Check out our interview with talented Miami born, Los Angeles based artist, Anie Delgado who just released her new six-track self-confessed breakup album about healing, despite lacking closure, You Ruined Forever.
With streaming numbers hitting the hundreds of thousands, and features with the likes of Billboard and Earmilk, Anie Delgado proves that there really are no limits to her capability.
Follow Anie @anie_delgado
Hi Anie, please tell us a little about you?
I’m an artist. I’m from Miami, FL but then grew up in a small beach town up the coast. I love my family and loved the beach but other wise couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown and explore. I moved to NYC when I was 18 to train in the performing arts. I was working all over industry doing musicals, indie films, theater, performing in a band, when I realized that songwriting had always been my passion. I moved to LA and started my solo project. I live here now with my fiancé and am on Cloud9 that I get to make music every day. I spend pretty much the rest of my time cooking and going on walks. Very exciting, I know.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
moody, ethereal, evolving
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
If I’m being totally honest. I saw the Freaky Friday remake with Lindsay Lohan and when that came out I decided I NEEDED to be in an all girl band so my parents got me my first guitar. I was pretty young, 9 or so? To my disappointment, I couldn’t find any other girls that had that same thought, so I just started learning some covers. When I was in middle school, Taylor Swift was reaching the main stream and I was like WOAH singers can write their own songs?! Ever since then, I started writing my own songs too. I love Taylor Swift and grew up listening to her. She’ll always be an inspiration. From my obsession with songwriting and songwriters I also started listening to the greats like Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith, Carly Simon. I also grew up listening to my parents music and I was lucky that they had really cool taste. I always loved the experimental sounds on Pin Floyd records and Led Zeppelin records my dad listened to and the catchiness of Abba songs my mom always played in the house. I think both contributed to my sensibility as an artist. As a young adult, I discovered amazing songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus and have been re-inspired to write.
Do you play any instrument?
I play guitar.
Tell us about your new EP “You Ruined Forever?”
My EP You Ruined Forever is my first ever EP. It was really fun putting together a body of work finally in a world that is very geared toward singles. I made this with a lot of my producer and songwriter friends like George Gleeson, Gary Dillon, Salvador Mortadillo. It’s a breakup EP but it’s really more about healing for me.
What’s the story behind the songs?
The EP is about my first major relationship. I broke up with him while I was still kind of in love because I just knew it wasn’t healthy to be in it anymore. He was hurt when I broke it off and I lost a lot of friends even though I had endured years of infidelity and emotional manipulation from my ex. I couldn’t help at that moment like feeling like I was the problem. I was the bad guy. But over time I was able to rewrite my own narrative and realize that walking away from that was the greatest act of self-care I ever did for myself. I basically had to hit rock bottom first but now I’m stronger then ever and not at all confused by the series of events that lead to things ending.
The first song Jekyll & Hyde was inspired by something a mutual friend said to me. It’s a dear friend of mine that I was so relieved to keep after the breakup and they basically said to me look, he’s my friend and I’ll always be there for him, but I understand how dating him could be really challenging and I’m here for you too. He’s like Dr. Jekyll + Mr. Hyde sometimes.
That stuck with me because that was one of the more difficult parts of our relationship. Sometimes he’d be the creative, fun, adventurous person I feel in love with, other times he’d be dark, manipulative, and verbally abusive. It was confusing and that’s what the song Jekyll & Hyde is about. Leaving my tormentor also meant leaving the guy I loved.
Indie Bands + Cigarettes is about the moment after I broke up with my ex and he left our shared apartment and I was like I literally don’t know who I am anymore, all I have are the songs we used to listen to and faint smell of cigarette smoke on some of the clothes he left behind. My ex had a very over-powering personality and I shrunk myself to fit. I stopped listening to the music I liked because he thought his taste as so much more defined (it low key was and I’m still grateful to the artists I discovered through him but now I listen to my old favorites again). I stopped dressing how I want to. So this song was just about feeling frustrated about that. It’s like those keychains that say “My friend went on vacation and all I got was this shitty keychain” It’s that but, I dated this guy for three years and all I got was decent taste in music and the reminder that he was here from the smell of cigarette smoke… oh… and also trust issues.
You Ruined Forever is the title track. It’s a definitive moment of re-defining the narrative and confirming like no, you did this. I would have stayed forever but you made that impossible by your behavior. It’s about breaking up with someone you’re still in love with but having the strength to know that they can’t give you what you need anymore.
Narcissist is a diss track about my ex and other guys I dated that were “nice guys” “feminists” but then don’t actually treat women with respect.
Broken China is about letting go of my apartment and finding traces of my ex still. It’s about mourning a really rare, special relationship that was irreplaceable as though it was a cherished heirloom.
No Other Way is a song about forgiveness. It’s forgiving myself for taking so long to break things off. It’s a song forgiving him for all of the things I went through. It’s just like hey, we had our time together but it’s over and it was messy but that’s ok. Sometimes that’s just how breakups go.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
Seeing people react to the songs. I have a lot of fans who are younger girls and sometimes I feel like a big sister. I’m like hey don’t make the same mistakes I did. I hear from a lot of fans that they relate to the songs and the songs make them feel better which is really cool but also makes me sad that people can relate. It really confirms that what is most personal is also often most universal. That’s why I love songwriting.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
I don’t really read those types of books, but one of my favorite books that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is trick mirror by Jia Tolentino. It’s a really great commentary on the female experience.
What would say are the greatest lessons you learned so far?
You’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but that shouldn’t stop you from being your own cup of tea. There are millions of people out there, you’ll find yours.
Also, you’re going to work hardest for yourself. Never expect anything different and get to work (:
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
Care less. I would tell myself to care less about what people think about you especially potential romantic interests. Caring about that gets in the way of being your true, authentic self and that’ll prevent the right people from coming around.
How would your best friend describe you?
Bubbly, hard working, spacey, kind.
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
Oh gosh, My Own Worst Enemy: A Memoir. It’s a memoir because I’m finally growing out of that angst haha.
What’s next for Anie Delgado in the last months of 2022 and for 2023?
Busy end of the year for me! I’m shooting a music video for something I can’t announce quite yet. You may also hear from remixes from this EP. 2023 I have a lot of new music coming. Can’t say when or what yet, but stay plugged into my socials for updates.
What is your favorite healthy food?
Brussels sprouts but like covered in cheese. Does that still count?
And your favorite cheat food?
I live in a neighborhood in LA called Silver Lake and we have this Italian Indian fusion place and they have this bomb spicy rigatoni with masala sauce instead of traditional Italian sauce. I would ask for this on my death bed.
How would you explain your fashion style?
As I’ve grown up, I’ve tried to lean more toward elevated basics, but I can’t help myself. I would say it’s eclectic, minimalist, pop star. I love sparkly cowboy boots with simple but interesting basics with cool asymmetric cut outs.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Making enough money to live doing something I like and having enough time and money to do fun things with people you love. That’s pretty much it for me.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would want to hang out with my grandma again. She’s really special to me.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go with?
I am actually getting to live this next year and I can’t believe it. I’m traveling around the world for a full year with my fiance. We’ll be in the US for a bit then Europe then Asia then South America. The only thing that would make it better is if my family came along and luckily they’ll be with us in Italy for a month when we get married.
Best advice ever given?
Oh man I’ll never forget I didn’t make cheer captain when I was in middle school and I came home sobbing. I just wouldn’t stop. So my mom took me out for wings and she was like look, sometimes the most hard working person doesn’t get what they think they deserve. Sometimes these things don’t go to the people who are the best at what they do. This is just one moment of disappointment, there will be more but there will be good moments of accomplishments too. Life is about the ups and downs.
Do you support any charity?
Yes! A few. Lately, I’ve been trying to give back as an artist to climate change activism groups. A few of my favorites to support are Zero Hour and Sunrise Movement.
When I lived in NYC still, I would donate show revenue to the Brooklyn Pride Center to benefit LGBTQ+ youth in Brooklyn.
On a personal level, I support many LGTBQ+ orgs, gender affirming health care orgs like the Ada Law Project. I also support many reproductive health orgs like Planned Parenthood and other local abortion funds.
I feel strongly that every person deserves equal rights and to live a dignified life that includes attainable healthcare, housing, and stability. I also firmly believe in bodily autonomy.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years from now?
I would love to be releasing my first full length album, touring with it, maybe signed to a label.
Favorite song? Why?
It changes a lot but one of my favorite songs is Funeral by Phoebe Bridgers. It just reminds me that I’m lucky to be here.
What do you think of Social Media?
It’s good and bad. I’m grateful that it’s allowed me to connect with people who love my music and it also gives me a lot of good ideas for cooking and decorating and stuff but it can also stress me out and cause a lot of anxiety. I think having control over what you’re looking at is important. Comparison is the thief of joy.
Where we can follow you?
Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / YouTube / Facebook
Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Quote: “Idle hands are the devils tool”
Movie: Arrival by Denis Villeneuve
Tv Series: Breaking Bad
Favorite Food: pasta of any kind
Travel Destination: Bali
Sports Team: Yankees
