Artist Spotlight: Kiara Garcia

Kiara Garcia is a singer, songwriter and producer from Las Vegas, Nevada that loves making music that makes people happy. Her song, “Obsessed,” is a playful pop love song that’s upbeat and catchy. It comes from her new album Ocean Pearl which compiles tracks that tell a story while still keeping everything lighthearted, creative and fun.

In this conversation, we go beyond the music with Kiara Garcia — diving into the moments that shaped their soul.

Eye On Pop: Every artist has a defining moment. Looking back, what experience shaped the artist you've become today?

Kiara: The most defining moment for me would be taking the leap into music production. As an artist, I wouldn't have been able to show who I am through music if I hadn't built up the courage to start producing for myself. One of the driving forces that led me to production was actually seeing other amazing producers at work, and one I could never forget was Michael Jackson. I vividly remember, as a child in the early 2000s, marveling at Michael Jackson performing on stage at one of his concerts and then watching the follow-up video showcasing him in his studio. There was something so charming and inspiring about someone dedicating themselves to the craft of music. To me, music is the photography of the world. It's a picture that holds memories that never truly ever die. A person's heart and soul can live on with just one song. Undoubtedly, music leaves the biggest footprint in this ever-changing world. Seeing Michael's ethic may have influenced me as a singer, but as time went on, I realized I wanted to be producing for the love of the craft, the same way he was. Having that core memory in mind, with the push from my mother to start producing, was what definitively shaped me as the artist I am today.

Eye On Pop: How has your relationship with songwriting evolved over the years?

Kiara: My relationship with songwriting has gotten more mature and imaginative over the years. When you're younger, there are certain aspects in life you don't necessarily always think, see, or know about, which makes growing up and learning all the more important. Songwriting at a young age, you can go along with lyrics, but whether you have a connection to those lyrics and how you convey them is what draws the line in the sand. Over the years, I started to think about life in different ways and take in more of my surroundings to come up with lyrics. Every day is a new day to learn and you'll never know what you might find unless you allow yourself to follow that momentum and see where life takes you. Over the course of my life, I've followed that momentum and I will continue to follow it to evolve and build my songwriting up.

Eye On Pop: Who are your biggest musical influences?

Kiara: Michael Jackson, no doubt, is my biggest musical influence. His work ethic, talent, drive, and performance, was a chef's kiss. He is one of the types of singers, dancers, and performers that I have immense respect for. Being a kid, you could be in awe seeing him, but being an adult, you can have appreciation and understanding of just how talented he was. It makes me think about whether I had never watched a performance or heard his music, would I still be doing what I'm doing today. Subconsciously, I genuinely don't know if I even know the answer to that. I may not produce to his level or do his genre of music, but to me, music is about the essence, love, and passion that I, as the artist, have for it. I love making music, I'm passionate about it, and I love doing it, which is why I appreciate artists and musicians who feel the same way. Overall, Michael Jackson has always been and will always be the biggest musical influence in my life. 

Eye On Pop: What accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?

Kiara: The accomplishment that I feel most proud of for me right now is releasing the album, "Ocean Pearl." Normally, I release singles or Ep's but I wanted to compile my sweetest, newest ventures into one album. In fact, it is also the first album where I produced every single song on. There's a sense of fulfillment you get when you overlook a project and see all the time, love, and effort you put into it. It also makes me proud because I think about how much of a fun a playlist is to tour with. It's a great feeling to know that it was worth putting together and knowing I did my best and I did my thing.  

Eye On Pop: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?

Kiara: I enjoy a few things when I'm not making music, which are: reading and mostly watching YouTube videos or TV shows. It's weird because music is my job, but it's also a hobby that I enjoy doing, so I'm usually always in my studio and maybe at the very end of the day, I'll do something else with my time that involves one of those pastime enjoyments. I love reading stories and having a good show or video playing in the background while I read. Between us, every once in a while, I might enjoy playing some old video games of mine. Funny enough, I love making multi-genre music, and that actually coincides with my pastimes because I am always doing something different. Really, it depends on how much time I have and what I feel like doing.

Eye On Pop: What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day of recording or performing?

Kiara: My favorite way to unwind is honestly going to my favorite spot on the couch or to my room and lying down. Depending on my schedule and what I have planned, I don't get that relief until I know I'm done for the day and that I'm lying down somewhere. When I get to breathe and sit or lie down anywhere in my house, that's truly an unwinding moment. I'll even sometimes make something refreshing to drink or indulge my sweet tooth, especially if it's been hot outside. There's nothing more relieving than getting off of a chair you've been painfully sitting at for 4-10 hours because you've been so locked in on making music that you didn't even realize how much time had passed. It's satisfying to get into comfy clothes and know the day is over. 

Eye On Pop: Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?

Kiara: For lyrics, I take inspiration from what I experience or what I have experienced in life, as well as what I've gathered from others. If I hear a lovely quote, I might want to incorporate something similar to my lyrics, or maybe if I hear a funny story, I'll want to write some lines playing off of that story. For melodies, I sort of let it come to me. It depends very much on what I'm feeling and what I'm thinking. More often than not, I have to sing and record different melody lines that come to mind and then listen to it back to see if I like it. Having feedback is great, too, because having someone else tell me if the melody is catchy or if it needs to be reworked or changed completely is what really helps me with the overall process. It's wonderful to be able to tell or create stories through music and see what the listeners can pick up and find. There are always hidden gems in my songs, so I also use that as a source of inspiration.  

Eye On Pop: How do you stay motivated to keep creating music?

Kiara: I stay motivated to keep creating music by staying in love with music. If I didn't love doing or even listening to music, I really wouldn't be doing it. In fact, the motivation to continue doing it as a profession is because it's the only thing that's ever stuck with me that I have never lost interest in or wanted a break away from. In fact, having fans that enjoy my music and want new singles, Ep's, or albums of mine, is one of the greatest motivations I have to keep loving what I'm doing. I love seeing people happy and if a song of mine can convey even just a little joy to someone's day, that motivates me to keep doing what I'm doing. It's not enough to say that I appreciate the support and that it always brings a smile to my face whenever I hear that someone has a favorite song of mine. There won't come a day when someone says that they like or love a song of mine and it won't bring me pure bliss and warmth to my heart.

Eye On Pop: Do you write music on the road or only in a dedicated space?

Kiara: Truth be told, I write music on the road, in a dedicated space, wherever and whenever. In fact, I always find myself recording different sounds that I hear just to see if I can somehow make a synthesizer or virtual instrument out of it. Sometimes I'll randomly think of something and urgently have to record it on my phone before I forget it. I get pretty excited when I feel like I know exactly what I'm doing for a song and I then get to go record it and see how it sounds live. Even more so, it's cathartic when I'm away from the studio and have the time and space to make lyrics fit a melody or make lyrics around the melody. To be real, if I'm working on a project and go away from that project, even when I'm away from it and I'm present in real-time, the cogs in my head will actually be working overtime thinking about lyrics, melodies, or production ideas for that project. Although I don't love that my brain does that, I still appreciate the ability to be able to write on the road and anywhere else.

Eye On Pop: What’s the most challenging aspect of being a song artist?

Kiara: The most challenging aspect of being a song artist, I would say, is amplifying my footprint. It's fun making different genres so I want to further expand my global listenership. I'm very grateful for the fans that I have, so I'd love it if I could continue to reach more eyes and ears and scale it higher and higher. Undeniably, it's because I want more people to fall in love with my sound. I think it's romantic how everyone could be listening to my songs at the same time or even using my songs as a way to get through different moments in their lives. When I was young, music was my steady light, the anchor that saved me from the worst days, which is why I create music to be that steadiness for someone else. That's why even though amplifying my footprint is a challenge, it's a challenge I'm willing to take. A cute way to think about it is that I just haven't introduced myself to everyone yet, and I want to kindly say, hello, I hope you are well, and I hope my music can help you out on the darkest of days, because remember, the sun always comes out tomorrow.