‘Austin’ singer Dasha talks whirlwind success and what happens now

Born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California, Dasha’s musical journey was deeply influenced by the rich tapestry of country, folk, and Americana sounds that surrounded her upbringing. From an early age, she immersed herself in these genres, cultivating a profound connection to their storytelling traditions. Her musical journey began at the age of eight when she started playing the guitar and piano, eventually evolving into a skilled songwriter. Having attended Belmont University’s songwriting program from 2018 to 2021, Dasha honed her craft, learning the rules and tricks of songwriting.

Back in February we reviewed her new album, ‘What Happens Next?’ which her recent smash hit, ‘Austin’ is taken from and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. If you missed that review we thought you might like an opportunity to read it. Click here for a review of the album.

Dasha stands on the brink of stardom, propelled by her ability to connect with audiences on a deeply personal level. With millions streams to her name and a dedicated following on TikTok, she has created a platform for her music that resonates with fans worldwide. ‘Austin’ has been a smash hit over the past couple of months and we were thrilled to catch up with her to talk to her all about it.

Hi there Dahsa, welcome to England, it’s lovely to talk to you today.

Hey there! Thank you, it’s great to be here. It’s way too cold for my Californian ass! I need a fur jacket! (laughing)

How did the set go last night? (Dasha played an exclusive acoustic set at Third Man Records the night before)

It was such fun! It went really well. We spilt it up into two shows so that we could get extra people in there. It was fun getting to play the songs how we wrote them because I haven’t got to do them in a second given we’ve been on big productions like the CMT show recently. I got to play a super-stripped down version of ‘Austin’ and I feel like when I do that the song just hits in a different way.

At your heart, you are a singer-songwriter. Is that your favourite way of presenting your songs?

It depends, I guess, because I do love doing the big productions as well! (laughing) I do love the chance to strut about on stage but it’s also really cool getting to play them in their truest form which is the most ‘country’ version of them. First and foremost, I am a songwriter and getting to strip the songs back down like we did last night makes them sound really real.

What a crazy six weeks you’ve had with the success of ‘Austin.’ Has it just passed in a blur?

It has, honestly. I am really trying to be aware and look around and see what’s happening because you are only going to have your first blow-up once, right? So, this has been a really special time and I’m really trying to take it all in but it’s hard because everything has happened so, so fast. I’m, like, ‘what is even life right now? Is this a prank?’ (laughing)

What’s the most surreal moment or event that has happened to you so far because of ‘Austin?’

Let’s see. Probably it was when I was in L.A. I was signing with Warner Records and I get a call to say that I’m going to be on the Jimmy Kimmel show and then we find out I’m doing the CMT show later that week! I’m also told I’m going to be on the cover of ‘Pop Rising’ – all within the span of a week, there was all these crazy things happening which made me feel like, who is pranking me right now?! (laughing) Like, ‘Who did my parents pay off for this to happen?’ (laughing)

On a logistical level – we’re a country platform so we don’t get to speak to many people who have to dance and sing at the same time – is it difficult to sing and do the line dance at the same time?

YES!! It definitely takes a lot of breath control and training. There’s a muscle in your throat that has to be developed to be able to do it well. Focusing on that, whilst you have adrenaline pumping through and dancing around at the same time is hard! It’s like the perfect combination to fuck up, right? (laughing)

All artists have to develop and work at that, there is no cheat code for it, you just have to learn it. Half the battle is physical, because you have to be in shape but half the battle is also mental in terms of being able to calm yourself down. When I was about to go on stage at the CMT awards I was feeling so good about everything, I knew exactly what I was doing and when but my heart beat would not slow down at all, it made me feel like I was going to have a panic attack. I felt good, I felt ready and prepared but it was the weirdest thing.

How does ‘Austin’ change when you play it acoustically?

I mean, I feel like when I play it acoustically and I’m not having to sprint around a stage, my voice shines way brighter. My goal is to get to that point with the performances and live shows with it too. It’s cool to slow the song down when we play it acoustically and you get to hear every lyric and every meaningful phrase rather than just the vibe and tone of the song – being such a songwriter I love to dive into every lyric and sentence because they are all very intentional. Even the spacings are there for a reason and it’s cool to show that off with the acoustic performances.

You are originally from California via Belmont University in Nashville. Did you grow up in a musical household, I know your brother is also in the music industry, and when did you know you wanted to do this for a living?

Throughout my whole life I’ve always loved putting on performances, you know, to friends and family in our living room! (laughing) I always dressed up – my brother and I were always in some sort of costume, we wouldn’t go to school without being in some sort of tutu or something like that! (laughing)

I started songwriting really early, around the age of 8, after picking up a guitar and I also became obsessed with poetry and Taylor Swift. But I think the moment I realised that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life was on my 13th birthday. My dad bought me a present, which was to go into a studio and get one of my songs recorded professionally. Getting to share my art at such a young age felt so good and so exciting and I caught the bug from there. There was nothing else I wanted to do after that!

When ‘Austin’ blew up it was probably one of the reasons why I was really ready for it because I’ve been working towards something like that for a decade now.

Was Belmont University a super-intense, competitive place or was everybody there supportive of each other?

It was competitive in its own way because so many people there wanted to do the same career. When you’re 18 you can’t help but see everybody else doing what you want to do as a threat because you are too young to know that everybody can have their own lane and can ‘win’ at what they want to achieve without it impacting on you! (laughing) I’ve learned that now.

I was in the songwriting program there and we had these peer reviews. Every week we would write a song based on a prompt from our teachers and we’d bring it in and play it live for the class. After, there would be an open discussion, involving everyone, about what they liked with your song and what you could have done better or have changed!

It got really brutally honest but that was good because we got to develop those skills you need to survive in this industry! It was hard getting your songs ripped apart and having your ego checked at the door but it made me want to be a better writer, which can only be a good thing in the long run.

You released your ‘Dirty Blonde’ album last year. How is your new album, ‘What Happens Now?’ different to ‘Dirty Blonde?’ What process did you go through between the two albums?

I think the biggest difference is in the sonics as ‘Dirty Blonde’ is way more of a Pop album. When I released ‘Dirty Blonde’ last year it was the weirdest feeling to have to admit to myself because it didn’t feel like who I was anymore. I loved the music and felt proud of it but it didn’t feel like me – I’d changed during the making of it and I didn’t relate to it anymore, which was strange given I’d taken two and a half years working on it! (laughing)

So that meant that last year, January through to March, I was, like, ‘What the fuck am I going to do?’ The art had changed the human and I’d left that part of me behind. I didn’t relate to the music that I had just put out and it wasn’t working for me at all. My brother’s ex-girlfriend was, like, ‘Dasha, Country music is where you belong, that is so you.’ It’s funny because I was in denial at first but all I was listening to was Country – Zac Brown, Morgan Wallen, Kacey Musgraves and Warren Zeiders – those were my favourite artists.

Once I wrapped my head around the fact the songs don’t have to be beer drinking, Friday night stuff, that the songs could just be real and be about real stories and emotions I started to be able to see myself doing it. I love writing real stories and I love banjo, harmonica and fiddle and it all just came together in a perfect storm. I think I needed to go through that Pop development and those years of doing that to get where I am today.

There are lots of ‘real’ stories all over ‘What Happens Now?’ Tell me about ‘Drown Me,’ which is a raw, toxic story. Was that song inspired by a real life relationship or is the story a little more fictional?

Oh, that’s a real one. The whole album is more-or-less about the same person. Yeah. It was a really hard year and a half of my life and I learned a lot because of this person. It was a very toxic relationship, we were never together and it was just a mess but it was a good mess because I got a great album out of it, so thank you for that, sir! (laughing)

‘Drown Me’ was the first song I wrote for the album so it kinda set the tone for everything else to come. I remember the day we wrote that, sitting in the living room of one of my best friends, Zach Stein’s, house. I was just crying and I was so upset because I knew how bad this guy was and I knew that I didn’t need him in my life but, for some reason, I would have let him kill me, right? That’s what the song is about – being in that weird state, something I had never felt before and never want to again. I felt so helpless.

Check out our review of Dasha’s ‘What Happens Now?’ album right here. The album is available to stream in all the usual places.