SVRCINA: Nashville’s Independent Force
Writing music for more than half her life, SVRCINA has gained the reputation of a prolific writer to music industry professionals.
After signing her first publishing deal at the age of 13, writing nearly 500 songs, recording in countless studios, and traveling thousands of miles while working with dozens of experts, SVRCINA’s already seen the success that verifies she is living her purpose.
We interviewed her about her musical style, dream collaborations, and challenges within the music industry. You can also check SVRCINA out in our Sound Issue released 7/21/19.
How much has Nashville affected your life?
Living and working in Nashville has been a slow and steady journey, and the artist I am now is not the artist I thought I would be when we moved, but I’m so grateful for the refining process. I absolutely love people, love music, art, creativity, and storytelling so much! I also confess, I have unexplainable affections for sheep, tiny spoons, public transport, the dry cleaner, almonds, and find a thrill out of the simple/mundane activities of life.
How much has your style changed since you started doing music?
Oh my goodness, it’s changed so much. Somehow it feels like I’ve paid a visit to nearly every genre short of polka and heavy metal! Because I started doing music professionally at such a young age, the whole process to find myself as an artist has felt long and slow. But honestly, I don’t know what I would do without my manager, Wendy Duffy.
I met Wendy at 18, and I was legitimately at the point of quitting music altogether. I felt so lost and discouraged, and I don’t know what I would’ve done had she not seen the potential in me and offered to take the risk to seek it out. She asked me questions no one had ever asked before and has been patient to walk with me, encourage me, and challenge me until those questions found an answer, artistically and personally. She’s been a champion and a friend, and her genuine love and relentless belief has been significant. I could cry with how grateful I am to her and our growing team.
As an emerging artist today, what would you say are some of the challenges you face?
The list could get pretty lengthy quickly, but two challenges that come to mind first:
- The volume and frequency of content being put into the airwaves is definitely at an all time high. Consumption of music and entertainment is fast-paced, and the life cycle of content seems to have decreased, but it’s still costly and a long-term investment to create it. Artistic goals may vary, but I do hope to create something unique that could possibly still translate years down the line. It’s an exciting challenge to try and accomplish this while embracing opportunities to build sustainable income and meet our generation’s patterns for listening and engaging.
- In general, I would say finding/maintaining emotional stability and genuine community can be a challenge for a lot of creatives. It’s not always true, but sometimes comparison and competition sneak in, and every now again, you encounter people who are only looking to their own interests. It can be discouraging and leave you feeling isolated, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are some extraordinary people in the music community, and I believe that with each person that decides to enlarge their perspective with a team mindset, the creative culture can be a healthy/encouraging environment.
Name a few artists would you love to do a song with and why.
There are so many! Lewis Capaldi and/or Alec Benjamin and/or Khalid. I saw Lewis Capaldi at a live event in Berlin in February 2018. The show was highlighting emerging artists, and I died over his lyrics and his voice super divine. Honestly, all these fellas’ songwriting styles and their emotional delivery slay me.
Imogen Heap. I just think she’s a genius. I’m so fascinated by her art and her unconventional approach to music and songwriting. She’s a creative risk-taker, and I feel like just sitting in a room with her and watching her process would be super inspiring.
Justin Bieber. I cannot tell a lie. His voice and his melodies melt my soul like a bowl of queso.
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
The term “surprised” might be a little loose depending on who’s reading, but the truth of the situation is that while I would love to be gracefully traveling through life, I have a small history of being a little bit clumsy. Some featuring examples include fainting on my keyboard during a performance, setting off fire alarms at a hotel in London from the shower steam, taking a brief ride in a Polizei car in Cologne, Germany after a small rental car/parking lot tragedy, and most recently spilling an entire cup of coffee on a co-writer’s beautiful white rug. Not gonna lie, I don’t know how to fix this! Haha. Also, SVRCINA is my actual last name. My first name is Molly.
What motto, quote, or words to live by do you use to stay motivated when you aren’t feeling inspired?
I always try to remember that inspired creativity inspires creativity. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. It’s found everywhere, and my pursuit to create art is not merely for fulfilling my own dreams. I’m a very ™the why behind the what∫ kind of person, and in times of disappointment or discouragement, I’ve found that on the other side of me pushing through is the potential that people’s spirits can be lifted and hope can be found in whatever they may face. An even more exciting thought to my soul is that it could ultimately spark greater creativity in someone else, and that they could grab hold of even a thread of inspiration, and uniquely create something totally new and fresh!
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