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

Hi Sera, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I think I finally answered that question once and for all this past year. When I was younger it was because music was all I was really interested in. I could’ve maybe gone into a creative writing career, been an author of some kind, but music was the path I started on so I stuck with it. I always wondered if I stuck with it because I was stubborn. Someone who needed to prove they could do the impossible thing. Until I got your typical 9-5 job working with kids right out of college. I needed money and worked with kids as a music mentor in college so pursuing childcare made sense when I graduated. I wasn’t a music teacher, I was essentially the manager of a daycare program at an elementary school. And I was good at it. Really, really good at it. One of the teachers at the school said I should consider teaching, that I had a gift to working with children. That terrified me. I had stepped through the door of a life without music. Without the dream of being signed, or touring, or “making it”. In one way it was relieving, and in another it filled me with a hollowness so deep I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning.

I choose to pursue a creative career because I am just too filled by it. Music is my missing piece.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is just an expression of myself, I try to find even the deepest parts of the most shallow emotions. I think in my interactions with others I tend to hide. I spent the beginning of my musical career as a guitarist, and even moving into a production space my classmates were always boys/men. My teachers were often men. I think to mask my femininity and “fit in with the boys” I would hide a part of myself that was bigger than I gave credit to. Or sometimes I would do the opposite. I would hyper-sexualize myself to differentiate between me and “the boys” as a teenage bid for attention and spots in shows. In both scenarios, I couldn’t tell you how much of me really wanted to do that. I just did it.

My music then becomes like a meditation, where I can explore who I actually want to be. How I actually feel. I don’t worry too much about how it separates my art from other peoples art, it just is.

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.
I’d take my friend up to Big Bear. I went recently and had the absolute time of my life.

On day one we’d rent wave runners and go on the lake. We’d have breakfast at Jakobe’s Famous Food’s, and then walk around the village to find dinner and lunch.
On day two we’d go for a hike up to Bluff Lake, and day three we’d go kayaking. On day four or five we’d rent a boat, and lay out in the sun for hours. Day six or seven we’d have to go swimming, or hike again. Honestly, the best part about Big Bear is that if there’s something you want to do or see, the locals are so friendly they have no problem giving you recommendations on where to go. Especially when it comes to hiking, they have a lot of knowledge about which trails are the prettiest. The best part of Big Bear as well is it’s not crowded year-round, so if you go in June it might be relatively empty.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my good friend and musical partner in crime Sintoria. Becoming an artist was a terrifying venture, and she’s been one of my biggest supporters. She’s helped me with vocal arrangements, and finding parts of my voice that I like using. She’s been a gentle hand to hold through this journey thus far.

Of course my stepdad Mark Hollingsworth deserves recognition as well. He’s a top tier composer and he’s been working in music longer than I’ve been alive. He offers me a lot of advice, and has helped me get through some very dark times. He also masters my songs!

It’s such a beautiful feeling having two fabulous musicians support you.

Instagram: https://serafae.wav

Youtube: @beatslikeagirl

Other: My website will be up soon! Very exciting.

Image Credits
Photos taken by Sintoria and Venniel Nephew

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.