Alaina Castillo on Finding Her Sound, Getting Her Start on Youtube, and Her New EP, Fantasies
Photo by Henry Ammann
[UNPUBLISHED:] How do you want listeners to feel when they listen to the EP for the first time?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] I want them to feel like they have a comfortable space. I remember for some of my favorite albums I would lay in bed with headphones on and just have no responsibilities, no thoughts and just listen to the music and let it take me on this trip. So I want them to be open to interpreting their emotions and also the dark side that they don't usually let out.
[UNPUBLISHED:] In your opinion, what would be the ideal location to listen to the project?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] Probably a car ride. I know that's so cliche but it has to be at night time that's also cliche because these songs take you on a trip. You can't listen to them right before going to the club because there is a sad song on the EP but listen to it in your car on the way there and get hyped.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Does your creative process become an outlet for you or in any way help you gain an understanding for what you’re going through?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] Yes my creative process is an outlet but I have to be by myself. I'm not fully open and creative if I'm with other people because a lot of times you don't know the energy in the room and so if I'm by myself then it's definitely a way for me to express years and years of unsolved problems that I have experienced.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I appreciate how you’re able to blend different sounds together in your music. Some of your songs sound quite different sonically, especially when listening to older songs such as “i don’t think i love you anymore.” How did the transition from the music you made a few years ago to the sound you present in your new single “party in my head (ur not invited)” happen?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] I think it's just I was so innocent back then and I still am but I'm learning a lot of things now and learning how to put my energy into certain things. I'm not looking at it from the I don't deserve this perspective anymore I'm looking at it from the I do deserve this and anything that is in my way is not meant for me.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How do you think your sound has evolved over the years and how would you describe your music?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] I'd say my sound has definitely gotten a lot darker it's kept that same little sad vibe in the lyrics and everything but we've gone a little bit more dancy than than the previous EP's.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What are you most excited about in regards to the EP?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] With this EP I’m just happy for this new era because I feel like I've finally found a sound where I'm not faking it anymore. It is my lyrics and I mean it's always been my lyrics but this is like me not holding back and just letting the emotions on to the paper.
[UNPUBLISHED:] “fantasies” is your newest single, can you tell us about your inspiration for this song and what your writing process was like?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] The inspiration for this song, I'm a little toxic sometimes you know it happens being a Scorpio and all or just a fucked up person. But I also am very loving to the people that are very loyal to me so with all of these bad things that I might do or confusing things that I might do I will always try and make up for it. So you know whatever is a fantasy I will try my hardest to fulfill that fantasy you get what I'm saying.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What are you the most excited about for the upcoming tour?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] I'm on it right now halfway through and I think just meeting new people every night and seeing the crowd vibing to the songs because you know I'm a very big people pleaser and I just like to to know that even if they don't know my music they're vibing along with it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite song to perform live?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] My favorite song to perform live is probably “fantasies” because it is so vibey and just a complete dance. The crowd always always loves that song so definitely “fantasies.”
[UNPUBLISHED:] You began your career by posting covers on Youtube, did you always know that music was a path you wanted to pursue?
[ALAINA CASTILLO:] I did know that music was the path that I wanted to pursue. Did I admit it for awhile no, but whenever I started my YouTube channel and then eventually came to terms with like the fact that I had normalized the thought in my head of becoming a singer and now I had to put it out loud and tell my parents, that took a minute but I always always knew that this was what I was meant to do.
