Film Dheva has been an indie artist for two years since she graduated, working on a number of singles in a moody alt-pop style in a largely acoustic setting. 2021 marks a new direction in musical endeavours for Film, with her dream-pop single Kiss Me and her newest evocative release Miss Out. Miss Out is a hot take on romance, speaking for the variety of experiences one could never have in tying themselves to somebody – not that there’s anything wrong with that. It speaks out for the diversity of approaches towards this in a tongue in cheek manner, with Film telling her significant other that it’s not them – it’s her desire to taste the universe.
While a similarly synth-laden electronic pop track like Kiss Me, Miss Out takes a more lo-fi down-tempo percussive approach allowing for a unique vocal production – Film uses a mellow r&b style vocalisation and flow in a soft sing-song voice to craft a tonally intricate soundscape. I love her voice, and as the sole producer of the track from start to finish, she’s very talented. It’s just got a phenomenally unique sound to it, and I appreciate the ways it stands out from all the things it draws influences from as well as being a new exploration in its genres.
| For the longest time, I didn’t understand why some girls like to ‘shop’ and meet lots of people before they settle down. So I talked to some friends with this mindset, and tried to emphathize and wrote ‘Miss Out’ as if I was in their shoes. It’s about the moment you realize you have to leave things behind if you want to experience more of the world. The thing you leave behind may be so great, there’s nothing wrong with them, but it’s just not what you want, and the song tries to emphasize that it is okay to feel that way, because we are all different. |
Miss Out gushes with a radiant optimism towards this idea of exploring her options, what would be an insensitively rough conversation to have with a significant other. I’d like to think its more joyously optimistic, with Film addressing an imaginary scapegoat that demands commitment; translating to a liberating anthem that encourages experiencing what life has to offer through an exposure to a lot of different lives so you have the field experience to know what you truly want after all. Maybe that just involves getting drunk and driving off into the distance with a stranger, you know? Maybe this gushy inquisitive spirit is the high note we need to drag us out of our drudgery.
Following is my correspondence with Film, who was eager to share her journey with this release.
| What made you want to become a student of music? what’s your relationship with the medium? I’ve been a classical pianist ever since the age of 3. I was in choirs, orchestras, bands, so music has always been a big part of my life (in other words I have always been a music nerd and everyone knew it). I became interested in pop and contemporary writing in middle school, and that was when all the writing magic began. After getting my hands on a DAW I became so intrigued by the possibilities of modern music and started expanding from my classical roots. I went to an arts boarding school in Michigan and let’s just say I found myself there and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. As a bedroom indie-pop artist, how do you motivate yourself to be so zealous in your work? Where does all the inspiration come from? As a bedroom indie-pop artist, you kind of do everything yourself and you have total control of what you create. Because of this, the possibilities are endless! Just like writing a novel, you can create a whole new world in your songs. Of course, I enjoy writing about my feelings, but I also love to write about the people around me and their experiences, because why limit your song contexts to only what YOU know? You’ve been an indie artist for over two years now, how has that journey been going? What plans do you have for your career going forward? The journey has been so eye-opening. It has its ups and downs. There are definitely lots of days when I feel like giving up, but I remember how much I love music, how it’s such a big part of me and there’s nothing else I’d rather do. Going forward I want to finish my degree in songwriting at Berklee College of Music, while also continuing to release a wide range of music. I’d love to continue releasing music as an indie artist, but I’m open to all possibilities whether it’s writing for other artists, working with labels, or even teaching. Miss Out is a track that really speaks to me, I appreciate what you’ve captured in song here. It kinda speaks for all the eggs that we gotta break. What inspired this conceptualisation, if you don’t mind sharing? The song definitely started off sarcastic. I thought of a really committed person mocking someone who isn’t by exaggerating some of the things that might be said by them. But while making the song, I realized how the idea of ‘exploring’ should be normalized more. Life is short and we’re all still so young after all, it’s a bit ridiculous to expect someone to settle down with just one person at the age of 20. I’m a big fan of the dream-pop sound/hip-hop flow thing you’ve got going on this track – what kind of influences led to that musical sound? It’s def not Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish like you’ve listed! This song is for sure something I’ve never done before! I think it has kind of a ‘throwback’ sound. I came up with the production first, so I laid down some 80s sounding synths (I’m a sucker for them). I guess you can say this song is sonically inspired by soft pop in the 80s with a bit of modernization, but in a way, I feel like the song is mostly just ‘me’ and that’s what I love about it. I’m very happy about this release. The song was written in late 2019 and I can’t believe that it’s now out there for the world to hear. And of course, I really hope that this song speaks with people, especially those who are scared about ‘exploring’ life. |
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