Artist Snapshot: Dea Milo
NAME: Dea Milo
SCHOOL: CC ’23
GENRE: Hip hop, R&B
WHAT THEY DO: Producer, songwriter, filmmaker
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What’s a song you wish you could listen to for the first time again?
“Good Evening” – Mac Miller
What’s your songwriting process like?
Usually, I’ll have an idea for a song or a lyric I really love in my notes and I’ll pull it out if I make a beat I like and see how I can drape the lyrics over the beat. I never sit down with the intention to write a song. Every once in a while there will just be an idea that I can’t get out of my head and I’ll have to sit down to flesh it out.
When did you start writing music/performing?
I come from a very musical family so music has always been a primary interest of mine but I started really playing guitar and drums when I was 8 years old. I played in a bunch of bands but I always wrote and produced my own music on the side.
How has being at your school/major contributed to your music/artistry?
Being a music major here at Columbia has really changed my relationship with music because the program is full of some super wonderful awesome humans who are supportive and excited about celebrating women specifically in the world of music production. In high school, I always felt shutdown by guys who didn’t think I could possibly know what they know because I was a woman. I felt like I had to work twice as hard to prove that I belonged there just as much as they did and that caused my relationship with music to become super stressful. Here at Columbia there is such an awesome community of uber-talented kick as womxn doing music and production and having that environment has allowed me to really own and embrace that I do in fact belong in those rooms. Also working with other talented musicians here has definitely made me a better artist myself.
Tell us about a random moment when a lyrical excerpt or melodic motif for one of your songs hit you? What was it like? How did you remember it?
I remember sitting at my desk really late at night one night and thinking about that feeling of just wishing that at the end of the day the person that you’re no longer in a relationship with, even if it ended on good terms, felt some sort of sadness or loss from the end of the relationship. The hope that it meant enough to them for them to be sad when it’s over. Then the lines “Don’t want the truth, just tell me lies, pretend you cared, tell me you cried” popped into my head and immediately felt like exactly what I had been trying to articulate. I think if you ask any songwriter why they do what they do they would describe to you that feeling of discovering the words that speak the truth of your subconscious. Those moments stick with me because they’re like short bursts of euphoria that feel rare to come by.
How has being in NYC influenced your art?
I’m from Brooklyn actually and have lived and gone to school in NY my whole life and I think that’s a huge part of my art. NY has everything and nothing is really weird or out of the ordinary here so there’s never been a fear of being too outside the box or not enough like everybody else. I’ve also been influenced heavily by NY musicians and the history of music in this city so I don’t know if I would be where I am today if I wasn’t from here.
Is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with? Who and why?
Definitely Kehlani. Anyone who knows me knows she’s my wife in my head, don’t think that needs explanation. Saba would be dope, Lizzy McAlpine is such an insane writer I would love to spend a day in her head. Yussef Dayes AKA my favorite drummer, SG Lewis, Billie Eilish (she always looks mad comfy I wanna get matching sweatsuits and write a song about depression). H.E.R, angelic voice, and insane guitarist. How long do you have?
What’s something you’re working on, or are excited to start working on?
I just released a new single called carried away on March 12th! And launched my website with merch which I’m super excited about so I’m currently working on getting that out there. Now that those projects are out I’m excited to hibernate and work on finishing my EP.
What are your top 3 favorite albums of all time?
I have no way of picking top 3, but 3 that changed my life are…
CTRL– SZA, K.I.D.S– Mac Miller, Sweet Sexy Savage – Kehlani
How has the pandemic affected your music/process?
Quarantine definitely helped my music because it was all I did 24/7. I think the time and space helped me write lots of music but also just made me a better musician. I discovered a lot of new music during the Q that was super inspiring which was also super formative. Overall, I think it just confirmed for me that this is what I want to do with my life.
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
The idea that strangers can immediately share a connection and a bond through music is the coolest magic there is. I think it’s the coolest and most pure form of communication we have and I love being a part of that.
What’s an album with no skips?
CTRL – SZA. I just think the world would be such a better place if everyone was required to listen to it at least once in their life.
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Photography by Florence Sullivan