Alt-Pop artist Attxla Transforms Personal Struggles into Musical Magic

Alternative pop artist Attxla began songwriting as a form of self-therapy, a way to express her thoughts, feelings, and musings. Now, the singer-songwriter is hoping to offer a means of inspiration for others with her new song “Release.”

“Songwriting slowly shifted from free, train-of-thought style journal entries to poetry, that then took on a more lyrical shape,” she says. “In a lot of ways, music itself did not come naturally, nor easily, but came through a series of failed starts, tons of late nights, and a lot of inner work. It was not natural, but I was naturally drawn to it with the feeling only getting stronger by the year. That’s what I want people to take away from my music: you are not alone, regardless of the situation. They themselves are enough to live for. They are worthy, in general and of all things they want in this world.”

Since 2017, Attxla has put out an album (Ebb), mixtape (OLD NEWS), two EPs (Flow I and Wake The Witch), seven singles and a slew of DJ collaborations, as well as remixes, amassing over 4 million streams. Attxla says artists like Little Dragon, Banks, James Blake, Arca, Jill Scott, Sophie, Bjork, Erykah Badu, and Baths have truly shaped the framework of how she thinks about, hears, interacts with and (occasionally) attempts to make music.

“Most of the feedback I receive comes from friends, family, and fellow musicians in the scene,” she says. “The reception overall is quite positive and at times constructive, which I so appreciate. Also the fact that my music is reaching audiences in 50-plus countries is truly wild, but I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to bare my soul and personal struggles with so many others that might be going through similar times.”

Attxla thinks the most interesting part about being a musician are the connections and friendships that she’s made along the way so far.

“Being a maker and consumer of music makes the world so much more detailed but also way smaller,” she says. “Especially in the streaming era, social media has helped tremendously with the discovery and subsequent befriending of artists all over the country—dare I say, the world—for one reason or another, besides simply geeking out about each other’s music or educating one another about the current industry status and latest marketing/licensing/publishing practices.”

However, Attxla finds the creation of the music itself to be the most gratifying part of the process.

“I truly enjoy the conjuration that occurs when you lock yourself in the studio and just create without thought, intention, judgment, etc,” she says. “It is incredibly freeing and I’m beyond grateful to even be capable of such. It really feels like I am having a conversation with my soul where the sounds are the question and the lyrics are the answer. It is easily the most intimate and deeply spiritual experience that I get to have in this life, besides my candlelit tarot pulls, of course.”

For her latest single, “Release,” Attxla wanted to provide a means of expression and healing for those who have faced hardships in the LGBTQ+ community.

“This is my first Pride single,” she says. “What makes it so special is that lyrically it tells a tale old as time, especially for those in the queer community. A lot of us are raised by parents that use shame and guilt as their primary disciplinary tools, especially if they’re religious and/or conservative. Literal years go by and those two imps continue to taunt and torture us until we—who did not ask for this, mind you—do something about it. In the song, our protagonist, one of those reared using the aforementioned method, finds themself in a dreamy, haze-filled scene where people like them come to wash away the shame and let the guilt go through dance.”

Going forward, Attxla plans to release remixes of her latest EP, Wake the Witch, as well as a deluxe edition, Awakened Witch, just in time for Halloween.

For Attxla, being a musician takes hard work and dedication, and you have to truly want it to make it in the music industry.

“This has to be the first thing you think about when you wake up, the thing that gets you through each day, the thing that keeps you up most nights, and the last thing you think about before you close your eyes,” she says. “If that doesn’t describe you now or sound comfy to you, exit stage left. I say that with as much love as I can. The amount of time and energy put into this craft versus the return—not even mentioning how long one may go without any return at all—you MUST love this art form, this industry and feel with every fiber of your being that you belong in it.”

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