myah On the Making Of “now or never”
What was the creative process like for this particular song?
I have a few unconventional methods when I write songs – one of them being skateboarding. I was having trouble focusing one afternoon so I grabbed my skateboard and started to ride. When I know I’m going to try coming up with a track while I skate, I start by humming a few different melodies until one sticks. After that, I put some gibberish to the melody until the lyrics start to come. I always record everything on a voice memo cause it’s really easy to forget, especially when you’re riffing off the cusp on a skateboard. Once I’ve got enough of a melody and gibberish sorted I’ll park my board and sit on a curb and start to write. There’s something about being outside of my house and in nature that allows me to focus better. That’s how the writing process started for “now or never”.
Could you discuss the lyrical themes or messages conveyed in this "now or never?"
I wrote “now or never” in the middle of a situationship that I was trying super hard to navigate and make work. I’m not the best at initiating, but I’ve been working on getting better at it. I had known this person for a few years and was super into them so it felt strange when they started to pull away. We had decided that it was the right time to pursue something more, but then it all slowly started to crumble. I thought we were on the same page, but we weren’t. We went from exchanging glances at parties and being excited about the future to barely talking, and finally not talking at all. Thematically I was inspired by the excuse of, “oh we just didn’t get the timing right.” I don’t think in life the timing is ever right. You either work for what you want, for what you love, for what you believe in, or you don’t. “now or never” also explores how we’re all connected because of social media. – “if you wanna see me, you know where to find me” – if you want to find someone, you can, which is a good thing but also makes it way easier to just toss someone to the curb if you want. When that happens you’ve got to get over it, but it’s tough. You get desperate. You start to question everything. These scenarios are a rollercoaster and I wanted this track to feel like a rollercoaster sonically. All the twists and turns until you’re quite literally screaming at the top of your lungs. “Ahhh!!!!”
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this track?
My producers Tripped N Sat are incredible. I think this was the second or third song we did (they’re also the sole producers for my debut album). When we started this record it was exciting from the jump. We knew it was a hit after the first day, but it’s a kind of complicated song with how it switches up throughout. When we were in the last vocal session to send it to mix + mastering, I remember listening to the song when it dawned on me that the end really needed a scream. It was something I didn’t hear for months, but when I did, it made so much sense. I told the guys I had to add it and I remember we all just laughed so hard afterwards. It was so exciting and felt right, and as soon as we recorded it we knew the record was done which was an incredible feeling. That was definitely memorable – the song needed a cathartic ending and it was even more cathartic to record.
Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
I knew I always wanted to pursue music, but it’s tricky to navigate when you don’t have a lot of resources. I didn’t grow up in a wealthy household so I didn’t have a lot of access. I had tried to teach myself how to play instruments, but I’m the type of person that needs a teacher, so that didn’t work out very well. I couldn’t figure out how to be a bedroom producer for the life of me, so I ruled that out too. I could sing though, and that felt accessible and like something I could control.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2018 and started taking vocal lessons in 2019. In the fall of 2022 I told my vocal coach that I was tired of doing covers and felt like it was time to try and write my own music. I made enough money to produce my debut single, “hide”, in August of 2023 which was the launching off point. After you release your first single you start to see that maybe this whole pursuit is possible. My background is working in film and at the end of 2023 when the strikes got really bad I didn’t have a job anymore. It sort of felt like the universe was telling me it was now or never (sorry, had to lol). I had free time and was going through a lot of changes, so I decided I would give music 110%. I knew it was the only thing I had, so it became a necessity to push myself creatively and start putting every song idea and feeling I had on paper
Your lyrics often tell stories. Can you talk about your approach to storytelling through music?
I went to school for Film and for Directing specifically. Working in film has been my day job since I moved to Los Angeles. I’ve always heard music in my head play out like a movie scene so when I write it’s no different. I would say 90% of what I write is story-driven with a few songs being more imagery-based, like abstract poetry. It’s important to me that whoever listens to my music can either envision themselves in the scenario I’m singing about because it’s relatable, or they can envision the characters going through it. I like the idea of a song being a journey. I’m a bit of a romantic, which doesn’t have to just be about a relationship – friendships can be romantic, a trip can be romantic – I think romanticizing things is such a powerful emotion, so I try to tap into that. As humans, we all have so many shared experiences – writing story-driven lyrics allows a certain level of connectivity I admire deeply. It’s letting the listener know they aren’t alone in it, that someone out there has experienced it too. I find a lot of comfort in that idea. If I can help people feel less alone or more understood, then I feel like as a songwriter I’ve done something right.
