Meet Delv: Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Delv and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Delv, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
For artists, I think this is THE question. Because when you create something that has never been made, which is all of art or creation, who’s to say whether its “good” or not. It’s mostly subjective. And it’s all vulnerable. And the truth is that there will always be people who won’t like it. I think before I used to rely a lot on what other people where thinking about my music and feed off of positive comments to fuel my motivation, but those moments are really only short blips of energy that fizzle out. I think over time I’ve come to realize that it will always be worth it to keep going. Always. Whether its traditionally or monetarily successful or not, I will always keep going. There’s so much pressure to make everything you love into a 6 figure gig. And that’s cool, it’s awesome to have those goals, but it’s also cool if you don’t. So, I decided do it because I love it, it brings me joy, it helps me release all the collective and individual stories I hold inside. As it turns out, I usually get better feedback and more work when I’m thinking that way. Because it’s truthful and because I’m happier. Really, worst case scenario is it becomes a “hobby” and you find something else to stabilize your security. But doing art and being creative is still a more fruitful use of time and life than a lot of other things. There’s no downside to going. There’s always new and beautiful ways to do and grow and learn and think and be through art.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Something a lot of people who listen to my music don’t know about me is that I have a M.A. in counseling. This part of my identity and my life is not separate from my art. Most of what I write is about self healing and deep, introspective human experiences. My time with clients, holding space for trauma stories, looking at similarities in the human experience and our collective consciousness fuels my art. I actually don’t know what I would do with myself if I never found a place to put that information. I’ve been a vessel for beautiful folks to pour into, and I have to pour out too. Might as well make something with it. Tell people what I’ve learned and what its like to deep dive into refelction. Give them a soundscape to live in. The two words that people use to describe my art the most are “haunted” and “warm”. I think that’s just right. I’m really excited about the project I’m working on right now called “Gardens and Plantings”. It’s a reflection about our time during COVID and I’m releasing it in a kind of weird way. I’m letting go one song a month, mirroring the slow pacing of our time in quarantine. It’s about all the time we’ve had collectively to reflect on ourselves and what’s important, growing and becoming in real time. And I’m going to release a physical record at the end of the year! So keep ya ears open for it!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wherever they would want to go! But, some of my favorites are hikes and coffee in Topanga, a coastal drive to Malibu during sunset, a trip to Joshua Tree, Sequoia or Yosemite and maybe kicking it in a dive bar in Culver. So much natural beauty, I think nature it’s the best part of California. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband. 1,000%. He is the reason I am as successful in anything as I am because he supports me in everything I do. He was the first person to slap down a mic and hand me an interface and say “go”. I was already writing music, just me and my guitar, but he basically told me I was ridiculous for not letting people know what I had going on behind closed doors. He taught me about engineering and production, and that fueled a fire for me to start getting my own education at local producer workshops and songwriting classes. Being a producer and understanding that world really allowed me to create my own sound. Looking back, as a woman, that was such an important moment. I never even knew that production or engineering was an option for me because I was never included in that side of music. Not only did he include me, but he hyped me up the whole way. And now I try to pass that knowledge on and invite all the other female musicians I know because we can turn knobs and chat gear too. I love him for that.

Website: delvmusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delvmusic/