Creating new worlds

Phoenix native Upsahl is one of the artists performing at M3F later this week. A noted indie and alternative pop artist, Upsahl released her first EP when she was 14 in 2012, and soon became known in the local music scene. She signed with Arista in 2018.

Her work has become more noticed, particularly in the 2020s, with her début studio album, Lady Jesus, releasing in 2021, and her song ‘My Time to Shine’ featured on the soundtrack of the Brad Pitt starrer Bullet Train.

Lucire: You attended an arts’ high school so when did you decide to dedicate yourself to music and how much did you know as far as what direction you wanted to go with it?

Upsahl: There was never really a moment where I decided I wanted to do music, it was just kind of always a no-brainer for me. Since I could remember, music was always what I was drawn to, so getting to go to Arizona School for the Arts for most of my childhood was such a privilege. I’ve always known I wanted to be a rockstar, so it’s been easy to just follow my heart in that direction since. 

Did being based in Arizona when you started influence you at all? How did you get involved with the scene and what are some of the memorable experiences you had starting out? Any memorable shows or festivals you’ve been to in Phoenix?

Absolutely. I’m so grateful for the music scene in Phoenix, but mostly for my dad who introduced me to it. He’s been a part of the music scene in Phoenix since he was playing in bands when he was in high school, so when I started making music, he pulled a million friend favours to get me into the recording studio, to book me shows, and to get my music played on the local radio station. I remember getting introduced to Beef Vegan at KWSS radio via my dad, and we would go into the radio station super-early in the morning to play acoustic sets before I headed to school [laughs]. I always sort of felt like the youngest person in the Phoenix music scene, and I really looked up to all the other artists and bands that I got to play shows with, as well as the promoters that booked those shows, and I’m very grateful that they welcomed me with open arms.

Are you usually in LA these days and what has been the vibe there recently? Do you still get to travel around at all?

Whenever I’m not on the road or visiting family back in Phoenix, I’m at my place in LA doing sessions every day and working on new music. Right now, I’m in full self-discovery–album mode, so I’ve been writing a lot for my project, as well as working with a lot of other artists on their projects. I’ve spent the past couple years touring a bunch, so it’s been nice to just lock in on writing for a bit. 

There's a large visual component to Upsahl with photo shoots, videos and social media. Where do you get your inspiration and does your look and fashion sense reflect the music you’re making at the time? 

I love the visual component to being an artist. When I’m working on music in the studio, I’m already dreaming up music video ideas, or what the song “looks” like, and I’m constantly saving a bunch of weird visual ideas to my own mood boards to reference later. So when it comes time to do a photo shoot, or make a video, even if it’s just for social media, I have a well of inspiration to pull from. It just feels like I’m constantly collecting little visual ideas. I always want my look and my fashion choices to reflect the music that I’m making at the time. It allows me to fully dive into the world of the music and live and breath the music I’m making. 

Do your sound and look change over time naturally or do you consciously plan out new looks and sounds?

I feel like I naturally notice when I’ve outgrown a sound or a look. Once that happens, I’m pretty intentional about planning what’s next for me. I’m in that phase of my life right now, and it involves a lot of soul searching, mood boarding, listening to a lot of music, journalling, consuming a lot of art, and a lot of solitude. It makes me feel so inspired going into creating a new world. 

What do you have planned for upcoming shows (i.e. M3F)? What's the vibe you want to get across? Any other big events or projects you're excited to be working on?

I’m so excited for M3F. I played this festival when I was in high school, so it feels very full circle to be back. This is one of the few shows I have planned for this year, so I’m packing the set full of as much energy as possible. It’s going to feel like a chaotic little sweaty club show, except it’ll be outside at 2 p.m. on a Saturday [laughs]. I really can’t wait. After M3F, I’m diving back in to album world. For this album specifically, I’m really trying to connect back to my roots–how I started in music, so getting to play a show in my home town feels very special for me right now. •

Devin Colvin is entertainment editor of Lucire.

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