feeling rejected and not loved back was very real life in my life at the time I wrote it. Then I just turned it into a bad bitch anthem like, “Sorry, you can’t have this! You messed up. Sucks for you. Look how good I’m doing.”

PC: You’ve dropped a couple of singles throughout the years. If you had to pick one that best encompasses who you are as an artist, what would it be and why?
Dasha: It has to be “None of My Business.” It’s the epitome of everything that I’ve been working for creatively with my artistry and it represents who I am so much. It even has that humor element because I don’t take myself very seriously. I think who I am as a person shines through that song.

PC: You’re working on your debut EP and getting ready to release that. Is there anything that you can tease? What can fans expect?
Dasha: The EP is a collection of all my favorite songs that I’ve been writing for the past year, year and a half. It’s a well-rounded project, but everything fits into the same tone. I have a lot of fun creative friends on the album as well. Not only is it really wholesome creatively and artistically, I love everything that’s happening with it. My friends are involved in the creative process, which is really special to me.

PC: With this being your debut EP, what was the biggest takeaway from this project? What did you learn about yourself as an artist?
Dasha: I learned that I am capable of way more than I thought I was. In the past, I didn’t do any of my own vocal production. I relied on other people and the other creatives I was working with to do all the production. Other than writing “None of My Business,” I did all the vocal production, background vocals, etc. from my bedroom because it was during quarantine and that was the only option.

PC: What message do you hope to get across?
Dasha: Love yourself. Be original. You have to be your number one cheerleader. You have to love yourself before anyone else can.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Dasha: I don’t think it’s surprising, but I’ve been listening to a ton of Dominic Fike. He’s an absolute genius. I watched his documentary the other day. I was like, “Wow. Number one fan. He’s so great.”

PC: First album you bought?
Dasha: Taylor Swift’s debut album.

PC: First concert you attended?
Dasha: Green Day.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Dasha: That’s a good question. I’m going to say Julia Michaels’ debut album. It opened my eyes to the process of songwriting and how intentional you can be and how moving you can be with your writing.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Dasha: Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Dasha: A great team that’s super fun and friends!

To keep up with Dasha, follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up or stream “None of My Business” today.

Photo Credit: Mike Newell