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Music Interview: Arya Rita on her life journey, musical influences, creative tastes & debut single “Her Song”


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     Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself.

    Hi! Thank you for having me. I’m Naphat Na Nongkhai. It’s pronounced Nepot not Nafat. My artist name is Arya Rita. Arya is my middle name. Rita is from my mother’s, Sharitah. Made in Thailand. Born and raised. I’m a singer, actor, dancer and a songwriter based in New York City.

     What got you into music and made you realize that it was your chosen path?

    I came out of the womb singing haha. When I was young, I always had a fake plastic guitar with me, and I was always performing. Then I started taking it more seriously. I started in competitions. I joined a band, and joined a marching band. Later I went to an art, music and performing arts high school where I got to work with a co-producer of an Oscar, ASCAP and Grammy winning song, Luis Resto for Eminem’s Lose Yourself from 8 Mile. That was when I started writing music for the first time. Growing up this had been my passion, but the reason why I did it kept changing until I knew I couldn’t live without it, so I went to a Conservatory in NYC, which I just graduated.

    Tell us about your new music

    So this is my debut single called “Her Song.”

    I usually write something very deep and dark, and this time I wanted to try writing about relationships or breakups. I haven’t been in a relationship before, so I used my friend’s breakup stories to write this song haha. Sorry, friend haha.

    What makes your music unique? And how would you describe it?

    My style is pop/R&B. I either write something very deep that will hit you emotionally or something danceable because I’m a dancer, and I wanna write songs for dancers and songs to reflect the society. Some songs are challenging to sing because I grew up as a competition kid, so it’s part of who I am now.

    Things all of my songs have in common are anybody can relate to it somehow. Doesn’t matter who you are. Rhymes. Oh, and last thing, there’s a point where you think it’s gonna end, but NOPE! Noooooo, it is not haha.

    Who are your biggest musical influences? And any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?

    My style is pretty mixed from a lot of artists I grew up listening, but Whitney Houston and Jessi J are the ones I look up to, and are the ones that keep me writing. They always write something that makes people grow. If I could collaborate, I would do it with Kendrick Lamar or Lil Wayne.

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    What is the best moment in your career that you’re most proud of?

    It should be when I won a competition or awards right? No, it’s when I went back to writing these songs. I was struggling with mental illness. There’s a pandemic. I might have to leave the country. No jobs. I auditioned a lot, and one was my way out, but I got rejected. I decided to call my dad, and he said “Einstein didn’t become famous until he was old, but he was always a genius. I didn’t get my degree until not long ago, but I‘ve been successful because I didn’t need a degree to be successful. You don’t need someone to give you a title to become one. You’re always an artist, so do what artists do.” Then I said “If no one hires, I’ll build it myself.”

    How do you balance your music with other obligations?

    I believe there’s always enough time for everything. I make everything part of my career. Like if I have to spend hours doing something else then I use that as my research time. I enjoy experiencing and observing it to find more things to inspire me to write another song. Sometimes use it as a break. With family, if I can thank my fans, I can call my family and friends to thank them everyday, you know? They’ve been there the longest.

    What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

    If you know you wanna be something, act like you’re already one.

    If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?

    I know Harry Styles says this all the time, and it makes me love him for it. Treat others with kindness.

    What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?

    “Her Song” will be up on any major platforms around the world soon! There’s a music video coming, and I have another song coming soon. Get updates on my instagram aryaritas.

    Thank you! Stay safe! Stay creative!

    https://youtu.be/qdqEcNscGCE

    Listen on SoundCloud

    Follow Arya Rita: Instagram


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