Selena Vaughn is a transgender woman from Birmingham, Alabama who presently resides in Portland, Oregon. Vaughn has spent the last three years developing her own distinctive blend of folk, rock, and psychedelic and learning how to produce professionally as a DIY musician. Selena’s music is shaped by the religious trauma of her Christian-cult childhood, the natural defiance of her Southern queerness, and a never-ending healing path. Her debut album, “Fall of Icarus,” took listeners on a voyage to the afterlife; it was a cathartic rock album to exorcise one’s demons. “The Sleepless Dream,” her second album, picks up where her debut album left off. After learning to embrace her death— a stand-in for change— her new album is a journey towards actualizing that shift. Hope replaces nihilism, darkness with light, and death with hope. The second single “Helios” was released on January 20, 2023.
Helios is the second single released prior to the release of Vaughn’s sophomore album The Sleepless Dream. The record illustrates a healing journey’s chronicles. Everyone has vices. Subconscious habits and deeply entrenched desires that rarely reach the conscious mind’s surface. This album is aimed to dig up and expose these tendencies in order to actively transform one’s life.
In Helios, the narrator/listener learns to distance oneself from relationships that are not gratifying. Helios invites us to locate the sun within ourselves as a means of self-sufficiency rather than seeking happiness in others. Check out the song an the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
SELENA VAUGHN: I grew up as the child of a mega church pastor in rural Alabama. I was one of the only openly queer people in my home town, which naturally came with a lot of backlash. However, it also gave me a special sort of motivation fueled by spite. Everyone wanted to see me fail, so what better way to piss them off than to succeed more than all of them. The isolation of southern queerness, paired with the fact that there was hardly anything to do for fun, lent itself well for my creativity. I spent most of my time in the woods or in a swamp, observing nature through poetry, and using it as a vehicle for personal growth. I think, because of this, nature will always play a central role in the creation of my art. I also grew up with a family that would frequently isolate me from others in order to maintain their bubble of religious innocence. I used these times to craft intricate fantasy novels, and write two collections of poetry that would go on to be published at age 16.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
SELENA VAUGHN: The only training I received was a couple years of piano from ages 11-12. Songwriting seemed to flow out of me naturally as soon as I could speak, and writing poetry definitely helped refine my lyricism. I started teaching myself guitar at 16, and started learning production around the same time. Producing has definitely been the most difficult learning curve for me. I tend to have my head in the clouds when it comes to creativity, and, with production, you have to actually take those lofty ideas and apply it to something practical and precise. It can be incredibly frustrating.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘SELENA VAUGHN’?
SELENA VAUGHN: This is kind of a joke, but not really. The core of my music was really founded on Christian worship music. It was the only thing that really kept me connected to the church for the longest time. It instilled the idea that music is supposed to make you feel something. I think I still treat music as a form of prayer. Aside from that, my biggest influences as a teenager were: Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, and a lot of angsty 90s grunge. I’m an imperfect musician and I think it made me feel comfortable in that fact. More recently, I’ve been inspired a lot by powerful storytellers like Adrianne Lenker and Lana Del Rey. I’ve also been moving back towards my roots, and looking towards some modern, soulful country artists like Courtney Marie Andrews, Waxahatchee, and Joan Shelley. Country music is cool when it’s not about trucks, and beers, and how much you hate your wife.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
SELENA VAUGHN: I think the most integral part of my music is probably my lyricism. I am, first and foremost, a storyteller. I’m a really big fan of concept albums for this reason— it gives me the opportunity to combine my love for writing novels with my music. Especially on my upcoming album, “The Sleepless Dream,” I’d say the most important component is the lyricism, the story, the overlapping metaphors. It may take quite a few listens to fully absorb, but there’s a very intricate storyline. As for the ‘sound’ of my music, I’d say it really evolves around the story of the song. I don’t wanna confine myself with a “sound.”
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as INDIE?
SELENA VAUGHN:
The past few years have really felt like training to prepare me for this upcoming album. I did a lot of experimentation with messy grunge music, but found it was really just a means of hiding from my voice— to scream instead of to sing. After that, I really tried to emulate the next wave of indie-folk singers like Phoebe Bridgers or Julien Baker for awhile and wasn’t really content. Now I’m in a space where I don’t really consider genre or style too much. Now, I more so just aim to encapsulate a feeling. There’s a definitely a lot more experimentation involved in this process, which can be frustrating— but it’s also really gratifying to create something that’s purely yours stylistically.
6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
SELENA VAUGHN:
I’m incredibly passionate about this. I mean, music has been the rally cry for so many social movements. Historically, it’s been used as a crux for those on the margins of society, providing hope when there was none. I’ve toyed around with some of my own political-revolution anthems— my 2022 song “Goodwill” for instance, which calls for citizens to fight back against the growing tides of fascism within America. It’s a reminder during dark times that, if you don’t fight back, who will? On a more personal level— music can be incredibly life-changing. It’s been one of the biggest catalysts for healing and growth in my own life, so my goal is to be able to offer up the same for others. My upcoming album is a very spiritual album. Not in a Christian sense or a new-age revisionist way, but in a deeply personal way. For me, the most spiritual thing you can do is be engaged in a constant process of growth. This album is meant to help acknowledge and alter the traumas and conditionings that lead us to become comfortable in lives or patterns that aren’t really fulfilling. I want to wake people up to the idea that there is more— to themselves, their stories, their futures
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
SELENA VAUGHN:
I definitely give more than I receive in terms of material resources and energy. I’ve kinda bled myself dry at times for the sake of art— the whole starving artist trope is a bit true. It’s really difficult to make those sacrifices mean anything tangible in an industry that requires you to have money or connections to be heard. Starting out, I had neither— so it’s definitely been a lot of sacrificing and working for free. However, I do feel like my music has made me a better person. More ambitious, more spiritual. Wiser. So, I guess the question is- what’s more important?
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
SELENA VAUGHN:
My creative process honestly looks like a dumpster fire internally (and externally sometimes.) Writing this upcoming album has truly been a mindfuck— am I allowed to say that? It started out with the very basic premise of the sun’s journey through the sky, and kind of evolved from there. I write in a stream-of-consciousness style. I’ll then go back, and annotate to try and figure out what exactly my subconscious was trying to say. From there, I’ll build on the concepts and flesh out the sonic landscape of the song accordingly. The journey of the sun becomes a journey towards change— and recognizing how our conditioning forms our daily habits and gut reactions. A lot of times, my creative process feels like solving a riddle or puzzle. As for collaboration, I’ve pretty much done everything all on my own until recently. Now, I have a sound engineer, David Susmilch, who takes my mixes and refines the quality to sound cleaner and much more professional. I’ve also had a couple other very talented vocalists feature on “The Sleepless Dream” (Robin Shakedown and Bel Holiday.) Recording was done remotely, and I gave them a lot of freedom to record how and what they felt inspired to, with the guidance of some vague creative direction. My goal was to make the recording process as simple as possible to them just have fun being creative. Spoiler: these featured songs are some of the best on the record.
9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
SELENA VAUGHN: The hardest part of my career is just who I am. I’m a poor, transgender pastor’s kid from Alabama. Firstly, if you’re starting out in music it’s almost crucial to have lots of funding to get an album recorded, released, and pushed to the masses. All I have, is a mic, a free DAW, and a lot of heart. However, the hardest part is probably being trans. For trans women, taking hormones doesn’t change your vocal cords at all— that only happens with intensive vocal training. I’ve grown to be happy and comfortable with my voice, but lots of folks are always going to feel a dissonance with what I look like versus how my voice sounds. Women vocalists are already pressured more than their male counterparts to have a flawless voice. For trans women, if you don’t have that perfect, feminine tone, people won’t take you seriously, and will sometimes even view you with disgust.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
SELENA VAUGHN: Contrarily, I think my biggest challenge is also my greatest accomplishment. It’s hard to keep going when you don’t see anybody that looks like you in the industry. How many poor, southern trans women have made it in the indie rock scene? I’ve been met with a lot of adversity— whether from family, bigoted strangers, or just my own material resources. Despite that, I’m still going strong, and finally starting to find success on my own terms. I wanna show kids growing up in positions like mine, that there’s a place for us— in music and everywhere.
11. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
SELENA VAUGHN: Backlash and discrimination is kind of a fundamental experience for trans women, which has, in a way, prepared me well for this. My body, my life is not meant to be palatable for others. If you don’t like me, then I’m not for you. Similarly, if you don’t like my music, then it’s just not for you. My music is not meant to please others.
12. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
SELENA VAUGHN: This is a tough question because, obviously, I would love to be playing big shows and experiencing the whole thrill of touring with friends. However, rural Alabama didn’t have many opportunities in the way of live performances. I guess I feel a bit underprepared, under-experienced, and so I feel anxious performing for people. I’m learning to let it be exciting, but right now it’s scary. But when I’m making music alone in my room, I feel like a priestess in a temple. Im trying to translate that feeling outside my home.
13. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
SELENA VAUGHN: Personal interpretation is always an option, but there is a very real and important story to each song. There’s definitely a line. The first thing I think of is “Fight Club”— written by a gay man, satirizing the very people who would eventually co-opt it, and use it out of context for personal gain. Or how Jesus rebelled against the government, helped the poor, and rejected none— and how people now use his name to justify their hatred and bootlicking. What’s a story worth if you don’t even know what you just read?
KEEP IN TOUCH:
