Rain taps softly against the windowpane. The air smells a little like fallen leaves, and – if you let your imagination wander – maybe even a touch of orange. There is something tender in this moment, a softness that mirrors the music of selena feliciano. Her songs arrive like a quiet rainfall: refreshing, grounding, and stirring something deep inside you.
The Bay Area artist carries a rich inner world, one where beauty and intention walk hand in hand. “I want my art to be antithetical to hyper-individualism – a practice in reciprocity,” she tells us. And this thread runs through everything she creates –the wish to make things better, to nurture connection, and to set something gentle and meaningful into the world.
In our conversation, she opens up about collaboration, memory, healing, and the importance of listening to the land around us. And of course, we dive into her beautiful new EP, FROM EVERY DIRECTION – a truly soulful blend of community, tenderness, and truth.
Enjoy today’s premiere of her new EP, and the interview that follows.
photography by Harrison McArtor
I’m listening to “Work of Art” while preparing this interview – such a beautiful song. I truly love everything about it. How did you decide it belonged on the EP?
Thank you for listening.
I wrote the song in the early months of 2024 – some heavy rains made way for me to pause the daily rush of activity and really land in my own self, in my body, and with my songwriting. I knew I wanted it to be on the EP when I kicked off planning for it later that year because I wanted to keep it around as a reminder to myself to slow down.
It’s in the more spacious moments of the winter when I can soak in some nostalgia for the past, and recognize the meaningful possibilities still to come…without pressure to produce for the sake of producing. The song really is steeped in tenderness towards my younger self, when art came easier and was much more encouraged. Now, as an adult, I’m struck by the conscious effort and time it takes to do something as simple as scribbling on a piece of paper. It’s a shame that we really complicate these things in adulthood. I love the idea of every little piece of art we create as part of a sweet, tender world we’ve been building since we were young.
Plus! I really loved playing that song with friends before it was recorded. It was easy to open it up to musical collaboration and have others contribute to a musical landscape that could feel spacious and dreamlike.
FROM EVERY DIRECTION brings together voices from cumbia, choral music, folk traditions, and more. What did you learn about yourself by creating within such a wide musical community?
I grew up listening to a lot of R&B and hip hop. Now, I mostly write folk songs. I have a diasporic identity and community, and I want my music to reflect that. I’m learning what it feels like to nod to and feel appreciation for the many different traditions of music from my upbringing, without consciously sticking to one genre, while inviting others to do the same.
Which song means the most to you at the moment – and why?
The Prayer. I wrote that song in November 2023, and it still feels so potent. Like… truly, why are we? Why is humanity stuck in cycles of greed, grief, and destruction… when we have all we need to thrive in abundance? In an era of extremes, what if we moved toward a simplicity in knowing that we can all live in harmony with each other across race, class, gender, and geography? The fabricated complexities of a 21st century life are new problems that don’t have to exist as the status quo; never-ending extraction of oil and gas from sacred Land, blank checks for genocidal terror, data centers for AI technologies soon to feed into a military industrial complex… the list goes on.
The first step to transform this is to believe that another world truly is possible. For me, The Prayer is that invocation.
“Art came easier when we were young. As adults, we complicate what should stay simple.”
There’s a tenderness in your voice, but at the same time it’s strong and very present. When did you first realise you had a voice that could carry so much emotion?
Thank you. I practiced for months in preparation for my debut vocal performance: my 5th grade talent show rendition of “Beauty and the Beast”. I think it was the first time it really registered that the voice could be used as a tool for effective story-telling.
I grew up going to church and was very much surrounded by vocal performance within that institution – there’s a conviction that’s shared in every sermon, song, Sunday school lesson, etc. Whether the messages behind those performances landed with little Selena, I’m not sure… but I think witnessing the responses to the delivery of those messages had a profound effect on me. It’s something that I’ve returned to over the years in reflecting on the power of the voice, and the ways it can be used to bring people together in shared visioning. I went on to do musical theatre and further developed a joy for combining voice with character work. These days, I’m pretty satisfied letting the voice carry out what it needs to share from my own emotional landscape, in hopes that the stories that come out land with others.
Collaboration is also central in your work. How do you know when a song should remain yours, and when it’s time to let it become “ours” with others?
I hope that every song can become ours… it’s lonely when it’s just mine alone to enjoy.
Every time I take a song off my journal page and share it with someone, I offer up the chance for it to become ours. And that’s explicit – I want the songs to become so much more than I imagined for them to be when alone, writing in my living room. Whether it’s a friend offering up their emotional response, or a cool bass line, I am appreciative and vocal about my music as a practice in reciprocity. In this day and age where hyper-individualism is applauded, I want my art to be antithetical to this; a reflection of me and the community I’m honored to be surrounded by.
At the start of the EP recording session, I kicked things off with three requests to my collaborators: feedback, flexibility, and fun. I have a hope that other musicians can bring their whole selves to the table, playing songs that actually feel good to them; to recognize that these songs won’t come into their final form until they’re molded by the skills, talents, and care of the whole group; and to keep us in check… if we’re not having fun, then what’s this all for?
“How can I show more sweetness to myself, as a reflection of the sweetness I want for this world?”
I also love that your project blends a DIY live character with high-quality studio work – that balance feels very real and intimate. How important is it for you to be on stage and perform live?
Super important! I grew up performing in theatre, and I crave being able to see how people respond to the music in real-time. Live music really can’t be beat.
I knew that I wanted the performance aspect of this EP to be unique, so I invited my band to go on tour the best way I know how: by bicycle, smack-dab in the middle of summer. Soon after wrapping up production of the EP, I hopped on two wheels and rode 200 miles around the extended Bay Area with my drummer, Liliana Urbain, and bassist, Jordan Lowe. Matt Takiff (producer, sax and fiddle) and Mateo Nube (guitar) met us at each show with the equipment and lots of snacks. It was a team effort.
We rolled out of San Francisco under balmy skies, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, sweated up mountain roads, hooted down steep declines, and had a whole lot of fun singing tunes to folks. It was a great time, and I think it made for extra sweet performances on stage. There’s nothing quite like biking 50 miles on a loaded bicycle and arriving to a warm meal and a packed house!
I’m hoping to keep this spirit going and perform more in 2026. More stage time! More silliness! More smiles! I want it all.
If listeners could walk away with one question after hearing this record, what would you hope they ask themselves?
How can I exhibit more sweetness to myself, as a reflection of the sweetness I hope for this world?
Environmental activism is something that feels very important in your life. In what ways does it influence your music?
I think my music is the expression of myself that doesn’t always make it in the organizing meeting or the street action. There’s a tenderness that I often find hard to put into words aloud, but much easier to share in song. I think my songs are part of a greater pursuit to feel connected to the Land. For me, it’s what this activism thing’s all about.
When you engage deeply with the world, you become more aware of how much injustice exists across so many levels. How do you manage to stay hopeful without losing yourself in that weight?
Gratitude goes a long way in helping me remain grounded amidst the weight of all that’s going on. And it also keeps things in check: my material reality living in the Bay Area is one pretty steeped in comfort, and I often feel the need to pause – to recognize and thank my ancestors who have helped pave the way for me to be able to offer voice to justice and opportunities for radically different futures.
My ancestors have lived through some pretty tough times, surviving civil wars and displacement and heartbreak, and so much more. And now, here I am in 2025, humbly setting a foundation for a family-member, generations in the future, to continue a gratitude practice of their own. I have hope because those that came before me had hope, too.
Also, surfing. There’s nothing like a nice wipeout to help me feel weightless and keep my ego in check. (smiles)
And finally: What do you feel is the most important thing in life?
Connection with others. With family and friends, of course, AND with our non-human relatives as well. In the vast history of the earth, how lucky are we that our timelines overlap with redwood trees? With panda bears? With dogs?!
May this connection help build empathy for the world around us and affirm that we’re part of a whole.
Follow selena feliciano for more:
www.selenafeliciano.com
www.instagram.com/selena_feliciano_
