Published: January 09, 2009 9:10 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight January 2010 Edition
Estrella Cristina
Editor-in-Chief's Artist/Band of the Week January 10, 2009 - January 16, 2009
Estrella Cristina Photo by: Jo Liu Photography
Right from the very moment I heard Estrella Cristina's single "Brighter Than Sunshine" I became an instant fan. What makes this Indie Pop artist's music fun to listen to are those catching hooks, colorful lyrics, and strong female vocal performed by the artist. What fans will enjoy most about the Singer/Songwriter is her ability to express powerful big emotions through her music and lyrics. Check out this recent spotlight that our Webzine completed with the artist in this super chic interview.
Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "Brighter Than Sunshine". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
Estrella Cristina: Well, "Brighter Than Sunshine" I actually wrote about my early time in Los Angeles. When I first moved here to pursue my dream, I had just graduated, didn't even have a job yet, didn't know anyone, and just had this dream. It was a pretty challenging time and what got me through it was just focusing on the music. The song is about that journey, of coming to a city not knowing a soul, not having a job or 'beginning' and feeling all alone. It's about finding that special someone-or something that makes the journey a lot less lonely.
My debut EP "This Is Life" is pretty much a summarized blueprint of all the things I've gone through since moving to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams. All the tracks on the EP are reflective of that journey. The title track for example is about that struggle in the journey of reaching your dreams and realizing that it's not about an endpoint or "the moment" but about all the little steps along the way. In other words, you're living in your "moment"; it's now you just have to recognize it.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Estrella Cristina
Photo by: Jo Liu Photography
Estrella Cristina: Wow, sooo many! My musical taste is a bit of a Smörgåsbord…lol I'm influenced by all types of music. It just depends, some musicians inspire me because of their ability to tell a great story, some because of that power they have to make you remember where you where when you first heard their song, etc... My first musical influence was actually classical, as I started off classically trained so I would say that classical music is definitely an influence. It's moving without the need for words, which I find beautiful. I grew up hearing a lot of The Cure, Depeche Mode, OMD and U2 around the house as my brothers were always playing them :-).
I also like Nick Drake, Rachael Yamagata, Amel Larrieux and Sarah McLachlan. They are all such great storytellers who emit so much emotion through their music and that's something I try to do with my music as well. Hmm, who else?, Alanis Morissette, No Doubt, Sixpence None the Richer, Coldplay, Butterfly Boucher, Nikka Costa, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, I could go on and on and on!
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Estrella Cristina: Hmm…I would say the highlight so far was my debut EP being released this past year. There was so much that had gone into building up to that finished project. It felt amazing to finally get to release my music for listeners. It was a real feeling of accomplishment like "wow everything has led up to this moment". It felt amazing! It was a bit of a journey trying finding my "sound", and there where times along the way when I wondered if I was going the right direction and if I'd ever get to a point where I would think my music was ready for people to hear. Then when I actually got to that point, it was both feelings of relief and amazement.
In so far as lowpoint(s), I can't really pick a moment. Here's the thing in general I try to just take every experience as it comes and do the best I can with it. Once you look at it that way you realize that even the lowpoint(s) aren't really lowpoint(s), they're just learning experiences that in their own way bring you closer to your goals. Sure, there are disappointments along the way, but I've realized that none of those things break you they just make you stronger.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Estrella Cristina: Ok, I'll do my best not to make this too long! Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away :-) I was born…lol…I'm of Latin-Caribbean background, my mom is Panamanian and my dad is Trinidadian. I always like to joke that my parents where giving me a bit of a head start with my name since it's Spanish for star. I was born in Sacramento but grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico and Nebraska.
I knew since I was little that what I wanted to do was music. Pretty much ever since I can remember I was always writing and listening to music. It's always just been a part of me silently accompanying me along on all my adventures. I started with the violin at around the age of 6. I played for several years and then started voice lessons training operatically. I enjoyed that for a bit having lots of recitals, doing musicals etc. I knew that eventually I wanted to do more pop/rock music but figured that if I could master my voice operatically I could sing anything.
After graduating from Cornell University in New York, I decided to move back to California to pursue my goals in the music industry. I had planned on being a solo artist from the beginning but ended up landing a hard to get audition, and signed on as the fourth and final member of a Destiny's Child-like R&B girls group that was under consideration by J Records. So I put my original plan on hold for a bit. When that didn't pan out after a series of showcases, I decided to go and focus on developing my own pop/rock sound, and started with learning the guitar with Frank Coglitore (a bassist whose played with Taylor Dayne, Beth Hart, Marie Digby,etc..) with whom I penned "Brighter Than Sunshine". I've been really fortunate to get to work with some amazing musicians along the way. That song in a way was the beginning of me finding my own "sound".
Estrella Cristina
Photo by: Jo Liu Photography
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Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Estrella Cristina: I'd say that can sometimes prove to be challenging. I'm fortunate to have the help of a booking agent who can get me shows at certain venues throughout Los Angeles which makes things much easier. But from prior experience I can say that getting gigs in Los Angeles can prove a bit difficult when you are going about it alone. I think in New York it is a bit easier in terms of getting gigs, LA can prove to be a bit tricky. The live music scene in LA is good, diverse artists, accessible, and a variety of venues, always something to hear. Living in a major city definitely has its perks!
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Pop music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Estrella Cristina: Well my feelings are mixed. There are times when I hear a really great Pop song and think "wow, this is the perfect song" and then there are those times where I'll hear something on the radio, sampled and doctored up in the studio and wonder where is the artistry and how in the world it's getting played when there are so many great underground artists who never see the light of day? I listen to the radio every once in a while as I do need to know what is going on and what is being played per say. But most of the time when I do listen to the radio though; it's more the indie-pop/rock/alternative stations. A lot of the underground "undiscovered" music is really great! Other than that for the most part though I stick to listening to the CD's in my musical collection, I've got quite a collection and although this is the digital music era, I'm one of those music fanatics that still buys CD's. I love to read the liner notes, see who wrote what, who produced what, etc…
I think the Internet has helped music grow. Like anything else there are pro's and con's but in general I would say it has definitely been a good thing. I mean it has made music more accessible to people in terms of being able to get to music anytime anywhere. Without the Internet, it would make it almost impossible for indie artists like me to get noticed and be heard.
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Estrella Cristina: That's a great question, a first! Hmm… that's a really tough one because there are so many great musicians that I have yet to meet! I think I'll have to leave this one as an open answer to be answered on our next interview ;).
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Estrella Cristina: I currently have my Debut EP: This Is Life available on iTunes. The iTunes version is 3 tracks. A hardcopy can be purchased by contacting me via my website or by purchasing at my live shows and includes a 4th track "Brighter Than Sunshine". I will be releasing another EP sometime this spring so I'm really excited about that! I've grown a lot as an artist since the last project and have been writing a lot of new material that I'm really excited for people to get to hear.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
Estrella Cristina: Fans can access my music, info, updates, etc… via both my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/estrellacristina and also via my official page: www.estrellacristina.com. I'll be launching a YouTube station later this year as well. Also, if they are interested in receiving email updates, they can sign up for my newsletter at: www.iloveestrella.fanbridge.com
Isaac: Message to your fans?
Estrella Cristina: I'd like to say a really big 'Thank You' to my "Stargazers" :-) for their consistent support and encouragement along the way. It really keeps me inspired! A reminder to them to keep working towards their dreams no matter what and to keep shining the light that only they can shine. Also, thanks to you for listening to my music and helping me share it with the world. Your support means a lot and it makes a big difference. :-) Much Sunshine to everyone in 2010 and keep a look out because this is my year!
