Weekend Recall | Softest Hard Goes Hard at Day of the Dead

Tis the season to dance, celebrate the dead, and hear your favorite artists collaborate. HARD’s Day Of The Dead at L.A. Historic Park in Downtown Los Angeles November 2nd had a promising line up of artists that are breaking down the barriers of genre and gave us a Halloween that might actually wake the dead.

Music aside, the event elevated the cultural beauty of the traditional Mexican holiday by emerging convention and the unexpected. Headlining performances from Dog Blood, epic duo of acclaimed DJ Skrillex and Berlin-based Boys Noize, Zhu’s BLACKLIZT, TOKiMONSTA and many more blew us away.

Among some of the bigger artists are many locals, and transplants, one which I had the pleasure of catching up with prefestivities. Softest Hard, Vietnamese DJ. Now to Earth and unafraid to show the world who she is, Softest Hard’s music vibes with ravers and producers alike. Her songs, “This High” and “Not Enough” mash together soft lyrics with hard beats. Read the exclusive interview with Softest Hard below.

Photo Curtesy of @softest.hard

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What festivals or events have been your favorites this year, so far and why?

I haven't started tour yet but I'm really looking forward to the HARD Day of the Dead in LA because I live in LA and never performed a festival here before so I'm really excited about all my friends coming. I'm also really looking forward to Lights All Night in Dallas, such a great lineup and Texas always shows me so much love.

I love your look, its so fun and energetic, but artistic. Have you always been into doing these fun makeup and hair looks?

No, it hasn't always been like this. I expressed my creativity through my music, maybe a couple years ago I started to explore different ways that I can show off my creativity and ideas and coming up with these looks for photos was the perfect secondary outlet.

Does your appearance carry over to your music, and vice versa?
Appearance matters and I like to create fun looks for my performances but it's not my main focus.

With your name being an oxymoron for who you are, do you also want it to represent the kind of music you’re throwing down? Or do you feel the name gives your music more artistic license to be free to play what feels the best to you?

My music organically happens to play off of my name, you will always get a soft and pretty/melodic feel combined with something hard and fierce/dramatic.

Give me a little insight to your background. What brought you to Los Angeles, and what were some major obstacles you faced along the way?

I grew up in North Carolina where there wasn't any other kids that I could relate to at all. I've always loved music and arts but there wasn't any platforms or outlets for me to seek so when I was about 17 I moved to LA by myself in hopes to finding an environment that was more suitable for me.

There were a lot of obstacles that I had to face but the first one I experienced when I first moved was since I was so young, all alone, and unestablished it was hard juggling working 9 to 5 jobs to earn money to live and finding time to freelance and doing the things that I originally came out to LA to even do, but what can you do but just continue to work hard and make it happen.

As a Vietnamese Woman, do you feel your place in music is something you had to fight hard to find, or do you feel that today’s audiences and record labels are more ready to accept a diverse cast of creators?

I don't see race or gender at all and it shouldn't matter. I'm passionate and I breathe, eat, sleep music. I'll get what I deserve based on the energy and work that I put into it.

What are your favorite aspects of creating music and are there things you are trying now which you didn’t think you would ever do musically?

Many favorite aspects, my number one would be making songs that feel good and brings joy and happiness to whoever is listening. I put my emotions and feelings in everything I do and I hope that translates to make a connection with my audience.

No, I never tried to restrict myself with anything that has to do with the process of making music, I'm open to anything and different sounds as long as it feels good.

Are you a fan of collaboration? Who would you want to collaborate with in 2020?

Totally, always interested and inspired to work with other creatives that are open to just having fun and making something special.

I'd like to do something with Marshmello, I love his style and I think we could make something super cute and bouncy yet hard.

What kind of set can we look forward to at Day of the Dead?

All I'm going to say is my goal is for everyone to just have a fun time and walk away feeling a connection with me. Come see for yourself!

Going into 2020, is there something you’d like to accomplish as a somewhat newer musician, release an album, or play a specific event?
Releasing an EP is one of my goals fo sure for the beginning of the new year.