Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Gedina

Singer-songwriter Gedina is an artist on a mission who knows exactly who she is and what she wants to accomplish. She’s carving her place in the industry with her signature mermaid-pop sound, encouraging and inspiring listeners and the next generation of up-and-comers to find their voice and to walk their own paths with confidence and courage. This August, she released her uplifting new single, “Messy,” which shines a much-needed light on embracing your own vulnerabilities on the days when it seems everything is going wrong.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Gedina about “Messy,” why she created her own record label, 4th Door, and what she’s learned on her journey as an independent artist.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Gedina: My grandmother would say I came out of the womb singing from the start. Little Mermaid was my first movie. I grew up in Santa Cruz surfing, so the mermaid music combo was a rite of passage.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Gedina: For sure, the Little Mermaid. That turned into my bedroom concerts with my best friends, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, the Spice Girls, and Britney Spears. I learned dance routines from Britney. Those were my gal pals after I came home from school.

PC: Your new single is out now. Tell us about “Messy” and the inspiration behind the song.
Gedina: I don’t know about you, but I for sure have my days where I wake up and go “Not happening today. I can’t.” I have a feeling the whole world might relate to that in some way, shape, or form. I don’t know about you, but when I have those days, I oftentimes need a reminder that it’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to not feel like being Superwoman, not having it all together, not wanting to put makeup on, throwing my hair up in a scrunchy, and being like “This is me today.” I’m totally cool with that. It’s that permission slip to see every breakdown—even those moments—as a breakthrough opportunity and to feel okay in my skin. Nothing has to be perfect.

PC: I love that message! It’s the first single off your new album, Out of My Shell. What can fans expect from this next body of work?
Gedina: They can expect an opportunity to step into their higher self. Every song is crafted in such a way that they can use this album as an affirmation. Every lyric, every line, every melody was intentionally selected such that the highest version of the listener is called forth. It’s an opportunity to shift. It’s a body of work that allows the listener to jump into their vision, their purpose. Why are they on this planet? What are they here to create? What are they committed to being on a day-in-and-day-out basis? In a world where the victim mentality is so prevalent, I want to offer the breath of fresh air of responsibility and ownership where people can take a hold and be the drivers of their life, versus life happening to them.

PC: How will this body of work differentiate itself from previous releases?
Gedina: Like when a baby learns to walk, my world has evolved with the work that I stepped into with emotional intelligence, transformational training, different spiritual awakenings, and different meditation practices. So my inner dialogue—my own trauma and experiences that I’ve been through in my life—have evolved, and so the music, right alongside of it, has shifted and shaped and has elevated to a place where you’ll be hearing it now.

PC: The music industry has shifted towards this singles market. But thankfully, we still have artists like you, who continue to release larger bodies of work. Is it ever scary to go on the unbeaten path?
Gedina: I’m a risk taker. When I woke up as a little kid and said, “Watch out, Grammys, I’m coming for you,” I never thought twice about it. I surfed really big waves as a little kid. I didn’t have the fear. Of course, I have different stories and conversations of my own, asking “Is it good enough? Am I enough?” Those are my own things that I work through and walk through on a daily basis, but carving a new path is something I’ve always done. I’m not scared. I think fear is normal. Courage is what I choose.

PC: You’re an independent artist. What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself on this journey thus far?
Gedina: Knowing in myself where I want to be in five years, ten years, and not being attached to the route on how to get there. So feeling myself on the Grammy stage, receiving the best new artist award or in a hotel in China meeting a little girl who doesn’t even speak English who’s having me sign something for her because it’s had an impact on her life because her parents allowed her to listen to it. I can feel that in my body and surrendering and letting go of how I’m going to get there.

PC: You’re paving the way for the next generation of up-and-comers with the launch of 4th Door Records. How did that come to fruition?
Gedina: I read a book called Third Door. It’s an amazing book, if you haven’t read it. Go check it out. It talks about the nightclub analogy where there’s three different doors that are available for people to walk into. There’s the general admission line that everybody waits in, there’s the VIP door, and then there’s the third door, which is you run down the alley. You bang on the kitchen door. You do a certain set of combinations and they let you in through the kitchen. Ultimately, my intention has been to walk through either the second or third door. Once I’m in the building, I’m going to open that door. I’m going to open a fourth door. My intention is to create a new door where it’s not a challenge to be in vision in this industry.

PC: If you could tell your younger self one piece of advice or the next generation, what would it be?
Gedina: One of my favorite sayings is “Be. Do. Have.” Start with your way of being. Then walk into the doing or whatever the mechanic is, and they will have what they desire. If you try to do it in any other order, it’s not going to land and it won’t last.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Gedina: I’m a huge B.B. King fan.

PC: First album you bought?
Gedina: No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom.

PC: First concert you attended?
Gedina: I was thirteen and it was Salt-N-Pepa.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Gedina: Celine Dion’s Falling into You. That album introduced me to being a woman, being a leader, and being a visionary leader in this world.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Gedina: Madison Square Garden.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Gedina: Sour Patch Kids. [laughs]

To keep up with Gedina, follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up or stream “Messy” today.

Photo Credit: Mark Sacro