While MYRA made things official with her debut single “stay” earlier this year, she has been in the music game for quite some time. She has competed on shows like Thailand’s Got Talent and Rising Star USA, traveled the country in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon, and has performed at numerous concerts and special events around the world. As she pursued her music degree at the Berklee College of Music, MYRA began experimenting with music production, which has helped expand her abilities as a songwriter. We had the lovely opportunity of catching up with MYRA to chat about her life as a musician and actress, along with the types of projects she can see herself making or being involved with in the future.
Photo by Emma Mead
Photo by Emma MeadMelodic Mag: Your journey with music and the arts started at a young age – do you recall the song or the artist that got you interested in performing?
MYRA: Disney movies and Broadway was really what got me started. I would watch Beauty and the Beast and Mulan on repeat. The songs were what got me into singing. I was also lucky enough to have frequented NYC as a kid, and Phantom of the Opera really swept me off my feet. I did standing room tickets a couple times as a child!
MM: What was it like to perform on Rising Star and Thailand’s Got Talent? Did you expect to make it as far as you did (placing sixth on Rising Star and first on Thailand’s Got Talent)?
MYRA: I was 13 and 15/16 [years old] for those. It was extremely nerve-wracking for me. Something I haven’t shaken off as an adult. I get pre-show nerves like crazy. I always went in with super low expectations. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d get that far. Imposter syndrome was/is strong, haha.
MM: Is there a dream role/dream show you would love to have or be a part of?
MYRA: Oh man… Honestly, there’s such a wide range. I just hope I get to do it all in this lifetime, whether it’s being in a Marvel project, a part of an A24 film, or your good old classic rom-com. I wanna do it all.
MM: What makes you say “yes” to a project or a role?
MYRA: If the character/story speaks to me and the writing is good. Or if it’s someone I really want to work with. It’s a gut feeling, really.
Photo by Emma Mead
Photo by Emma MeadMM: Berklee has helped you develop your sound, especially when it comes to producing. When you started learning production, was it harder or easier than you imagined?
MYRA: I have to give a shout-out to my professor and now friend, Erin Barra. She made me fall in love with Ableton [software] and producing. It was definitely easier than I imagined. I thought it would be overly mathematical/complicated, but it’s really just curating sounds and putting them together in a cohesive/creative way.
MM: “stay” was created at the start of the pandemic, and it is so cool that you were able to put it together all on your own! Did lockdown/quarantine facilitate the process of making the track, or was it more difficult to make during that time?
MYRA: Yeah! I think everyone had a period during lockdown where they were super productive. I also have this thing about always being self-reliable/independent in my own creative ventures. I’m very impatient. More people involved = more time it takes, haha. I was in this crazy flow state for like a month and made music non-stop. I was also staying at my grandparents’ beautiful home in Virginia, so it was like a writing retreat almost, haha, except with Covid going on.
MM: Will your future releases be in the same realm as “stay,” or will they have a different sound?
MYRA: For my EP (wink wink), it’ll be in the same vein. But for future projects, who knows! My sound is constantly morphing. My music from 12 months ago sounds different to music I make now.
MM: What are a few things you hope to accomplish with your music?
MYRA: I just want people to enjoy it the way I’ve enjoyed making it. I don’t expect my music to be Grammy-nominated or anything far-fetched like that, haha. It’s just something that’s very close to my heart and I want to be able to share that with everyone.
MM: Besides He’s All That coming out later this month, do you have any other releases (a song, a movie, etc) planned for this year?
MYRA: Besides the film, I plan to have a single and then my EP out soon 🙂 My life is extremely spontaneous, haha, planning is not my strong suit. But hey! I’m on the interwebs if you wanna track me down.
MM: Final thoughts or comments?
MYRA: Thanks again and stream stayyyyyyyy 🙂
Photo by Emma Mead
Photo by Emma MeadThank you for chatting with us, MYRA! We are looking forward to hearing your EP, as well as seeing you in that Marvel movie some day.
You can listen to “stay” on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Be sure to also catch MYRA in the Netflix movie He’s All That, coming August 27.
Keep up with MYRA: Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // TikTok
