- Words Notion Staff
- Photography Ally Wei
Tiffany Day talks new track, "SAN FRANCISCO SIDEWALK".
Following her latest single “PARTY W OUT ME” – a track that took ownership of her behaviour in past friendships – Tiffany Day is entering a new era celebrating the healing power of friendship and platonic love. Landing today, new single “SAN FRANCISCO SIDEWALK” was the first track the LA-based artist wrote after her breakup that didn’t focus on the breakup at all, turning her attention instead to other connections in her life.
Made with producer and Jordana collaborator MELVV, “SAN FRANCISCO SIDEWALK” paints a picture of friendship that not only supports you through tough times, but provides moments of joy and common ground within them.
With a new EP coming this Autumn, the project will conclude a series of projects from Tiffany Day over the past few years, each representing a year of her time at college navigating new periods of growth in hear early 20s – from leaving home to her first love and heartbreak, and now learning to embrace time on her own.
Due to support Blu DeTiger this November in the US, the rest of the year is set to be huge for the rising artist. Catching up to take stock, we spoke to Tiffany about the new track, this new era, and what’s next.
Your new track is called “SAN FRANCISCO SIDEWALKS” – can you dive into the meaning behind the track and what inspired it?
This was the first song I wrote after my breakup that wasn’t about my breakup. It felt like a breakthrough to me. I had spent so much time writing about my anger and sadness for the past month that I forgot to think about the positives. I was in New York during my senior year finals week, and before I left for that trip, I told myself that this week would be filled with beautiful people and connections. That was my intention. Each line of the song has weight to it. A lot of these lyrics refer to real experiences I’ve had with some of my best friends.
What was your creative process on this track?
I remember walking into Jeff’s apartment (producer Jeff Melvin, aka MELVV) and just hearing this insane chopped up sample. I asked him what it was and he told me he used this cool modulator thing to create it. We sat down and I just started writing. I don’t think the song really hit until we added the “we grow, we grow, we grow” vocal chops in the chorus. That’s when my ears lit up and I became so insanely excited about it. The feeling of it was so amazing at that moment. We finished that song in one day.
Your last track was called “PARTY W OUT ME“, written after a frustrating experience when your college friends threw a party without you. Sounds like it must have been cathartic to write! Do you usually draw on personal experiences for your craft?
I always write on personal experiences. It is so fun, but it’s also scary because I’m sharing my entire life with the world. I love it though. People relate, and it makes them feel less alone and me feel less alone as well. I like to be insanely direct in my writing too. I’ll straight up write that I had my heart broken on a Tuesday afternoon at 3pm in the McDonalds parking lot if that actually happened.
If you were to throw your dream party, what would it be like?
Crazy bass music. Insanely huge LED screens and lasers. Trippy visuals. Smoke. Some flames. Food selection would be international. All you can eat. I’d like some crazy guest stars. But I would wanna play a DJ set too. And then maybe perform as Tiffany Day. I’d want all my friends there and random people too. It would be insane.
You’ve said that “after feeling so small for years, I make it a conscious goal to be big in my art”. What has this journey been like, and how did you discover that music was the artform that facilitated this outlet?
I don’t know if there was a moment of discovery. Music has always been a part of my identity growing up. It was just the realisation that it was OK to be loud in music that really changed everything. I grew up in a very small high school. I constantly felt judged and like I couldn’t do or say things because people would think I was weird. I still remember having 40,000 followers on instagram and being so obsessed with the stuff I posted on my story because people from high school followed me. It’s kind of funny to think about now. I couldn’t care less what they think now, but when I was younger, it genuinely felt like my whole world. I think it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there for so many people to see. I used to be scared about judgment until I came to this realisation that not everyone is guaranteed to like you. So why should you censor yourself if it’s inevitable? I’d rather live an authentic life, and if you don’t fuck with me, then you can just see yourself out. No one has to stay in my life if they’re not interested in it. There’s 7 billion people in the world.
I think feeling so small and quiet growing up has made me so loud and confident now. Overcoming my fear of judgment and making a promise to myself that I’d never succumb to other people’s opinions ever again. Life is so much for fun when you’re truthful and loud.
Which artist are you obsessed with at the moment?
I’ve always been obsessed with Benee. Her music is so sick and she just seems like a rad gal overall. Her project Lychee has been on repeat for me. We follow each other on Instagram and I won’t lie, sometimes I still get giddy about it. I also just have mad respect for her and would love to work or write with her one day.
As a pop artist yourself, what are your predictions for the future of pop?
To be honest, I’m not sure. I’d love to see it go in an electronic direction, and I feel like that is kind of happening. At the same time, I don’t know if there needs to be a specific direction for pop. That is what’s fun about it! It’s so broad and you can do so much. I hope the future of pop evolves into something non exclusive and organic. It’s more fun that way.
In an alternate universe, what would you be if not a musician?
I think I’d either be a doctor or a biomedical engineer. I almost went to the University of Michigan to study engineering before I decided music was what I wanted to do. I’ve always had an interest in medicine, both because it’s fascinating but also because it touches on my values of wanting to help and give back to the world in any small or large way that I can.
What can we expect next from you?
My fourth EP is coming out sometime this fall. It’s going to be the last EP that concludes the series I started as a freshman in college. Each EP reflects one year of university, and since I graduated this year in May, the last one will be coming out later this year. I’m really excited for it – I’ve started playing around in more electronic genres and I think these new sounds are really cool. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from friends and am just really excited for the world to hear it. After that, it will probably be album time, but I don’t want to think that far yet!
Do you believe in manifesting your goals? What are your goals for the rest of 2022?
Absolutely. I read something once that said that your thoughts are energy. And if you can direct at least ¼ of them to a goal every day, you will reach it faster. It’s not only about hard work, but it’s about the dedication to that goal. Obviously manifesting doesn’t work if you don’t actually start a routine to help you achieve your goals, but I’m a firm believer that you can do almost anything you set your mind to if you really want to. I recently started taking DJing really seriously, and after spending a summer learning and practicing all of my transitions, I got booked to play my first festival as a DJ. I think it’s a mixture of both my hard work, how I show it, and the universe that got me that.
My goals for the rest of the year are to continue writing and living. I think I’m going on tour as well, so I’m just really excited to perform, meet new people, and grow. I make a conscious effort to look for inspiration in things – not wait for them to come to me. Once I finish this last EP, I think the next step is figuring out my album concept. I’m a huge believer in projects having concepts. So that’s definitely a goal, and I guess just coming more into my brand as an artist is too.