Pop artist Souvenir speaks with us on his newest release “Karma” and more in an exclusive interview!
Souvenir’s music is a unique brand of synth pop magic. The Brooklyn-based 27 year old seeks to effortlessly reference the classic sounds he was raised on, while his millennial/Gen Z cusp sensibilities keep him proudly tuned in to the current pop frequencies.
The result is an infectious testament to youth, heartbreak, and the modern queer experience, scored by sweeps and hooks fit for a queen (Carly Rae Jepsen).
Souvenir’s heartbeat is synced with that of the East Coast- from a small town on Cape Cod, to music school in Miami, to now being a true New York City Boy.
Souvenir started releasing back in 2017, but has grown so much since then as an independent artist, with his last EP release titled “HUMAN NATURE” produced by FLORIO back on September 30th in 2022.
Most recently, he released “Karma,” a powerful and catchy pop track with crispy clean and beautiful vocals. The instrumental perfectly compliments the vocals here, setting the foundation for the soundscape in Souvenir’s emotions behind the song. The chorus and hook here are so catchy, it’s quite easy for it to get stuck in your head.
I’ve also had the privilege of seeing Souvenir perform this live, and his delivery perfectly matches the studio version almost seamlessly, making it look easy. I found myself enamored in the energy and power behind his voice and stage presence.
Check out my interview with him below about the track!
Bryce Quartz: Hey Souvenir, how are you doing today?
Souvenir: Hey! I’m great. It’s a beautiful day here in NYC, my thighs are OUT.
Bryce Quartz: How are you feeling now that your latest track “Karma” is streaming on all platforms?
Souvenir: SO GREAT! This is the first single of the next ~*era*~ for me, and the first release that’s a co-write between my producer and me! I can’t wait to share more of what we’ve been cooking up, but Karma definitely felt like the right choice as the first one out.
Bryce Quartz: I can hear the passion in your voice on this song. What inspired you to create this track and what does it mean to you personally?
Souvenir: Thank you! The song grew out of the main hook lyric “Karma’s not your friend and neither am I.” My producer/co-writer FLORIO and I wanted to walk the fine line between being bitter and hurt, and being liberated and free, and capturing that feeling in this big cathartic vocal chorus. We had both been wronged by ex-partners, friends, etc. and wanted to tell that story of moving on, but also realizing how toxic that person really was. I’ve never really put out a song from this sort of wounded but healing mental space. It really felt like new emotional territory, and being influenced by artists like MUNA and Carly Rae Jepsen totally helped us find that emotive, nostalgic pop sound to express it perfectly in.
Bryce Quartz: I had the chance to see you perform this track live, and your voice is simply amazing to hear in real life. You have a talent for bringing the energy from your tracks directly to the stage. How do you translate this energy from the studio to the stage?
Souvenir: That is so sweet, YES that was such a fun show!😝 I’ve always been a performer at heart, growing up in musical theater and recitals. And I’m always so conscious of making sure my lyrics are heard! Seeing and hearing an audience sing my songs with me is such an indescribable feeling and the adrenaline it gives me always makes performing live special for me.
Bryce Quartz: Do you have any visuals or promo on social media planned for this release?
Souvenir: Nothing big budget haha but I’ve definitely gotten better about posting on TikTok and being more comfortable in front of the video camera😅 funny enough- the first promo TikTok I posted promoting the song, I PAID TikTok to boost it, and almost immediately, the algorithm fed my video to the entirely WRONG audience and I got hundreds of hateful and homophobic comments. They really did me dirty with that one, but I’m laughing it off and the trolls can eat my shorts😂
Bryce Quartz: Do you have any more live performances coming up this year where we can experience this song live?
Souvenir: I will definitely keep you posted! I’m still planning a big summer show, but in the meantime, just focusing on getting more music out before then 😉
Bryce Quartz: What other plans do you have this year?
Souvenir: Having co-written so many new songs over the last year that I think really push my sound forward, I’m so excited to be more consistent with my releases this year! I will definitely also be performing (perhaps beyond NYC…), and collabing with other incredible artists here in NY. So stay tuned!!
Bryce Quartz: Are there any other artists you’re listening to right now or other artists you’d like to shout out?
Souvenir: Omg always too many to name! Of course my sexy bicoastal babies ZEE MACHINE and Bentley Robles just released their BANGING collab “See Me Naked” (which will definitely be soundtracking my questionable decisions this summer). There are so many amazing queer artists inspiring me right now- Michael Medrano, The Scarlet Opera, LEXXE, Cub Sport, Omar Apollo.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Souvenir!
Be sure to stream “Karma” by Souvenir on all platforms now and follow him on social media below!
Souvenir
Written By: Bryce Quartz