Introducing Experimental Pop’s Dynamic New Talent… Angélica Garcia 

Singer-songwriter Angélica Garcia is making an unforgettable mark in the music sphere with her showstopping and experimental pop artistry. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, the burgeoning young talent first made waves in 2019 following the release of her songs ‘It Don’t Hinder Me’ and ‘Karma the Knife.’ Since Angélica’s exciting debut, the emerging artist has continued to hone her craft, creating genre-bending music that explores spirituality, family heritage, womanhood, grief, and healing. In February, the ‘El Que’ artist dropped her first track of 2024 with ‘Juanita,’ a cumbia-inspired and avant-pop single that gives further insight into her limitless and creative mind. We were able to chat with Angélica about the immersive song, its accompanying video directed by Sonia Malfa, and her music beginnings. Check out our full interview below.

Heya Angélica! Thanks for sitting down with SPINDLE. Can you believe we’re already in February? How has 2024 been treating you so far?

I can’t. It’s been a very lovely whirlwind. 

Congratulations on the release of our latest single ‘Juanita.’ Absolutely incredible! Can you take us through the creative process for the record? What theme or story did you want to explore on the track?

Thank you. ‘Juanita’ explores how sometimes the things we desire most are directly related to wounds we have. In the song I say ‘Por qué me llamas? (why do you call me?),’ but I think what I’m actually asking is, ‘Why am I so drawn to you?'” I think the speaker is someone who is longing— trying to break a cycle.

The production of this song is so rich, hypnotizing, and even mystical – especially at the 2:19 minute mark. How did you land on this sound for ‘Juanita’, and what is your favorite aspect of the track sonically?

That’s great because I wanted it to feel like someone being hypnotized! I think our desires hypnotize us sometimes. I know personally I’ve felt driven to that intensity before. 

I love that the background vocals haunt like intrusive thoughts. I listen and hear a few different characters, and they’re all reminding the speaker that they can’t stop thinking about Juanita.

We need to talk about the stunning accompanying video for the track, which features you as two different characters. How did the idea for the visual come to be? 

So I sat with Sonia and started explaining the track to her how it was part ancestral, how it hints at possibly being a cycle of grief from a past life. I also mentioned to her how I noticed I wrote the song from the perspective of someone who is enamored with Juanita — that brought up conversations about queerness and gender/gender performance. 

Sonia then had the vision of me playing both parts— Juanita and a man that’s in love with her. I think the noir/sort of traditional binary of it is meant to nod towards it being a past life incarnation. How great desires can seem oddly familiar in the way that they represent something deeply known to us on a cellular level— like we’ve lived them before. It’s my understanding that past life incarnations can be a roll of the dice. So, it was fun imagining the spirit of the speaker in different bodies. 

What was your favorite part about working with the acclaimed director Sonia Malfa for the video?

Sonia is an incredible human with a gift of vision. It was so nice to collaborate with someone and feel understood creatively and culturally. She pushed me past my comfort zone. It wasn’t easy for me to play such binary representations of gender, but she helped me tap into my role as a storyteller. 

I want to take it back a bit to your music origins. Which genres of music did you gravitate towards growing up? 

As a kid, I loved dramatic, fantastical, cosmic pop like Madonna and Fey. Music with texture and undeniable rhythm like M.I.A and Janet Jackson. I also loved the catharsis of Interpol and the roundabout / sing-songy theatrics of The White Stripes.

Which artist or artists inspired you to pursue your own career in the music sphere? 

I just loved music. I was going to follow this path no matter what.

Is there an album or song from your childhood that continues to inspire your creativity and music ambitions? 

I think “Turn On The Bright Lights” by Interpol is a pretty perfect album. Records like that remind me that being a student is a lifelong thing.  

You’re set to perform at SXSW in Austin and The Great Escape. What can fans expect from your upcoming appearance? 

It’s a show that’s different than what I’ve ever done before. Definitely lots of new music. 

Will fans be treated to an album or EP announcement this year? 

There’s a record coming your way!

Lastly, what other goals – career-oriented or personal – do you hope to achieve in 2024?

I’m just working on being the best version of myself I can be. 

Make sure to check out Angélica Garcia’s latest track ‘Juanita’ and it’s accompanying music video below.