Interview: “I am trying to find my rhythm in the city,” csndra Discusses Her Latest Release, Moving Homes, and More
csndra is an indie Puerto Rican artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up in Orlando, FL, with big dreams, csndra left home at the age of 20 on a self-discovery journey. This has led her to live in various other cities like New York, Miami, and Atlanta. She began working in the music industry as a graphic designer, animator, and content creator. She would provide creative services to labels by creating music videos, lyric videos, social media content, cover art, etc. However, in 2022, she debuted with her single “very well.” Since her debut, she has released two more songs, “DMLO” and her most recent single, “408!” released in May of this year. HALSUG had a chance to talk to csndra about her journey as a musician and her hopes for her music in the future.
Photo Courtesy of csndra
csndra starts off her interview with, “I always wanted to sing.” Addressing the question she commonly gets asked. People often imagine that working in the music industry as a graphic designer or a content creator must be what inspired her to become a musician:
“It [music] was what I wanted to do way before art. It took years before I was confident to sing in front of people. In middle school, I was too shy to join the choir, but all my friends were in it. I was obsessed with watching music videos and live award shows to see artists sing. For me, it was so beautiful how honest people were in music. And it inspired me because, in my early years, I was honestly just a really sad kid. I had to find ways to channel myself in high school. And that resulted in me joining keyboard, guitar, theater, musical theater, and drawing classes. I ran for vice president in SGA. I just wanted to find myself so I did everything. I pursued a career in graphic design because my college drawing teacher encouraged me and told me how great my solo projects were. As for music, it was always just about confidence. I would write songs and poems all the time to express myself and obsessed over what those songs could look like and make rough draft music videos in iMovie.”
csndra can be deemed as a true ‘all-around artist’ as she is not just a singer or a musician. But also edits her music/lyric videos and provides creative direction for videos, merch, and promotional content.
“I didn’t have a choice. If I was going to do it, I had to do it all alone. Everything costs money and in the beginning (even now with a full-time job) I couldn’t afford to pay people to help me bring my visions to life. If I had the funds I would love to work with so many amazing editors, DPs, and designers that I have found over the years. However, at this moment, they are expensive to work with. My goal is to find funding so I could take some of the responsibility off me and share it with other creative minds. I love art direction more than anything but doing it all can feel heavy sometimes.”
Photo Courtesy of csndra
Previously, csndra has been mildly successful in her goal. For her first song, “very well,” she organized a fundraiser and recorded the music video. “Till today, it has been one of the most beautiful moments in my life. While shooting the song, we had over 50 girls in the room. Many of them were shooting a music video for the first time. I remember talking to one of them who said ‘I never thought someone like me would ever be in a music video.’ After hearing this, I remember feeling like I wanted to cry because I honestly felt just like her. I had always been so insecure as a kid and even making this song was so hard for me because it was a declaration of self-love. During the two-day shoot, I overheard so many conversations that were encouraging, exciting, etc. Normally in a room full of girls you never know what could happen but this experience was so special that almost every person left feeling loved and valuable. It was a reminder to me that songs like “very well” do more for the world than it does for me. It’s a reminder for people on bad days that they can have boundaries and is a reminder to people when their skinny pants don’t fit anymore, it’s okay.”
With three singles under her belt. csndra is already making waves in the industry. Her song “DMLO” landed under ‘Fresh Finds Latin: Best of 2022’ on Spotify. “I had no idea [about the playlist]. As I was scrolling for some time on Spotify for Artists, I came across it while watching a movie in a theater. I was honestly so surprised but excited that I’m finally getting the right data in Spotify [laughs].”
“DMLO” is also a song csndra would recommend to a first-time listener from her discography so far. “It gives influences of Latin music, alternative, gritty reggaeton. I think genre-bending will always be a part of me and I feel like DMLO perfectly embodies what I want to do more of. Blend styles and keep my signature vocal approaches.”
What we love about csndra is how open and authentic she has been with her fans, especially about her mental health. But with rising fame, there is often the fear of “sharing too much.” We asked her if she resonates.
“I feel like earlier on when I didn’t have many fans I learned what not to do when it came to vulnerability in the public. I used to be way more open and shared a little bit too much. But ever since therapy, I’ve learned what's healthy to share and what’s personal for me to work through/heal from. I’m not scared of how my music is perceived because the music speaks for itself and if you’re listening you can read between the lines.”
Speaking on the topic of sharing, she did want to send a message to her fans. “I just want everyone to know how grateful I am. I never thought I'd be confident enough to do all of this. It’s so beautiful to see how people connect with my songs and stories and see how it helps them blossom into who they’ve always wanted to be, so I really wanna say thank you. I’m super grateful and excited to share this journey with you.”
Photo Courtesy of csndra
Elaborating more on her journey so far, csndra talked about her latest single, “408!”
“Man, “408!” is one of those songs that transports me into another time. It’s a sad one, but it’s also really beautiful. I grew up having two houses because of my parent's divorce, so ever since I was young, the concept of home has always been a confusing one. I moved out at 21 to New York, and it was the first time I was really on my own. In the past 2 years, I moved frequently. It felt like I was always going somewhere without having anything. Always leaving pieces of myself in different cities and with different people. Leaving friendships behind to feel like a memory, leaving all my rooms to feel like chapters in a story. My boyfriend and I wrote “408!” during the pandemic. It was the first time I slowed down and had a moment to process how sad I felt about not having a home or a place to feel familiar. Every time I moved, I had to start all over again…. new friend groups, new favorite places to walk, find my rhythm in the city, etc. And then anytime I would go home to Orlando to see my family. It was like, “Man, I miss familiarity.” I miss seeing the same things I grew up with, and most of all, I miss spending time with my siblings. So after all these years working through trauma, my attachment styles, etc. I’m learning that it’s okay to feel how I feel, but I still need to make an effort to make Atlanta feel a little more like home, and it's okay to take my time to feel that way. On days when I feel sad and lonely, I tell myself it’s okay because I'm healing. “Built up these walls to keep me breathing while I'm healing. I found a home in me, imperfect harmony; it wasn’t hard to see it starts with honesty.” It’s a journey, I have to be real with myself. And I have to grow.”
Kali Uchis, The Marias, and Dominic Fike are some musicians creating magic that inspire csndra. We asked her what she would do if they ever approached for a collaboration.
“Collaboration is beautiful to me so I would never deny it. First off I'd probably die a little bit [laughs]. I’d probably love to make a song with The Marias in Spanglish (Spanish + English) and just make a cool smooth indie/Latin-influenced song to celebrate our culture, maybe a love song of some sort. With Kali, I’d love to do a classic Kali song with Tyler drums, super fun and more on the experimental side. For Dominic, he’s super picky so it would have to be something you from disclosing further details. “Diary Queen is my collection of journal entries. My EP will feel a little bit like you read my journal but to me, that’s the perfect introduction as an artist cause I always want to remain authentic. “very well” and “DMLO” will be on the project. I’m currently trying to wrap up my next single, “Spaceship,” and two others that will feature on Diary Queen. The goal is to have around 10 songs but if I can’t make deadlines [laughs], it will be 8 songs. I'm excited to share this EP cause I’ll finally have a set longer than 5 minutes for shows [laughs].”
We cannot wait to see what more csndra has to offer—anticipating nothing less than the best and wishing her the very best for her journey forward! If you have just discovered csndra, make sure to follow her and support her journey as a rising artist.
What is your favorite song by csndra? Let us know by leaving a comment below or by reaching out on Instagram or Twitter.
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Artist Facts
Name/Stage Name: csndra (Cassandra)
Birthday: August 15th
Nationality: Hispanic/Latina
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Fave Foods: sushi, korean BBQ, empanadillas, alcapurria, sancocho, pionono
Fave Drinks: Thai iced tea, iced matcha, Parcha juice
Fave Movies: Nick and Norah’s infinite playlist, Selena, The Florida Project, Nacho Libre
Day or Night?: The part of the day where the sun is about to set and the sky is pink in Florida 🥹
Edited by Ethan Horton