Finding a Voice Between the Lines: How Aria Narang Shares Stories Through Songs and Performances

Editorial Board
7 minutes ago
4 min read

The rising artist opens up about identity, heartbreak, and the power of performance with a special Goathead's Q&A.

Today we have the pleasure to have Aria Narang here on Goathead.

GHR: Great to have you here, Aria. What inspired you to start writing music?

Aria: Thank you for having me, so excited! Everyone has an outlet. Some people journal, some people go for a run, some people just take time for themselves. Mine was always writing music. I wrote my first song at 13 years old and before that point I couldn’t quite figure out my outlet. Before then, I was always singing always playing (violin and guitar) but hadn’t really found my voice yet. And then something happened; I don’t remember what it was but something that ailed 13 year old me and I locked myself in my room and wrote. I don’t think that first song was very good, but it was the first time I felt relief. I have not stopped writing music since.

GHR: Can you tell us more about your experience performing live at gigs and what was the most memorable experience you had?

Aria: This is my favorite part of being a musician. The first time I performed live for an audience was at 4 years old, playing the violin. I loved the stage then and that love has only grown. The part I cherish most about being a musician is seeing others connect with my work. I am a south Asian, trans, nonbinary person; let’s just say there’s not a lot of people like me in mainstream media. So when I see people connecting to my music, when I lock eyes with someone in the audience who relates to what I’m saying, not only can I tell that they don’t feel alone anymore, I don’t feel alone anymore either. I love to tell a story and I get to do that when I perform live; I get to talk about my writing in between the songs and then I get to belt them out and it’s such sweet release. Asking me to pick out my favorite gig is like asking me to pick between my own children. However, there have been times where people come up to me after my set and tell me that they’ve felt represented for the first time; those moments are always special.

GHR: How is your process of songwriting set around?

Aria: People ask me this a lot and it truly varies. Sometimes, a lyric comes to me and then I write a whole song around it. Other times a melody comes to me and I then I write around that. And sometimes, I just know I need to write, I know I need that relief. I always record or write down things when ideas come to me so I don’t forget. And sometimes those moments happen in the train or in the street and I have to crazily whisper things into my phone. Actually, more often then not I wake up in the middle of the night with a tune or a lyric in my head and have to quickly scribble stuff down. Let’s just say my notes app is an interesting read.

GHR: What motivates you to create music and bring awareness to different situations through your songs?

Aria: Well, as I mentioned before my identity fuels a lot of my writing. I love writing about the queer, trans experience. My latest release, “Between the Lines,” is actually about being nonbinary and reflecting on my childhood knowing who I have become. Something I also like to do with my music is create spaces where everybody feels like they can relate. Although “Between the Lines” is my trans anthem, many people who don’t have queer identities have told me that the song feels like growing up and coming of age; it is also very much a song about that. And, I know it’s a cliché, but love is often at the center of the songs that I write. I’m a romantic, what can I say.

GHR: Could you share some insights into your next projects?

Aria: Around 6 months ago I went through the worst breakup of my life. Just true heartbreak. It was one of those breakups where no one did anything wrong and it was entirely circumstantial. Because of distance and different paths, we knew we couldn’t be together. I realized that there aren’t that many songs that capture that experience even though I know it’s a common one. So, my upcoming song, “You, you,” does just that. It’s just a really vulnerable song about how a breakup like that feels. It captures all the hopes and fears that come with true heartbreak. On top of that, “you, you,” used to be our little nickname for each other, so that doesn’t help with the tears does it? The song comes out May 16th and it’s a completely acoustic, stripped down breakup song. Fun fact, my producer, Daniel Berger, and I, thought it would be more powerful to do everything in one take. So I recorded my voice and the guitar at the same time with no cuts. Everything you hear in the song happened in one take; I wanted it to feel as live and as real as possible. So, buckle up on May 16th, and take in “You, you;” trust me, you’re going to love it.