StreetWave Media features an Exclusive Interview with pop/dance artist, Deja Renee located in Los Angeles, California. After our interview, check out the music linked below…
1. What made you decide to jump into the music industry or music business?
What made me decide to join the music industry is just the fact that I’ve been doing music my whole life, and there’s nothing I’d rather do
2. What do you think makes you stand out from all the other aspiring and upcoming artists in your genre of music?
What makes me stand out from any up and coming artists in my genre is I’m pop, but not like Ariana Grande or Lady Gaga, I’m R&B, but not like Sza or Summer Walker, I’m somewhere in the middle as Deja Renee. And there is no other Deja Renee
3. If you could collaborate with ANY artist/band… Who would you choose and why?
If I could collab with any artist, it would be Zedd. I love the edm pop hits he makes and I we would make something dope together
4. What do you think is your biggest Advantage and your biggest Disadvantage about being an Indie artist?
Biggest advantage about being an independent artist is having the freedom to create music however I want. One of the biggest disadvantages is not having a team to help with marketing, so that I can be seen and heard. Being and independent artist is trying so hard to get random strangers to be fans with no reputation to back you. But another big disadvantage is having to spend all of my own money, which is why I have 2 jobs
5. Do you prefer the Independent route or would you rather sign to a major record label, and why?
The reasons why I would want to be signed to a major record label is, like I said earlier, the help with marketing. Also having song writers and producers and sound engineers to help create amazing songs at the best of their capabilities. And also so I can quit my jobs and do music full time. The big upside to being independent is keeping all my royalties though. But I think I would prefer to be signed to a label
6. Out of all the songs you’ve released, what do you think is your Best song and why?
Out of all the songs I’ve released, my most recent song “Jealous” is definitely the best. This is a new genre of pop that I haven’t explored recording before and something I definitely love. The production and sound quality is also the best because this is the first time I recorded in a professional studio with a sound engineer, all my other songs were recorded in my bedroom
7. Do you miss the era of CD sales OR do you prefer the new wave of music streaming? Explain…
I think music streaming is better because it helps music to reach new audiences around the world that it may have never reached with just CD’s. And songs can be played hundreds of times and garner royalties from that, as opposed to just a single CD sell
8. Between creating in the studio OR performing live on stage, which is your most enjoyable one and why?
Considering I haven’t performed live yet, creating in the studio is definitely the most fun. It’s fun to experiment with new things and just see how things flow
9. During your entire journey through the music business, what would you consider your Worst experience?
My worst experience was and is joining TikTok to try to create content to reach younger audiences. The comments on there are HARSH and it’s definitely discouraging
10. What would you consider your most successful or proudest moment in your music career, so far?
My proudest moment would of course have to be charting on iTunes. I was so surprised and taken aback when I saw that. And just within the first week of Jealous being out!
11. If any, what discourages you the Most about music industry these days?
What discourages me the most about the music industry is just how much competition is out there. It was hard enough, before streaming, to get noticed by anyone, let alone a label. Now it’s so easy for anyone to just put their music on streaming services that you really have to be amazing and exceptionally different to get noticed. It’s also all about networking and making connections and meeting the right people as well
12. What inspires you the Most about the music industry these days?
What inspires me the most about the music industry is also how easy it is to put music on streaming services. It’s bad but also good. I would not even be close to where I am today if I didn’t have the ability to just use an online distributor to put my music out. There are so many tools at our literal fingertips, it makes everything so much easier
13. If you wasn’t in the music business or industry, what do you think you would be doing with your life instead?
If I wasn’t in the music industry, I have literally no idea what I would be doing. I got my associates degree in music performance. I’ve thought about getting a degree in something else but there’s seriously nothing else I want to do with my life. I have 2 jobs right now but they are just to pay the bills and pay for my music, I don’t really see myself making a career out of either of them (I hope I don’t get fired