Aria: “I've toyed around with many different meanings for ‘being successful in music’, and I've realized that the sole ability to make people feel something from my music is success to me”
Aria Narang is a twenty-three-year-old singer/songwriter born in New Orleans and now based in New York. Better known simply as Aria, the rising talent recently delivered an acoustic version of their successful single, On My Mind, and I instantly fell in love with everything about the track.
Getting the sense that Aria had an interesting story to tell, I approached them to see if they'd be up for a chat. Thankfully, they were game, and what followed was a fascinating deep dive into their artistry.
Going in-depth about On My Mind and what makes it such a personal tune, their love for Tracy Chapman, and what equals success in their eyes, please welcome our new friend, Aria!
Hey Aria, it's awesome to have you here - thanks so much for agreeing to chat with us!
Before we get stuck in, I'd love to ask you about your musical journey so far. What sparked your passion for singing and songwriting?
I've been singing since day one. It's always been a passion of mine, and I truly came out of the womb singing! It's funny because no one in our family sings or pursued music, so it kind of came as a surprise to my parents. I was always a very talkative, expressive kid, and I think singing just went along with that.
Once I hit a certain age, I started to grow curious about actual artistry and the way people connect to music; it all felt so fundamental to me. You never meet someone who doesn't have a favorite song or can't talk about a time that music helped/healed them. I think that was the initial strike of passion for me, that feeling of using music to reach people, to touch people, to cure people. Songwriting went hand in hand with that.
I've always been an anxious person; my mind runs fast and says a lot. Words on paper always helped, and then expressing them through song was just how things naturally progressed.
On My Mind is a single you released just over three years ago.
I want to ask you about your brand new acoustic version, but before I do, could you tell us what the tune means to you and how it feels to know that over 16,000 people have listened to it?
On My Mind was one of those songs that just came to me so quickly. If you're a songwriter, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Sometimes I sit down and know what I want to write about, but it takes time. I have to craft out the lyrics and figure out its sonic counterpart, and it's a real journey. For On My Mind, I was sitting on my bed in my dorm room with my roommate on the other side on her bed, and I was just plucking around on the guitar and kind of found that melody that now makes up On My Mind. My roommate turned towards me, eyes wide, and said, "What song is that?" That's when I knew I had something really good.
After the melody came the lyrics, and they capture the feeling of the strangers-to-lovers pipeline that will always amaze me. The idea that you can meet someone one day and then the next day, you can't remember how you lived without them. On My Mind is about loving deeply, loudly, without fear or hesitancy. The fact that I've gotten so much love for a song that bleeds love is so incredibly meaningful to me.
OK, let's chat about the acoustic version!
Firstly, and I suppose most obviously, why did On My Mind stand out as the track that deserved an acoustic reworking, and then what drew you to the challenge of recording it in one take?
I am one of those artists who will always shine on stage rather than on screen. I feel like connecting with the audience in person is unbeatable, and it's where I feel most myself as an artist. On My Mind is such an amazing way to end any set because it's happy, it's simple, and it's just fun! I've played it countless times, just me and the guitar, and have closed so many shows with it.
A few months ago, I started seeing the original 2023 version getting a lot of streams all of a sudden and just thought it was my most popular because of how light-hearted it was. A few weeks later, I received a DM on Instagram from someone who said they really liked On My Mind and how they heard it on the radio. They spoke to me about how it really captured queer love and how nice it was to hear. I was so shocked; I had no idea my song was streaming on the radio.
Come to find out, it got picked up by a Turkish radio station, and this person, who lives in Turkey, let me know how rare it is to hear queer songs there and how On My Mind had given them a sense of confidence in their queerness. After hearing this, I wanted to reproduce On My Mind in the way I have played it a million times: just me and the guitar in one take. In order to capture the true rawness and realness of falling in love and being queer, On My Mind needed to be that way too.
If you could pick one of your songs to achieve huge success and recognition on a global scale, which would it be and why?
Oh wow. This one is so tough!
Honestly, On My Mind comes up for me quickly since it has so much traction right now. But, if I got to choose, maybe my song Ink. I wrote it during a study abroad in Cuba, easily one of the happiest times of my life so far. I was in love, and I was in love with the country and with life.
I wrote Ink as a love song to who I was with at the time, to Cuba, and to myself. I've played it so many times since then, since leaving Cuba, since leaving that person, and it has changed so much in its meaning to me. I feel different every time I play it, and its versatility is enchanting, I think. It would be amazing to see it reach people who need it.
Take us through some of your biggest musical influences.
And, just for fun, if you could pluck one song from history and add your name to it, which would it be?
Oooh, this is soooo hard!!
Honestly, my mind goes to Tracy Chapman. I would love to have written Fast Car or The Promise. She was one of the first queer artists I listened to, and I instantly fell in love with her sound. She has such an androgynous voice, and she really captures that feeling of loving deeply, which obviously I am a fan of. But, as much as I'd love to put my name on it as a joke, no one would be able to give those songs the justice that she has. What a talent.
When you’re not creating music, what keeps you busy and happy? Walk us through a non-music day in the life of Aria Narang.
So, outside of music, I am a data scientist for Marriott, believe it or not. I work from home in NYC, a classic 9-5. Otherwise, I am a big gym goer! I love to lift and swim. I also love hanging with my cat Moby, who is my ride or die. My friends and family also keep me so happy, and I spend much of my time chatting the days away with them. Also, FOOD! I am a huge foodie and love to try to eat everything. Sushi is my favorite 😊
Success is, obviously, such a broad term with different meanings for everyone.
What would “being successful in the music industry" look like to you?
Honestly, I think I am already successful in the music industry. Obviously, I have big goals that I would love to meet one day, like selling out a stadium and going on a world tour. But I don't think those things equal success.
As I've grown older, I've toyed around with many different meanings for "being successful in music", and I've realized that the sole ability to make people feel something from my music is success to me.
All I've ever wanted was to make people feel heard and seen with my music, and I've already done that. If I can keep giving more and more people peace through music and fight for justice with my words, I will continue to be successful.
Aria, it's been an absolute pleasure having you here - thanks again for taking the time!
Before we say farewell, what comes next for you musically, and do you have any words of wisdom you'd like to leave us with?
This has been an absolute pleasure, and you have asked such fantastic questions!
I've got two more releases in the mix that will be revealed shortly. I think people are really gonna like these two. In terms of words of wisdom, when it comes to making music, I've recognized how possible it is to write for yourself while writing for the justice of others. In putting out music about my relationships, my heartbreaks, my anxiety, and my transness, I have led others to courage, to peace of mind, and to confidence. Music, what a gift.
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