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Photo Credit: Nina Ljeti

New York-based, LA-born artist, Diva Smith, is letting happiness feel good for once, and as listeners, we're reaping the benefits. Inspired by the joy of country music playing on the radio during a spontaneous roadtrip, "Sunny Surrender" is a blissful new anthem by Diva Smith. Along with the song, Diva has shared an accompanying music video that expands on the track’s playful sound. We wanted to get the scoop on the artist and her upcoming EP, so we sat down for a chat full of Modern Family fan-girling, kale salad recipes, and lessons from a preschool teacher: 

OnesToWatch: Who are you? 


Diva Smith: I'm Diva Smith. Who are you? 

I'm David J. of the O'Connor’s, all six million of us. 

I'm a Smith, so… 

That's fair. Why are you a diva? 


I don't know that I am. My parents decided for me.
It is a legal name. I was born a month early and I would kick a lot. And so they called me the little diva. Then when I was born a month early, they didn't have any name for me. So they called me diva and figured if it didn’t work they would change it. I think the reason that it works is because I'm a diva in some ways, but not in the outward ways that you would assume. 

Did they give you a middle name? 

Yes. That's a secret. 

When did music come into your life and did you want it to be there? 


I was obsessed with Hillary Duff at a very young age, Justin Bieber, too. I was a big pop star obsessed kid, but a very anxious kid, and I would have dreams of being on stage but I didn't know if I was gonna figure it out. I did guitar lessons and vocal lessons my whole life; I always wanted to do music in that way and was always practicing, but I had never really written a song until I moved to New York for college. That’s when I came out of my comfort zone and was becoming myself and started writing and meeting people and making music in a more serious way, and taking the steps to actually make this a career for the first time. 

Love it. So what did you do with all those lessons before? 

I just loved it. That was always my outlet and what I loved to do. And I still take guitar lessons every week to this day. 


Favorite song to play on guitar? 

I had a really awesome guitar teacher, and she would make arrangements of St. Vincent's songs. That's how I fell in love with her, was learning how to play her stuff on the guitar. It would take weeks to figure it out. I didn't sing in front of anyone until I was 18, but I would sing by myself in my room. 

You revealed it a bit already, but when did you write your first song with the intention to share it with strangers? 

In college, for sure. I had tried to write with other people before. I'd never written by myself. I was in my dorm, freshman year, and I picked up my guitar. I had never even thought of picking up a guitar and trying to write, but something came over me and I was like, I'm just going to try. It was September, October, I’d just started college. I wrote a whole verse and chorus and the energy of the city just took over and it just happened.
And then, I filmed it and posted on Instagram and my parents were like, what, you do that? The feedback from them and my friends was so nice, and that was the first time I had ever posted anything original. It gave me a lot of confidence. I was at NYU studying child psychology and music writing, and then I made the choice to transfer into the music school. That was a big moment, when I decided I'm actually going to regret not doing this if I don't. Like I need to do it now. 

Beautiful. Let's talk about your process. You've been learning and practicing and writing. Is your writing process still similar to what it was that first day when you decided to pick up your guitar? 

That was it back then. My favorite way to write now is to write with other people and collaborate. I find that I'm too in my head. Generally speaking, I’m overthinking everything all the time. So I think being in a room with someone else can be good for keeping me from doing that. I go in circles on my own. Going to music school, you develop this voice in your head that says, is this chord complicated enough? Do I sound smart enough? Especially growing up, learning St. Vincent, all of these complicated songs with politics and history to them, it’s a lot to live up to. Writing with other people lets me be a little more free and not put pressure on myself. Especially if I'm writing with people I'm comfortable with, it's a little more silly.

I love that. 
Did you learn anything from child psychology that applies to writing pop songs? 

I'm a preschool teacher. So that is what I do half the time, and I feel like that is what's keeping me sane at the moment. Being around kids and not thinking about myself has changed my life. Just having another outlet is amazing and having something that interests me that's not just music. And putting my phone away. It's lovely. 

Your most recent release, “Sunny Surrender.” Tell me about it. 

I wrote that song when I was in a relationship, and I was very excited about it and happy. Naturally, I have only really been inclined to write when I'm feeling sad or frustrated or just a bad feeling. This was one of the first times that I set out to write something that embodied that happy feeling. The song is about a road trip.
I just had this idea of making a song about a road trip I've never been on, and being in love and happy and surrendering to that feeling on this sunshiny road trip that I created and just taking it all in and feeling all of it instead of trying to make it something sad. To this day, that's the only song I've made that actually doesn't really have a twinge of self-awareness or sadness in it. 

Can’t you be self-aware and still surrender to happiness? 

I was aware that I was doing it the whole time, you know? I had to be aware enough to say I'm gonna actually try to write a happy song right now. I think it's easy for me to go the other way. 

In your fictionalized road trip, where are you driving? 

It names Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee.
It's also inspired by country music, mainly. So, it's kind of as if it's in the South. 

What do you hope people take away from listening to this song? 

This song, for me, was a moment to surrender to being happy and excited about something. Even listening to it now, even though that relationship is over and life is going on, it is really nice to listen to an actual happy, positive song. It's very rare right now. I'm happy that it was caught in the time capsule. Especially for my New Yorkers, it's getting sunny, this is a perfect time to listen to it. 

Will you write more sunny songs in the future? 

I don't know.
I'm more open to writing about different emotions than I was before. I think now, more than ever, I'm treating songs like that's how I was feeling in a moment. Like I said, it's a time capsule, something I was experiencing, and then you keep going, you move on. 

Do songs exist as chapters in your artist life? Do you anticipate the next song or version of your composition? Or is it all standalone? 


I don't know. Right now I'm really into country music, so everything is songwriting based. The ultimate test of good music for me is if I can play it on an acoustic guitar and it sounds good. Country is very song-based, so that’s the main throughline for me.

Okay, fun questions. If you could perform anywhere with anyone, anywhere, where would you play and with whom? 


This is what's coming to my mind. It's kind of rogue. The Grand Ole Opry with Dolly Parton.

That's a great one. If you are at your most zen state, where are you? What are you doing? 

Sitting in between my parents watching TV. It's my most comfortable state for some reason. I'm really close with my family, so I think being on my couch at home is just the ultimate comfort. 

How often do you get to do that? 

Good amount, honestly. I live in New York and my parents are here in LA, so I come every couple months. 

Nice. What do you watch? 

Modern Family. That's the main one right now. 
Also, they're both British, so a lot of British sitcoms. 

If your family, since it sounds like you're often with them, asked you to make a meal, could you make a meal? And what would it be? 

I've not a very good cook. But I'm always in charge of the salad. I'm good at a kale salad. When it involves the oven, I'm less good. I like to chop. I like to prep. But I'm not so good at meat, not for me. 

Kale salad includes what? What are your go tos? 

You massage the kale, which people forget to do. Add a little olive oil, a little lemon juice, nutritional yeast is really good, too. Avocado, cucumber, tomato, different seeds, different nuts. 

This sounds very good. I don't massage my kale. 

Yeah, that's the number one thing everyone needs to learn. 


Last couple of questions. I would love a non-music recommendation. It could be a place to visit, something to read, something to watch, something to do. 


Modern Family. Also going to open mics just to watch and listen. My rec is just to see more live music. 

I concur. I would also love a music recommendation.

Stella Lefty is great. I'm obsessed with her. Eli is amazing. Rose Paradise is amazing. Good friend of mine. 

And then lastly, anything you want to say, we’d like to end on your words. 

I'm making an EP. I'm really excited for it to be out. It's all quite sunny and happy, at least musically. 


Thank you so much for joining us. 

Thank you.