Brewing Brilliance: SOOS Discusses His Rise, New EP, and What Lies Ahead in 2025
By. Pranav Chittharanjan
In the diverse and dynamic world of music, artists often have unique stories that shape their creative paths. In an exclusive interview with Alicia’s Studio, emerging artist SOOS shared his journey into the music scene, discussing the pivotal moments that inspired him to pursue a career as a musician. His passion for music is infectious, and he offers a glimpse into what fuels his artistic expression as he navigates the complexities of building a career in this competitive field.
Balancing education and a burgeoning music career is no small feat, and SOOS is no stranger to the challenges this duality presents. He shared insights into his daily life, revealing how he juggles school responsibilities with his dedication to creating music. This commitment not only showcases his determination but also highlights the sacrifices many young artists make in pursuit of their dreams.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of SOOS’s journey is his desire to create music that resonates beyond his own experiences. He emphasizes the importance of crafting tracks that connect with others, aiming to produce art that uplifts and inspires. This dedication to his audience sets SOOS apart as an artist who is not only focused on his career but is also deeply invested in making an impact through his work.
Diving In
Pranav: If you could go ahead and introduce yourself and then we’ll dive into the questions!
SOOS: Hello! I’m Jesus Perez. I just turned 18 in November and my stage name is SOOS. It’s just Jesus but split in half. I thought it was unique and cool, so yeah!
Pranav: Awesome! Let’s dive into the first question.
Pranav: Can you tell us a bit about your musical background and how you got into music?
SOOS: I have a friend named Nathan Ray Rau. He produces and makes music; has a small studio at his house he built with his dad in a shed. Once we graduated high school I started going over to his house recording and coming up with little lyrics here and there. We came across a beat and that's how we made 'Don't Leave Me' at his house which was my first ever song.
Pranav: Was there some inspiration that took place before, when you're younger, you said you're 18 now, but did this musical interest start beforehand?
SOOS: Oh yeah, for sure. I always used to listen to Steve Lacy back in middle school and then recently Malcolm Todd in junior year, so yeah. Also, I used to listen to a lot of indie music, like underground indie artists when I was in ninth grade.
Pranav: Do you want to expand on those? Who were some of your early musical influences? I listened to some of your songs and I kind of got an R&B-ish vibe so maybe in that genre, but also if you had inspiration outside of that.
SOOS: I'd definitely say Thundercat and The Internet. I've got some huge inspiration from them and then I'd say it would be Ben 10 if you know who that is. Let's see who else… Choi Jav! Yeah him and then a lot of others!
Pranav: Was there a specific moment or experience where you kind of knew this is what you wanted to pursue? I know with music it takes a lot to go out and produce so what was that inspiration or that moment for you?
SOOS: When I was recording “Don't Leave Me,” I had recorded five other songs before that, and they just weren't hitting. It's kind of like they were kind of trash because they're my first ever songs, and then I just recorded it. We recorded it all in one take, literally, back to back from background vocals and everything. We were like, 'Damn, we did this in 20 minutes.' It was so easy but it wasn't at the same time, because a month before that, it wasn't hitting as hard. I think I kind of improved my vocals and got better at singing; I think that's what helped me make a better song.
Pranav: You kind of touched on this, but what were some of the challenges that you faced when you first started out? Maybe it was the five songs that you didn't like. Did you put those out and then not receive the feedback that you wanted or were you not happy with them as something you created on your own?
SOOS: A big challenge was buying equipment, especially since I wasn't really working back then. It's kind of hard on money. Also, those songs just weren't good enough, so I didn't release them either. If I really want to commit myself to this type of art, I really gotta feel. I really have to put good music out there and not just for me. I only make music when I know I would listen to it. I knew that when I wouldn't listen to it and I know it's not good quality, I would not release it.
Pranav: I like that attitude! I think that it's a good attitude to have across different aspects of your life. After you made those five songs, you kind of explained this already a little bit, but what was the turning point where you decided to put out your first song and something that you were proud of and helped. Did you figure out that you were now on the right path to releasing music or the right kind of music?
SOOS: My first release, it did pretty good for my first ever song. I think I got like 500 streams in a week and after that, I just kept going. Now, I think that the song “Don't Leave Me” has almost 8,000 streams on all platforms. This is doing pretty good for my first song so yeah. After that one, I started getting messages, story replies talking about, ‘Oh yo, don't leave me. You’re amazing, keep doing this.’ I got one particular message from a friend. He said we used to play basketball, but we don't really talk anymore.
SOOS: And he said, 'This is really what you want to do. You got to go for it, man! “Don't Leave Me” was amazing.’ After reading that message, I was thinking to myself like, ‘Damn! If that's how people really feel, then I should just keep going.’ especially if “Don't Leave Me” isn't my best song yet. I've definitely put out better. And I'm gonna be gone soon; I feel like over time, I've progressed, and especially with my lyrics, writing, thinking, and delivery, especially.
Pranav: Was there a strategy that you have behind releasing music and how to get people to listen?
SOOS: When I first started, I didn't really have any connections or anywhere to put my music out there. Although, I started a music account and I started posting on there. My TikTok! Yeah, my TikTok is what got me out there. It didn't really start going up until this EP dropped for “Loozer.” It really skyrocketed in a way, and it got 30, 000 views on TikTok. I think that's what really started getting my attention to people.
Pranav: Now, we're going to talk a little bit about the songwriting process. From start to finish, or from when you have an idea to the final song, what's that process like? Do you go through many revisions in the lyrics? How do you go on like the recording process?
SOOS: I first start off with brainstorming or just thinking. What I like to do is create a vision or create a story that I've never encountered before. When you imagine or create a story, it opens up such a big hole for you to just start thinking of multiple things. It’s like, ‘Oh I can put this in there or that in here and make it all connect in one song.’ But what I tend to do sometimes is that I won't even notice it and I'll add two or four lines about my life in particular, my love life and what I've gone through in the past. It seems to connect with these imaginations of mine as well, so I think that's kind of cool in a way.
Pranav: Is there maybe one, if you want to share, an experience, moment, or something about one particular song that came from your own personal life?
SOOS: I could say “IDK-Interlude.” It’s about this situationship where I was with this girl. We were talking about not knowing how to feel and I don't know what to do because she wouldn't communicate right to tell me how she felt. I kind of t put my feelings onto a piece of paper and I liked it. I recorded it, and it's out there now.
Pranav: What is your favorite part about the music making process? Is it the writing lyrics, recording, or the beat making and the instrumentals?
SOOS: I don't really make the beats as of right now, but I have friends who make them for me, or people I've met along the way. They've messaged me, some of them have messaged me saying, ‘I love your work, let's work.’ They just sent me some beats and I got to writing, recording and they love it! What I really love, I'd say is the recording part. It's just when you're in a little mode and you're like, 'I gotta get this perfectly.' I feel like when you push yourself too much, it's not gonna come out perfect. You gotta just be chill and laid back. There've been so many songs where I wanted them to be perfect and I try so hard to get it right, and it just never ends up happening.
SOOS: What I do is take a little break, and then when I say I'm ready to record, I'll be ready. I took a little break after Cold Cappuccino for almost two months, and I got back into recording again. When I am more laid back, I have more thoughts in my head. I don't have to get this perfect; I just gotta just be locked in and get it right. I did that and I made like almost four new songs in the span of a week. I feel like that really helped because I wasn't pressured, stressed or worried about getting it perfect.
Pranav: Yeah, definitely! Taking breaks is important because you’re recharging that creative spark. Otherwise, you're gonna get burnt out and you might not put out things that you really enjoy.
Pranav: You mentioned Cold Cappuccino so we will dive into that. As you mentioned, it started blowing up on TikTok a little bit and in general, it's been getting a lot of good attention which is great. So what's the inspiration behind the project? Is there a coherent theme throughout the EP?
SOOS: I had released four new singles and then I released ‘IDK-Interlude’ before the whole EP as an interlude. People liked it; they liked how I recorded my vocals in that song where it was mostly all raw instead of stacking most of my vocals like I normally do. It was just one main vocal and just me showing what I can do with my actual voice. Kind of like a dreamer, EC Alma vibe or Kali Uchis. They were like, ‘Yo, we want an album, we want an EP.’ And I was like, ‘Yo I can't give y'all an album. I'm just starting.’ So I wanted to give them a little EP with 3-4 new songs and that's what I did. I had no idea what to name it before; I named it literally two days before it was released. I ended up picking Cold Cappuccino because it’s about heartbreak, trust, ups and downs in life. Me, I personally hate coffee, and I hate when my warm cappuccino turns cold. That's just the way life goes. You can't complain because of a minor setback or because you run out of time or because your challenges are getting harder as you grow older. You gotta keep going no matter what. Just going with it.
Pranav: What was the song writing process like?
SOOS: I wrote them in no ordinary or specific way. I feel like for “Loozer” in particular, that one is just a song I made and it wasn't particularly about anybody. You know when you make a song, it's just a song you just make because it sounds catchy and you think it'll get someone's attention? That's exactly what I ended up doing and so I was happy about that. And then for “y.n.t.s.a,” that one, I think I wrote it like four months ago when I was barely starting. I did that one with my $40 mic. It doesn't sound amazing, but I liked it because it was pure, original and represented what I actually felt back then. Changing my mood or how I feel now isn't going to change how I feel back then. I feel like people need to hear that song. Even if it doesn't get that many views, I know some people can relate to it. I've gotten messages directly towards my DMs saying, ‘Yo, I love that song. It's a perfect outro for an EP and I can relate to it.’ I really love when people reach out and they say they can relate to my songs because that's what I strive to do. I try to make songs where you can vibe to it, chill to it, but most importantly, relate to it because that's how an artist can connect with their supporters.
Pranav: You mentioned you used a $40 mic when you were recording that song. I was wondering what the whole recording process was like? Was it gear that you had bought from the start that you were using? Did you have a studio? How did you get the songs from the lyrics on paper to the actual files on streaming services?
SOOS: When I had my $40 mic, I think I threw it away so long ago. It wouldn't play into my Scarlett or my computer. I had to get an adapter so I could connect it to my phone and I'd go to my recordings on my iPhone and then click play. I would go near the mic and just record. I would have to do everything in only one take and it would sound kind of bad too because I didn't have that much. It didn't sound pretty good because it was a $40 mic and so it is what it is. After I finished recording, I paused, airdropped the recording into my laptop, and dragged it into FL Studio. I would have to get it perfectly timed with the beat and if it wasn't perfect, it would sound horrible. With how I record now, I have this mic right here, it's a Rode NT1. It was like $200, but I mean, I saved up for it because I'm really serious about music. After I upgraded, my quality started getting better because this mic is obviously way better than the $40 mic. I just go to FL Studio, plug in the mic, and then when I'm ready to record, I just put play and it just records there for me. Now I don't have to connect to the iPhone and then air drop it, this and that.
Pranav: Okay, that's good. I do a lot of photography and there's a common saying that the gear doesn't really matter. It's something photographers themselves and I think that also applies to music. I think when you are stuck with a $40 mic or you're stuck with not the most fancy equipment, it forces you to be a lot more creative.
SOOS: Yeah exactly!
Pranav: It pushes your limits and I think you become a better artist, a better photographer, a better musician because of that.
SOOS: Yeah, it really challenged me for sure. It wasted so much of my time. But I mean, for music, I'll always let it waste my time because I have a special type of love for music. I used to play basketball and I got injured. I got knee surgery on my right knee and I wasn't able to play any more. I feel like after that, I had no love for anything anymore until I came across music. My friend was like, ‘Yo, we got to record one day.’ I started loving music again from that point on.
Pranav: I'm exactly the same way. I had a PCL and an LCL surgery on my right knee too from snowboarding. I found photography to kind of be my outlet.
Pranav: I was wondering in your EP, did you have other songs that you were considering that didn't make the cut?
SOOS: There's at least 2-3 songs that I didn't end up releasing because they felt rushed and not perfect. I might release them on SoundCloud, but even then, you know, maybe not.
Pranav: How does this EP differ from your previous work? How does this kind of differ, both in terms of sound, but also the lyrics and the message you're trying to convey. And is there a particular direction you want your lyrics to go through? I know you mentioned you wanted to just be relatable to everyone. I know there's some artists that mainly focus a lot of their lyrics on their past, maybe romantic experiences, or a focus on hardships that they've gone through in life. Through a particular message could you maybe walk us through that, both in terms of the sound that you're creating and then also the lyrics.
SOOS: I think this EP might be my best work so far in terms of sound. I feel like I also changed my sound. I feel like I haven't fully found my sound, like the SOOS sound. I'm still experimenting, not in a way where it's genre changing, but it's where I switch up, like on how the guitar sounds, how the drums sound in a way. I have another EP coming out soon, because I post on TikTok everyday, it definitely gets attention. I started getting actual, real supporters from different states following my Instagram as well. I think I gained 300 or 400 followers in like a month. Now, they're always messaging me and replying to my stories. They're like, ‘Yo, we want an album. We want an EP.’ It's actually crazy to think about it like people actually listen to your music and they actually support you. It's just a great feeling. I don't think I'm going to give them an album because if I were to give them an album, it would just be 7 songs and that's kind of like a lazy album because it's not really ten songs or more. I'll just give them an EP, but it'll be very well produced and way better than Cold Cappuccino. That's what I can say. I'm gonna give them like 5-6 songs just so they can just have that until I drop more singles or even an album in the future.
Pranav: Is there anything you can or want to spoil about the EP?
SOOS: So there is this song named “Taiwan.” That one is going to be one of the starters on the EP and that one's dropping on the 31st of January. Shout out my boy Birch. He's from LA. He reached out to me and was like, ‘Yo, I feel like you would cook on his beat.’ And I was like, ‘Yo, let me hear it.’ I heard it. I was getting mad The Internet vibes. And at this time, right now, I love The Internet more than I ever had before. Hearing that beat and hearing that someone reached out to me saying they wanna work, it felt amazing because that's the type of style I was going for before. I couldn't really find any of the Internet-type beats. He gave me the beat and I started cooking on it. I sent it to him, all the raw vocals and everything, and he sent me the final version – it sounded amazing! Shout out to his boy because he helped too! He just really helped. That one's coming out in a week and it was all produced by Birch. It's awesome. I'll make sure to listen to that one when it comes out. After that, I have songs named “Sexy” and “Just Because.”
SOOS: I'm starting to forget the song names because I have so many coming out. Oh, right. And then I have one named “Hummer.” You know Steve Lacey's “Hummer” song from The Lo-Fis? I'm going to drop a cover of that song because I was bored, wrote it and it sounded amazing. I'm going to release that too. I have like four songs right now. I might do two more and then release that maybe in February. I think I'll wait one more month after that to see where stuff goes.
Pranav: Now that you've graduated high school, are you full time going into music or are you balancing school with music or what is your day-to-day life like?
SOOS: I'm just juggling school and music right now. I mean, right now, I think music's just a hobby as far as where I'm going. Although, I feel like if I get more attention and recognition, it could be more than just that. I'm going to college right now. Doing my general eds. I want to major in criminal justice and then maybe minor in law. We'll see where that goes from there.
Pranav: Okay, just out of curiosity. How did you get an interest in criminal justice in law?
SOOS: Ever since I was little, I've loved documentary shows, like criminal shows and documentaries. I've just like watching shows about the law on Netflix. Ever since I was in seventh grade, I told my mom I wanted to be a lawyer. But I don't know anymore because throughout time, it kind of changed. Now, I want to be an investigator or detective because I've always wanted to do that. It's so interesting to me. Even though some people are like, ‘Yo, you're really into that?’ Because I know some people who never liked documentaries of crime and stuff. But I mean, I love watching that. So that's what interests me.
Pranav: Are there any particular tracks on Cold Cappuccino that are special to you? And maybe if there's one you can explain the story behind them?
SOOS: Yeah, I can explain “Bicycle.” So “Bicycle,” this one’s producer is Sublimary. Shout out Sublimary! I've worked with him with a lot of songs. He produced “Slow" as well. He emailed me that beat and it caught my attention because I don't really focus on beats like that but that one caught my attention because of the guitar and the drums. For that one, I didn't really think I could come up with a love story or a hate story so I kind of just started riding with it and kept going no matter what. Like I mentioned earlier, you just gotta keep pushing because you never know what can happen. Anything can happen in an instant second. I feel like you just gotta just keep pushing and just believe in yourself. Even if you don't believe in yourself, there's others around you who really do. Even if you don't notice, it's there. The support is there. You just gotta reach out to the right people. And I feel like life in general is kind of like a little boy on his bicycle just riding along and I feel like I would just imagine little me just riding the bicycle down the path down of my memories and history. It goes into where I am right now. I like that song and it's really underrated. I've got messages about that song too, talking about how it's probably my best song on the EP. I used some different type of delay on those vocals this time. I was just trying it out, I heard it and liked it. So I just left it at that. I think what I hear a lot though is the beginning when I say ride and it sounds crazy in your ears. I feel like some people say I couldn't move that to the end or to the middle when the climax is rising. But I was like, I could have, but no, I'd left it like that because it's just what I was thinking and how I felt like the song fit great the best, you know?
Pranav: I like the message that you talked about just before this about community support and how you might not believe in yourself. There's others around you that can support and help you and I think that's a really great message.
Pranav: What was the most rewarding experience so far? And have there been any unexpected reactions or experiences that you got since putting this out?
SOOS: I'd say definitely getting attention on TikTok because before, I used to post and I would just get a thousand viewers every day. It just wouldn't change my viewers and stuff like that. It's funny because it's actually crazy. For “Slow,” I think I invested some money on that song so it could go up. It did, only for a little bit of time. For this EP, I was gonna invest some money in this one. It's crazy because personally, I believe in God, so I prayed to him, and it was like, just make me make this right decision. It was like, just make me invest or not invest and see where it goes. A day before I was gonna put some money into the EP, it just started blowing up on TikTok. It's gotta be a message from God or something, cause maybe he didn't want me to spend money or maybe he knows my path and where I'm headed. Although, he's just not telling me where I'm going fully yet. It started getting a lot of attention on TikTok and that's where I started getting a lot of views, a lot of followers. I really thank God for that cause I heavily think that was big, how do I say? It was a big sign that he gave to me to not put money into it. Obviously, when you want to perfect your craft, you put some money into it. For now, I feel like I'm doing pretty good on TikTok with getting a little bit more views than I had before.
Pranav: What's next for you musically?
SOOS: So yeah, one song on the EP; I don't know what it's going to be named yet, but I got some vocals in, recorded them, with some rapping and my boy Birch, the one who produced Taiwan, he's amazing at rapping. He's super lyrically skilled. I checked out his music one day and it was crazy because you see producers out here, they're good at making beats but sometimes their singing or rapping is not on point or perfect, as perfect as their beats. But Birch, he's crazy. And my boy Nathan right now, so he's crazy with making beats and rapping. Birch, he's going to get a feature on the EP. Hopefully we can get that done. And then, yeah, he can produce that one as well. As far as other projects, I think after this EP, I'll probably just wait a while and see how people respond to it. Or people love it. I'll keep dropping consistently, you know, or, my friends were like, ‘You gotta pull Steve Lacey, like drop the EP and then just wait two years and then drop another EP.’ I was like, ‘Yo, what?’
Pranav: In that next EP, are there any new genres or sounds that you're trying to explore? Maybe, do you want to stick within that kind of R&B field or is there something else you want to try?
SOOS: I've definitely been leaning more into the Afro-fusion kind of funky R&B vibe. I feel like that fits me really well because I've tried bedroom pop, kind of like a rockstar-ish vibe and it doesn't really fit my voice. I feel like where I'm at is good. Where I'm doing alternative R&B with a little bit of funk and a little bit of Afro-fusion. I think that's pretty much where I'm at right now. I think if I were to like to go into the genre, it might be like bedroom pop, but kind of like, like Laufey, kind of like her style. I think I could also go for fast paced love songs, kind of like “Stephanie” by Nafis' Bougie. I definitely will try to get into that if I can.
Pranav: If anyone's reading the interview doesn't know what bedroom pop can you give an explanation?
SOOS: To me, I think bedroom pop is music you can just tilt to and not necessarily just in your bed, but in your room or on car drives, late night vibes. It’s music you just tilt to or even dance to you know, get jiggy too. So yeah, that's just my definition of it. I feel like I have songs kind of in that category, released and unreleased, but it's more of an alternative R&B vibe.
Pranav: So you prefer to make faster sounding songs or slower sounding songs?
SOOS: I probably go the slower route because my song, “I Want You,” was pretty fast paced. My opinion on that song is that it's pretty bad. I never got it mixed or produced because back then, I didn't know how to do any of that, so I just left the raw vocals and I thought it sounded so good. When it actually came out, it wasn't too good. That's when I kind of realized that I gotta learn how to mix and master my vocals because if I don't, I’m not gonna get anywhere. I think that song helped me improve a lot, especially spending hours and hours trying to watch YouTube videos and see how FL Studio works and how it can work.
Pranav: I'm scrolling through the listening numbers on Spotify, and it's actually very incredible the amount of plays you have for each of the songs, especially with the one you mentioned, “Don't Leave Me.” It was only released in 2024, so less than a year. And it accumulated so many listens, which is great! So I think that's great, and you said you had to learn the studio platform, learn how to mix and match them. So I think taking that amount of work on yourself, but still being able to create that amount of success is pretty incredible.
SOOS: I feel like with my, I don't like to call them fans. I like to call them family or supporters because when you call someone a fan you're just kind of belittling them or like I think you're over them but that's my community and I have a special bond with them. You see, these artists on TikTok don't follow their supporters back and they just just leave them unfollowed. For me, I try to and because of tech talk, a video will blow up and it will just go crazy. You'll get like 200 followers. You can't just follow them all back. But I say I follow everyone back on Instagram and I do, at least I try to. That way, they can respond to my stories and message me whenever they want. There's been multiple times where they request to message me and I forget to follow them back, but I'll follow them back. It will then just create a bigger bond. Sometimes, they'll just message me randomly. They'll just be like, ‘Yo, how you doing?’or just checking up on me. I feel like that's great. Some people will be saying they feel like they're talking to a celebrity when they message me. I'm like that's kind of crazy. I'm just a regular old 18-year-old boy from Antioch. I try to treat them like I'm just a regular person myself. I'm not like a Los Angeles celebrity or anything. I feel like I'm not even close to being a celebrity yet. So treating people equally and how they're supposed to be treated, and how they deserve to be treated is how I treat them. I'll have one-on-one conversations with my supporters and it's great to meet new people, especially from different states. I'll have conversations with people from Alaska, Minnesota, Mexico. It's great, you know?
SOOS: And actually, my song “Taiwan” is based off of my stats. I checked my music stats and they were like number two listening to my music. And I was like, ‘Oh shit, that's crazy.’ I feel like that's also what Malcolm Todd did. I think he said in an interview, Thailand was like his most listened to country. So he named his one song named “Thailand.” I felt like taking that opportunity to name my song in “Taiwan" because I have supporters over there. I think that's great too.
Pranav: I was just about to ask about your fan community demographics. Are there, I guess you kind of mentioned it, but is it mainly Bay Area based because you were raised on the Bay? Or I guess it's very spread out?
SOOS: No, no, no. I feel like it's very spread out, especially since like my TikTok. Yeah, I get people from all over the world. My most listened to city I think is Antioch and then it goes to San Francisco. It then goes to LA and then I think it goes like Detroit and then New York. It's very spread out. And also, like my demographics, they've been changing like the age gap. I feel like more people my age and older people like in their 20s, 30s, like they listen to my music a lot. And I feel like that's great to see and to hear, especially when it's people across 10 states from you and they're just listening to your music.
Pranav: I was wondering, did you grow up in Antioch?
SOOS: I was born in Monterey,California next to the aquarium over there downtown. I was there until fourth grade and so then I moved to San Jose for about two years one year and after that I moved to Hayward. So I just kept building my way up to the Bay Area as we went up.
Pranav: Do you think the Bay Area music culture had any influence on your music? I know that it's not much on the Palo Alto, San Francisco side, but on the East Bay, music is a big thing. I was wondering if they had any, or like its history on music had an influence on the way you wrote.
SOOS: Yeah, I mean out here, I'm not gonna lie, I think I'm one of the very few people who are doing indie music as far as R&B music goes. I go on Instagram or anywhere and everywhere I see is just rappers Damn there’s hella rappers out here who are trying to make you something big themselves. I got a message talking about how I'm the only R&B artist or alternative R&B artist that anybody's like heard from Antioch. I feel that's kind of cool too because I haven't really heard any other alternative R&B artists from Antioch. I don't think I've seen anybody who wants to collab or message me about collabing but there's a lot of rappers in Antioch and San Francisco too and Oakland.
Pranav: I wanted to ask what your ethnicity is or cultural background and how that played a role in terms of the sounds that you make or the lyrics that you write.
SOOS: I'm half Mexican, half Peruvian. My culture has definitely influenced my writing, I just think, how do I say this? Some people say I sound Mexican in my songs. It's kind of like I have an accent and I'm like that's not true at all. I try to go back to those songs and try to listen for the accent, but I don't hear it. So I'm kind of stuck in the middle where I'm confused as to what people hear and listen to sometimes.
Pranav: Do you feel like the experiences that you made in your songs relate to maybe experiences that maybe only, or that come from your Peruvian or Mexican background?
SOOS: Yeah, I mean, you could say that. I've talked to some Hispanic girls, Latina girls about it. So yeah, you could say that.
Pranav: Do you feel more connected or do your supporters feel more connected to you because of that? Like say they're also Latino, do they feel more connected with you through their music or through that shared cultural experience?
SOOS: Yeah, I mean I've definitely gotten a lot of messages like from the Hispanics, Latinos out here, especially about “Don't Leave Me.” Some of them say that I have a specific accent in this song. I've tried to go back and listen to it so many times, but I don't hear it. I don't hear it at all, but they do. They say that's one of the main reasons why they like it. I think that's what gets the attention of my heritage out here.
Pranav: Do you have any specific goals for 2025 or any milestones that you want to hit?
SOOS: Yeah, for sure. I definitely wanna hit at least 5k this year if I can. 5k listeners. I think for followers, I could probably hit like 2.5k if I really tried. But yeah, and then I definitely want to try to get some gigs in the Bay Area so people can listen to me more and just hear about me. I'll get out there a little more.
Pranav: Do you have any goals for releasing music? Other than like the EP and the song that you're releasing?
SOOS: I want to release the EP either next month or the month after that. After that, I would probably wait a month or two and then just keep releasing singles and see how that goes. I'll probably keep releasing singles until the year ends. I just need to try to be as consistent as I can. I was also thinking about just dropping all these EP songs as all singles throughout the year. I mean, I'm not sure, but I'll probably just drop the EP just because so many people want it and so many people are supporting me right now. I haven't performed live yet, but I really want to soon. I feel like if I look more into it, I can get at least two to three gigs this year if I'm lucky enough.
SOOS: I'm not looking for my music to go mainstream, but if it does, that would be amazing. I would love to be one of the small indie artists that get recognized, kind of like Malcolm Todd when he was first starting and when he got up. And then, yeah, kind of just be in that little community where I can just message other artists and get to know other people.
Pranav: I think I'm also a college student. I think a great way to push your presence more would be to perform at different colleges. I don't know, like 30, 40, 50 different colleges across the Bay Area. So I don't know if they have some sort of night you can perform, but I think it'd be a great way to get students to listen to you and figure, and hear your sound and values.
Pranav: Is there, do you have a dream artist that you'd like to collaborate with?
SOOS: I would say Steve Lacey, because I love his music. That's my number one inspiration, but it probably never happened. But also, Malcolm Todd too. I feel like I would love to have a song with Malcolm Todd. I also want The Internet if they ever come back, because they stopped making music in 2018. I think I would probably want a song with The Internet. That'd be a dream come true.
Pranav: Do you have any advice for other emerging indie artists who are just starting out in the industry?
SOOS: Follow your dreams. You know, anything is possible. I'd say if you really wanna get into some music, don't just release one song and it goes good and it does good and expect to not release any more music because your first song does good. People are gonna expect more, especially if you're like a new artist. I'd say definitely have 4 songs when your brain is turning out. Don't rush it. That was my first mistake. I rushed. I dropped “Don't Leave Me” and after that, I didn't have anything else. I was just so stressed out because I had to get a song out there already. I dropped “I Want You" and I rushed that one so much because it wasn't mixed or produced or anything. So yeah, I'd say definitely don't rush. Take your time. and don't let the hate get to you. There's definitely gonna be people hating out there every single day. I like to use that as a motivation to just keep me pushing. If I see a negative comment saying I should quit music, I'll just ignore it honestly. Ignore the hate if you can. If you really wanna troll your haters, respond positively and respond like a troll. That's what I like doing. Another thing is just follow your dreams and don't let anybody get in your way, especially if you really want something you'll go for it. And if you really don't, if you don't want it hard enough, maybe there's something better out there for you.
Pranav: Ending the interview off, would you like to say anything to the people who listen to your music?
SOOS: Definitely! Just watch out for that EP soon. I don't have a name for it yet, but I will soon. And also shout out to the people who have helped me with all my stuff, like all my music videos. Shout out Vincent, shout out AD for filming my videos. Shout out David, the photographer and, yeah, shout out to my guys. Shout out to my supporters too. Without them, I wouldn't be anywhere, you know. They just, they keep me going as well.
