Having been releasing music since 2019, Darvishi, synonymously known as the “Persian Pop Princess”, is continuing to elevate the indie pop scene with what she calls her “favorite song ever”, “Jelo.’
Born in Washington D.C., Darvishi left for Los Angeles to kickstart her musical career after finishing her education in New York.
“I was a project manager a long time ago and I was working every night on music after work,” she told The Knockturnal. “At one point, it just hit me, ‘I think this is the time for me to switch over.’”
Photo Credit: Joey Ng (2WNTY4)
Initiating a shift like that involves a major leap of faith, especially considering how independent artists are not always guaranteed their favored results. After making the move to L.A., Darvishi built her artist identity day by day, attending open-mics, networking with industry connections, and writing whenever she could, while still maintaining creative control over her work. Now, she has released a number of singles and EPs, and has performed at venue events, including The House of Blues Anaheim, LA County Fair’s Next Fest, and CSUN’s SummerFest, with her eye set on stadiums.
“I think the rewarding part, at least from what I’ve heard from other people who are with labels, is that sometimes they’re a little bit restricted about when they can do a release or whether or not the song is up to the standards of what the label wants at that time,” said Darvishi about working independently. “But for me, I love the fact that I can plan my own release schedule and I can pick a specific date and say, “Hey, this is perfect timing. This is a summer song and it’s going to be perfect for it to come out at the end of June because then everybody can bop to it over the summer.”
Fusing her Iranian heritage into her music is one of the most important goals for Darvishi as a singer and songwriter. Her latest release, “Jelo” (which translates as “to move forward”) is an ode to self-confidence and empowerment in the genre of dance pop. The song also emphasizes her bilingual identity, layered with multi-dimensional Persian instrumentals and with lyrics sung in both English and Farsi.
“I just have this whole idea for what I would want to do for the “Persian Pop Princess” and how I would want to do the set,” Darvishi added. “I think it would be so fun if I was able to achieve that dream and I think it would mean a lot to some younger Persian girls who haven’t seen a figure like that represent them. Especially because women can’t even sing in Iran legally without, you know, repercussions. I really hope something like that does happen because it would be a big thing for our community.”
The full interview can be read below and is available to watch on YouTube.
Photo Credit: Joey Ng (2WNTY4)
This interview has been edited for clarity.
What was the moment where you realized that music was what you wanted to do? What was that ultimate moment where you made that decision?
Darvishi: I was back in New York; I lived there for a while and I was working my full-time job in tech. I was a project manager a long time ago and I was working every night on music after work. At one point, it just hit me, “I think this is the time for me to switch over.” It was the beginning of the pandemic and I was like, “It’s now or never. The world is ending, we’re gonna do music now. We’re doing a full transition.”
When your family realized that you wanted to do this, what was their reaction like? I know for a lot of parents, especially those of people of color, there can be a lot of skepticism when it comes to entering the entertainment industry. Were they fully on board with this or did it take them a bit of convincing?
Darvishi: They always knew I was a very musical person. Growing up, I did Broadway bootcamps, like I was always a very creative person outside of school. But I think they thought, “Oh, it’s her hobby.” Which—fair, they didn’t know. I think they didn’t realize how serious I was until I started figuring out how to release my own music on my own, even without a label and everything. Then they were like, “Wait, that’s even an option? We didn’t know you could do that,” which I didn’t know at the time. I think it was after I dropped my first EP or my first five songs, they went, “Oh, wait, you’re actually good. This is actually awesome.” Because, you know, parents can get a little nervous about you going down that route. Being good parents, they warned me about how hard it was going to be, but I felt like they were very supportive from the get-go. It’s just that I had to win them over a little bit. Having Persian parents, it’s the known stereotype where they want their children to be doctors, engineers, and lawyers. And I did try that path; I tried to be a software engineer and project manager. I just realized that it wasn’t for me and I decided to follow my dreams and do music. And they are fully on board now. It just took a few releases for them to get there.
You mentioned making music on your own and learning how to do all of this independently. What has been the most rewarding thing about being independent and what has also been a challenging aspect to it?
Darvishi: I think the rewarding part, at least from what I’ve heard from other people who are with labels, is that sometimes they’re a little bit restricted about when they can do a release or whether or not the song is up to the standards of what the label wants at that time. But for me, I love the fact that I can plan my own release schedule and I can pick a specific date and say, “Hey, this is perfect timing. This is a summer song and it’s going to be perfect for it to come out at the end of June because then everybody can bop to it over the summer.” I think that part’s really exciting. I also think it’s really rewarding to choose other creators to work and collab with. I think that’s so much fun. I’ve gotten to work with and learn about so many Persian creators recently, like coffee store owners. This one Persian girl made this top that I wore the other day for an event. I thought it was so cool that it was in Farsi and I was so excited about it. I think that’s extremely rewarding. And the challenging side would usually be budget and trying to figure out what you can do in your means and marketing. But after a few years, I feel like I have gotten the hang of that, so it’s getting better.
You were born in D.C. and then you moved to New York, then L.A. What is the difference between the music scene in New York compared to L.A.? I feel like there’s a different vibe in both cities.
Darvishi: I feel like New York definitely had a jazz vibe and you could also be a rock band there. That was kind of the vibe I was getting, even EDM. But I didn’t feel like there were a lot of places where I can do the indie music stuff or pop stuff so much. I felt like L.A. was a lot more warm to the idea of being an independent artist, doing pop music, and doing a showcase. People would actually love to go listen to pop music here. I feel like it’s just different vibes. But I do think that once you’re past that point of being really well-known, then you can go back to New York to do Madison Square Garden or something. I think for me, it was a better fit in L.A., just finding producers who loved making pop music. I felt like for producers in New York, it wasn’t the right fit and they didn’t want that genre, so it was a bit easier out here.
So what was it like, coming to L.A. for the first time and making that shift?
Darvishi: Funny enough, I actually lived in the Bay for two years during the pandemic. I would drive to L.A. every two weeks for a few months because I had found a producer out here. Then I made the move to L.A. because I was like, “Okay, the career’s moving, we’ve got to go.” I’ve loved living here, I think it’s been so much fun. When I first moved, though, I was a little anxious, like, “How do I get into these writer’s circles? How am I going to make the connections I need?” But on the first or second day I was here, I went to a bunch of open-mics. I just kept going and that’s how I made my first few friends in music. The music scene is actually smaller than you think. Everyone knows everyone, so I just kept networking until I found the most amazing people, who I work with now.
You mentioned being Persian–a first generation Iranian-American. What does it mean to you to be bridging both of those cultures and why is it such a focal part about making music for you?
Darvishi: Honestly, that’s my favorite thing. When I first started music, I didn’t know what to do as an artist. I think the more I wrote, the more it naturally came out, like my instincts were to add more Persian instrumentals in or melodies inspired by my culture. It just started seeping through, and I think I knew this was what I needed to do. I need to blend these two worlds that I love so much. I feel like there is a gap there; a lot of Persian music is fully in Farsi and there’s not a lot of Western influences going on. I wanted to make something for some of the people out here who are first-generation, who want to hear a little bit of both, and I also wanted to introduce my culture to people who might not know a lot about it. I feel like it’s still kind of this unknown, sometimes scary thing for people. I want to show the fun and lovable side, and just how beautiful our culture is. The more I’ve been doing that, it feels so true and honest to myself as a person. It’s been awesome, people have been really receptive and kind. I think they’re liking it, so it’s great.
I had the chance to listen to your new single, “Jelo”. I loved how multidimensional it was with the instrumentals and your vocals as well were amazing. What was the creative process behind making that song?
Darvishi: This has been my favorite song ever! I know people aren’t supposed to say that, but this one’s my favorite. It actually came from such a dark place; I was feeling really down back in October, unsure of what to do next, and in my bathtub. I was like, “I need to write myself a hype song and feel better, what are some things that I love? Pomegranate martinis and my thick eyebrows.” I just dumped it all into this notepad and it became this fun song. I just wanted to make something that other people can relate to about how when you’re feeling down, the only thing to do is to move forward. You can’t keep thinking about the past, you’ve just got to keep going, and jelo means “to move forward”. I also really love dance songs, especially in the summer time. We need a good bop for our Persian girlies—for all the girlies, actually. The world’s been kind of a dark place and I think we need some more sunshine, so I’m trying to focus on the positives.
To talk a bit more about the songwriting process, I know it’s different for every artist and everyone has a different way of getting inspiration. Where do you get your inspiration from?
Darvishi: So, I’ve kind of created this little character in my head, which is “Darvishi”. She represents who I want to be more, though she’s a little bit fiestier than I am. Sometimes, I get inspiration from world-building around her, like, “What would I want in my dream scenario for this ‘Persian Pop Princess’?” A lot of that inspiration is drawn from stories I’ve read, where I’m so in love with the main character of the book, that I’m like, “Wow, if only I could do that…but wait, what if I made my own character and dumped those traits I loved so much from other characters and transform her into this ‘Persian Pop Princess’?” So I’m definitely inspired by books and T.V. shows. Very much the fantasy world. I feel like before, it used to be very personal experiences, which is still here and there, especially if it’s more of a personal song. But recently, it’s been this worldbuilding process, where I’m just trying to write her storyline and see what happens.
Expanding on that a little bit, what was the first song that you ever wrote?
Darvishi: Oh my god, it was so bad. See, those were where I was really personal. I was 15 or something, and I was getting so annoyed with my then-boyfriend. I think I wrote the lyrics, “Be a boy or be a man.” Thinking about it now, it’s the most cringe thing I’ve ever written, but at the time it was so heartfelt. It started off with a lot of diary entries and I would have fun rhyming things. And I had this guitar, so it let me add some chords to it. It was so much fun, I definitely have this immense sense of pride every time I’m able to finish a song, like, “Wow, it’s complete. We did that.” It’s such a magical process for me, I love it. Usually, when the idea comes to me, it all comes at once. It’s going to be done in 20 minutes. There are songs that take longer, but in the beginning, because you’re a teen, you’re really emotional, and you’re feeling things so strongly, it just comes out so naturally.
If you had to build up your top five artists, who would that consist of?
Darvishi: I’m going to add Lisa from BLACKPINK. Just as a performer—wow. Everything about her, I’m obsessed with and she got me into Labubus. We have Dua Lipa—she’s a gem. I’m also obsessed with the fact that she’s obsessed with books as much as I am. Olivia Rodrigo; the recent album was fantastic. I’m going to add Googoosh. She’s this Persian singer, who’s known by everyone, and I remember going to her concert with my mom when I was five years old or something. It was so much fun. She’s an amazing singer, she’s done so much for the Persian community, and everyone knows her. And you know what? I’m going to add BTS; I genuinely love them. I have tickets for their upcoming concert, so I’m very excited.
Do you have any advice for any up and coming artists trying to do their own thing in music?
Darvishi: To anyone who’s starting out with music, be very kind to yourself. It’s very hard in the beginning. You’re not going to know what you’re doing and you’re going to make mistakes. But it’s okay, we all make mistakes. With your writing, let it guide you. Don’t try to force yourself into being someone you’re not. Be true to who you are.
To wrap this up, do you have any dream stage, genre, concept, or collab you want to do in the future with your music?
Darvishi: I have a vision board right here and I made it this year. I want to perform at SoFi Stadium one day so badly. That is my goal in life and I will get there someday. I just have this whole idea for what I would want to do for the “Persian Pop Princess” and how I would want to do the set. I think it would be so fun if I was able to achieve that dream and I think it would mean a lot to some younger Persian girls who haven’t seen a figure like that represent them. Especially because women can’t even sing in Iran legally without, you know, repercussions. I really hope something like that does happen because it would be a big thing for our community. In terms of a collab—Lisa. I would love to collab with Lisa, that is literally the dream one day. I would die. That would be fantastic.
“Jelo” is now available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, with the music video on YouTube.
