daena: “Just the Girl” You Need to Know

By Lauren Means • Photos Courtesy daena

Nashville-based indie-pop artist daena returned September 30 with her take on The Click Five’s explosive early ‘00s hit, “Just the Girl.” Her music has found its way to Spotify’s “Fresh Finds” and “Night Pop” editorial playlists, been featured on iHeart Radio, Nashville’s Lightning 100, Breaking Sound Radio, and more. daena’s 2019 single “Close Isn’t Enough” has organically amassed over half a million Spotify streams. If you don’t know daena, now is the time to change that. 

Who is Daena? Tell us a little about you and your background.

I’m an indie-pop artist currently based in Nashville, originally from Jersey. I moved here in 2013 to go to school at Belmont, and since graduating, I’ve been releasing music as daena, exploring love, truth, and vulnerability through my music and songwriting. Outside of music, some of my favorite things include iced lattes, petting dogs, watching “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” video games, and doing yoga in my living room!

When did you find your place in music? What formed your music?

Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It ran the gamut from recording fake variety show musicals on my beloved cassette tapes in elementary school, to Jonas Brothers and Good Charlotte obsessions, to listening to Springsteen CDs when my mom drove me to choir or band rehearsals or open mics in my hometown. Moving to Nashville has also been an essential part of my music journey and discovering who I really am as an artist. 

I think my early influences, like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, will always poke through in my vocals and writing tendencies, but as my music taste has grown so has my sound. Now, synth-pop bands like MUNA and The Aces have had a huge influence on my songs sonically. One thing I think will always be a part of my music is craft and storytelling. It’s one of my favorite parts of the creative process – sitting in a room and spilling your guts to one or two other people for four hours with a guitar and a notepad (and sometimes a glass of wine). Before the recording session, press campaigns, touring, or anything else comes into play, it’s songs in their purest form. And it’s magical.

You identify as a queer artist. How do you feel your identity shapes your music (if it does at all)?

As a human and a songwriter, I’m basically an open book – that’s just me (and it pretty much always has been). Something I strive for is to be as genuine and honest as possible in my writing and in my artistry, whatever that may look like at the time. So, to do that, it would be impossible to ignore this huge part of myself and my life – and more importantly, I’m proud to be a queer woman! I also want to give representation to so many LGBTQ+ youth who haven’t had it – because they deserve to hear their stories told as much as anyone else. It’s so important to me to be a voice for those queer kids feeling alone, or weird, because I know how isolating that can feel.

While we are making strides in equality for all, there are still barriers — especially here in the south. What advice do you have for people who might be struggling with their identity? What advice would you go back and give a young Daena?

Absolutely. I was lucky to grow up in a pretty liberal place (New Jersey) in a really diverse and accepting community. But I definitely did struggle when I first realized I was queer as a freshman in college. I felt like I was somehow behind, or somehow an outsider, compared to friends of mine who knew they were gay since they were kids. And it took a long time for me to really feel like I belonged in this community because of that – not to mention struggling with labels, identity, etc.

So for anyone struggling with coming to terms with their sexuality, I would just say to give it time and give yourself grace, and love. Remember that you are beautiful and you are valid, no matter how you identify or where you are on your journey of self-discovery. 

Your take on “Just the Girl” dropped September 30. Is there any other music we can be looking forward to in the coming months?

Yes! “Just the Girl” has been in the works for the better part of 2021 – I am so proud of it and it was an absolute blast to make with my producer, griggs. I’m also super excited to release more new original music in 2022! I’ve racked up quite a few new songs written during the pandemic and can’t wait to package them up into (hopefully) my debut full-length record. You can stay tuned on all my upcoming releases by following me on social media @daenamusic.

To learn more about daena and hear her music, visit https://www.daenamusic.com/.