Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Siena Streiber

Siena Streiber is an exciting new artist on the rise. Since the age of eleven, she’s been writing and composing original music, showcasing talent well beyond her years.

In 2020, she dropped her self-titled debut album, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, what are you waiting for?

This April, she follows that long-awaited release with a stellar new single: “Always Be A Friend“.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Siena about the new song!

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Siena: I owe my mother a great debt of gratitude. She introduced me to all different kinds of music. So my sister and I grew up in a household listening to musical greats from Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to John Lennon, Stevie Nicks, and Mick Jagger. I can still hear some of her early 2000s playlists on a loop in my head when I drive around my favorite spots in LA.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Siena: I’ve had a lot of aha musical moments over the years. The first time I heard “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift was a lightning bolt moment for me! I dreamed of writing a song half as good. I’m inspired by songwriting greats like Joni [Mitchell], Stevie [Nicks], Norah [Jones], and Adele who always made me feel heard and seen. I also have to thank my sister, Kayla, who insisted on taking guitar lessons at the age of seven. I definitely don’t think I’d be a singer-songwriter today if it weren’t for my being inspired by her to pick up guitar.

PC: Tell us about your new single “Always Be A Friend” and the inspiration behind the song.
Siena: The song is inspired by a friendship made complicated by the admission of romantic feelings. I fell pretty hard for a friend who didn’t feel the same way, and I spent months trying to prove that things could go back to the way they had been before. When it didn’t work out, I was devastated, and I didn’t realize until after writing this song that it had been a form of closure for me. That even though our friendship would probably never be what it was again, I could admire what we had when we had it. When I brought it to Johnny Hanson, my producer, he instantly picked up on the vibe of the song and we ended up making this heart-wrenching, beautiful love song.

PC: Your father, well-known photographer Art Streiber, directed the music video. How special is it to get to collaborate with him on the project?
Siena: I’ve been on photoshoots with my dad before, but being in front of the camera was a totally different ball game. I was nervous about what our dynamic might be like on set, but we were instantly on the same page about everything, from concept to execution. We used a photograph he took of the Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) as inspiration for the light-filled set, and I borrowed a ton of lamps from family and friends to fill the space. His artistry inspires me to be a better artist, and his professionalism and problem solving on set made me feel totally at ease. That and the fact that we love to goof off together. We both have an incredibly dry sense of humor.

PC: You also dropped a full album last year. If you had to pick one song off of Siena that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Siena: I think it would probably be “Sweet Like Hell”. The meaning of that song has changed for me over the years. I wrote it from a place of teenage angst and heartbreak, and at that moment in my life, it was almost hard for me to sing. Hearing it all these years later is just a reminder for me of how much I’ve grown as an artist and a person. It is a song that I will always love to play and I am incredibly proud of it.

PC: As we look ahead to the rest of 2021, what does the year hold for you?
Siena: Making more music! 2020 was a year of growth and exploration for me. I wrote somewhere between thirty and forty songs and feel like I really came into my own as an artist. I hope to continue collaborating with other producers and songwriters, and there will certainly be more music from me before the year is up!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Siena: Toss-up between Steely Dan and the Mamma Mia! soundtrack.

PC: First album you bought?
Siena: Jonas Brothers by the Jonas Brothers.

PC: First concert you attended?
Siena: Dido when I was ten. I was obsessed with “White Flag” and “Here With Me”.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Siena: Rumours. It’s a masterclass in songwriting and there is not a single skip on the album.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Siena: The Hollywood Bowl.

PC: Dream collaboration?
Siena: Paul McCartney.

To keep up with Siena, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream “Always Be A Friend” today.

Photo Credit: Evan Mulling