daena is the Indie Pop Artist From Nashville You Need To Know

Nashville’s music scene has changed dramatically over the years. What used to be a country music town is being flooded with new genres as Hip Hop and Indie Pop artists continue to emerge from the bible belt. Nashville is undoubtedly home to incredible talent and indie pop has definitely gained prominence in the recent years. An emerging artist out of Nashville whom we have our eyes on is daena (and yes, the lowercase is intentional). daena is an incredibly unique songwriter and performer whose ethos revolves around the fact that love is universal regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. As a queer artist, if she continues to pair impactful messaging with advanced music production, daena will have the potential to truly influence listeners on a wider scale. Produced by griggs and mix / mastered by Kyle Dreaden, her new EP “Electric!” delivers an incredibly inspiring combination of high quality production and relatable lyrics. She welcomes listeners with open arms as they weave in and out of her journey and I’ll be the first to say that, I can’t get enough.

The EP begins with the upbeat and seamlessly structured pop melodies of “Overrated”; a playful, tongue-in-cheek anthem poking fun at stereotypical relationship tropes. Organically, the song leads into a more moody “Close Isn’t Enough”, an ethereal power ballad filled with 80s-inspired space synths that will truly transport you. The next track “Give It To Me” offers a minimal Imogen Heap-esque production which, paired with daena’s pure and potent vocal, encourages her muse to wear their heart on their sleeve, again stressing the importance of the present moment. “Gonna Catch Up” offers hints of nostalgia with its hooky cassette tape sample – pulled right from the 1980s from none other than daena’s grandma, Barbara Rogers’ own music! Lyrically, daena remains confident as she clearly sees through inauthenticity and how quickly it can ‘catch-up’ with a person. The title track “Electric!” is a powerful duet with artist griggs, pulling together the theme of the record as it reflects on irreplaceable memories and a relationship that no longer ‘is’, – but when it ‘was’, it was great. The EP ends with a raw ballad entitled “Show Your Bones” which elegantly closes the project, urging listeners to be honest and vulnerable with themselves, especially in those darkest times. “I’ve always been a person who’s very emotional,” daena says. “And I feel things – super strong”.

Naming her EP “Electric!” was inspired by the energy fueled through the transfer of negative and positive points aka electricity! She feels that the emotions we experience in life are a a lot like electricity – the term really helps to define the complexities of the human experience. The anthemic EP follows the release of her preceding singles “Overrated” and “Close Isn’t Enough”. Gaining recognition from Spotify, “Close Isn’t Enough” made it to their Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Poptronix, and Night Pop playlists! We encourage Nashville to keep their eyes on daena. She’s delivering the quality of music that your city deserves and we can only hope she takes it on the road soon!

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