EXCLUSIVE: Kiana V On Her Identity As An Artist And What Making Music Means To Her

It's been 12 years since Kiana first started writing music, which means it's been 12 years of growth, discovery, and dreams. She's gone a long way since her thoughts turned into songs in a journal, shyly performing her first-ever song as a teenager to her cousin and a friend. Did she ever imagine that being in the studio, working on music collabs, and singing onstage would be where she feels her best? Never! But that's the core of Kiana's story now. She's at a point in her life where she's ready to embrace and reach out for all the magical possibilities that come her way.

Photo Credit: @djmagbanua via @kianavee

Kiana is unstoppable. Drawing from her own understanding and experiences of love (both falling in and out of it, at that), you'll mostly find her humming along and writing to tunes to tell all sorts of stories about romance, including its butterflies, heartaches and all. But as she matures as an artist and little by little becomes braver and braver, she gathers inspiration from a deeper well of emotions, some more difficult to talk about than others. "I have songs like 'See Me' and 'Soldier' though that stemmed from my personal struggle with anxiety and depression. I have written a lot of songs about those moments of uncertainty and confusion, and as I get more comfortable with my vulnerability, I’ll slowly start to share those with everyone," she says.

Photo Credit: @djmagbanua via @kianavee

Speaking of bravery, there's another aspect about her career that's required much courage from her: finding her own identity as an artist and stepping away from the association (and pressure) of having a father like hers. People have expectations, she admits. There are many. And they scrutinize, too, holding the successes of her family as the ultimate standard of her own. Perhaps in her earlier years, this was enough to discourage her and cut short a blossoming career. These days, however, Kiana's confidence has taken root and she is unshakable in her belief that she's more than capable of forging a path for herself. She's certainly grateful for her parents who allow her to explore her own styles and push her own boundaries with zero meddling on their parts. "What makes it all worth it is that none of the comparisons and pressures come from my parents. In fact, they push me to do my own thing, my own way. I couldn’t be more proud to be their daughter and of their openness to the paths my brothers and I have chosen," she reveals.

Photo Credit: @djmagbanua via @kianavee

More so, unlike the generation of artists who rose to fame the same time her father did, Kiana doesn't adhere to one, two, or even three genres to box her music in. She writes what she wants to, expressing whatever is in her heart and whatever feels right to her. She grew up listening to R&B, soul, pop, and jazz, and while these have all influenced her music in more ways than one, she refuses to be limited by what these genres dictate to be good or bad music, classy or unclassy songwriting. Kiana doesn't make music to become the reigning queen of the indie scene or mainstream audiences' darling; all she does is write and sing, and create and perform, and if that pleases her listeners, that's all she needs.

Photo Credit: @giovmartinez via @kianavee

Just this February, Kiana moved to the United States (much to the reluctant acceptance of her parents) as a way to make way for growth. The experience of living in Los Angeles has been liberating and all sorts of things all at once, but it's done wonders for her creativity. Home quarantine was unkind to her at first as it was stifling just as it has been for most of us, but slowly but surely, she's getting right back on track and is glad to have the studio she works out of finally open. In fact, she just recorded her first track, and more is soon to come. Though a solo artist, Kiana's fans can look forward to collaborations in the future; Kiana's a big fan of the collab process. Different people bring different vibes and energies to the process, and those things allow her to approach her music in fresh, original ways.

Photo Credit: @kianavee

Speaking of recording tracks, Kiana is over the moon about being one of the five Filipino artists who worked with Globe and 88rising for its first-ever localized label Paradise Rising. The brand new music collective has a pretty unique mission for its artists: bring them to Western audiences and introduce them to the talent of Filipino artists. Kiana, who is under music label Tarsier Records, is part of Paradise Rising's "semilucent" mixtape along with Leila Alcasid, Fern, Massiah, and Jason Dhakal. Her track for "semilucent" is titled "Safe Place." "We have so much talent in the Philippines and I feel like Paradise Rising is the bridge that Filipino artists have been waiting for," she shares. And with the arrival of Paradise Rising, Kiana wishes to put in a good word for all the Pinoys in the music scene, not just its onstage performers. "Filipinos have been known internationally to be great singers but people forget that there are songwriters, producers and artists that push the set boundaries and traditions in the PH music scene," she says.

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Even as Kiana is gaining traction and establishing herself, she knows that the road is long and winding. If there's a principle to keep guiding her along the way, it would be to never forget that the whole business of making music should always cater to what her heart wishes to sing, feel and express. If a piece, or God forbid, an entire record, is produced for the empty purpose of people-pleasing, there won't be any soul left to her work and no authenticity in her performances. Music is a business and it requires winning over as many listeners as possible, that's true, but Kiana believes that it still is a business that has a place for people like her who could never imagine trading in their art for a quick buck.

Photo Credit: @djmagbanua via @kianavee

For those who have yet to start listening to Kiana's music, she has three tracks to suggest: "Misfits," "Corners," and "5:30." Of all the tracks she's recorded and all the verses she's ever written, coming up with these three felt the most natural and effortless. She definitely looks forward to writing more songs like these in the future, and she will—if not for her fans, but for herself. Kiana is first and foremost an artist for herself. Gaining people's support and approval is the cherry on the cake, but what matters most to her now is hitting the mark within herself, finding what it is exactly that brings her the most happiness as an artist and letting that lead the way.

Photo Credit: @djmagbanua via @kianavee