“I’ve somewhat transcended out of underground hip hop and now reside in musical purgatory. [It’s] a place without genre where people try to label you themselves,” cross-genre rapper Sirah explains. You’ll recognize her fiery voice from several Skrillex songs, most notably the hit “Bangarang,” but her own tunes are well-worth checking out. Her new EP, Inhale, hit the shelves in 2013. The Bite caught up with Sirah before she amped up the crowd with her not-so-pint-sized voice and spitfire rhymes on Twenty One Pilot’s Autumn 2013 Tour at the House of Blues. Read on for talk about ghost-hunting, the Grammy’s, and unique tattoos. (Joni Mitchell, anyone?)
You released your Inhale EP relatively recently. How has the reception been for that?
I don’t know. I try not to read anything. Good or bad, mostly just because there’s bad in the good, because I don’t really want to know. Truthfully, I don’t really want to know. I think you should just make stuff and not allow people to get in your mind. I just make music for myself and if people like it, then that’s awesome. But the response has been really good, in terms of people that I’ve met.
You’ve received a lot of attention for your work with Skrillex. How did that come about, and what is it like working with him?
He wrote to me on Myspace like seven years ago and was like, “Do you wanna work?” and I was like, “Try it man, yeah.” He’s like one of my best friends. So for “Bangarang” he’d basically be like, “Can you come over?” or “Can you record 16 bars?” “Bangarang” I recorded in my bed. Eating Fun Dip.
Was it surreal when it won a Grammy?
Oh, it was very surreal. It’s the most surreal thing in the world. I’d probably freak out if I understood that this was real. But I don’t.
What’s something that nobody knows about you?
There’s a lot that people don’t know yet. I grew up on a farm partially. There’s that. I think a lot of people lived on farms, but not a lot of people go into rapping. Started on the farm now we’re here.
What are some of your goals for the future?
I think I live in the present generally. I want to finish my full-length album. That’s all I really care about in life. No, it’s not. I care about people a lot. Even if I only put out one full-length record, it would be my first official one, and that’s my biggest dream.
What is the writing and recording process like for you?
Right now I just kind of record thoughts in my phone and write things down as it happens. I’m always inspired by live shows. I’m even more inspired by people, and the way people live other than myself. Like driving through some empty town, not even forgotten, just unknown. But people live there everyday, and it’s really inspiring and really different…There’s so much to gather inspiration from.
Do you have any music that inspired you to make your own music?
Everything. My dad was a musician when I was growing up, so we were always writing songs and always playing music. I love so many people. Tracy Chapman, I remember blaring that when I was young, and it was so dark. I liked Hootie and the Blowfish as a child, which is embarrassing, but we all did it…Joni Mitchell obviously. She’s tattooed on my ribs. I hope I meet her. This is her own artwork for her album Ladies of the Canyon, she drew that of herself.
What is one of your favorite cities that you’ve toured in?
I don’t know. It’s always different. You’ve got favorites because it’s fun, and you’ve got favorites because it’s home, and you have good thrifting. I think the best reception I’ve gotten while touring is in Florida, which is really awesome. I feel like everyone’s really fun and open-minded and really appreciates music. I’m not just saying that because I’m here. And then Texas has been really sweet to me.
What is your favorite venue that you’ve played at?
That I have to be careful with, because I have no idea. But what I will say is there’s a lot of places on tour that are haunted, so I go out with my little iPhone app that hunts ghosts. It definitely goes off. There’s some weird venues out there.
If you could record or duo with any singer dead or alive, who would it be and why?
That’s always weird. I just don’t know. There’s people who would be awesome to do it with, but at the same time I’m such a fan of the music that I don’t want to play with anyone I love that much. You know what I mean? I just want to watch. I don’t want to ruin it. There’s people that I would love to record with, but I just like recording with my friends. Like Skrillex is my friend…It comes from more of a feelings place, so I can’t be like, “Katy Perry, can you come write about my feelings with me in my room?” If it happens, then it’s awesome. Just make music, and if people want to do stuff then that’s awesome.
If you could go back and tell yourself something you know now, what would it be?
You’re going to be okay…I stressed so much over everything….It’s all perception. You’re going to end up in the same place anyways, so why stress? You’re going to end up where you’re supposed to be.
