An Interview with Niko Rubio
Niko Rubio · Photography by Lauren Dunn
Rising singer-songwriter, Niko Rubio grew up on the mariachi and banda music that her grandparents played for her as a child i Palos Verdes, California. She looked up to artists like Linda Ronstadt who she names a “strong female songwriter and storyteller, and a pioneer for Hispanic women,” and at the same time she obsessed over Erykah Badu, Tyler the Creator, and 21 Pilots – the number “21” tattooed on her hand and all. Add in a soft edge and authentic spirit, and what you’ll get is Rubio’s new EP, Wish You Were Here - an alluring intimate look at the artist’s love life, family life, and Californian inspirations.
Created with executive producer Andy Seltzer (Maggie Rogers, Chelsea Cutler, LILHUDDY), John Debold (Katy Perry, HAIM, Wallows) and Nick Long (Machine Gun Kelly, blackbear, Weezer), Rubio’s EP was recorded remotely during quarantine, but the magic in the record is that its song stories bring themselves to life, despite being recorded during a lockdown. The artist’s talent for storytelling, music-making, and most of all, image-capturing shines through on each of the EP’s songs. “Amor” is a soft-hearted track dedicated to her family and recorded in Spanish, while a song like “Saving Me” transports its listeners through a road trip up and down the California coast. The EP itself is blissful, sweet, and full of love, with hints of all of Rubio’s musical idols laced in between lyrical testaments to family heritage and the quiet yet hypnotic grace of falling head over heels.
“My whole goal with this project was to create something true to my experience, being from California and taking this path that not many women of color I knew had taken before, probably because the space was never open to them,” the Mexican and Salvadoran artist explained. “At the same time I was just writing from my heart about everything I’ve gone through in the past year — falling in love and out of love and then back into love — and creating this very real story of love and lust and heartbreak.”
While rehearsing for a string of fall festivals and getting ready to tour with Chase Atlantic, Niko Rubio spoke with Amplify Her Voice about her experience as a woman of color in music, keeping her circle small, and the honest, inspiring influence of her Mexican heritage on Wish You Were Here.
Congrats on Wish You Were Here! How does it feel to have this body of work out in the world?
It feels amazing to have this EP out. This EP is so reflective of my falling in love, both with myself and my boyfriend.
You’ve opened up about how 2020 was a difficult year, emotionally for you. What about writing music helped you navigate through tough emotions like depression in a year of lockdown? Is creating music often cathartic for you?
2020 was a hard year for everyone. I think most would agree that it’s hard to navigate the many deep traumas that have resurfaced during our times at home. I mean what else is there to do but work and think about your darkest deepest insecurities. Is that just me?
I loved reading about how the creation for this EP came about by you driving up and down the coast of Southern California. It was so easy for me to visualize you doing that. You wrote that you “would jump in the ocean and cry” finding inspiration for your music at the beach. Is your new visualizer for “Can’t Pretend” a reflection of these moments or is it something entirely it’s own?
The “Can’t Pretend” visualizer is so special because we did it in one take. It was getting dark. We had 20 minutes of sun before the sun set and it was cold. It is so cathartic for me to be in water or the forest or lake I just feel so at peace. I wanted the video to have that sense of peace.
What’s the inspiration behind the story of “Can’t Pretend”?
“Can’t Pretend” is about that time before your person is ready to admit they love you. That waiting period. “Don’t run nothings gonna hurt us, you’ll see me if you focus.” It’s a call to stop running from our problems and just face them straight on. “I don’t have the answers, we’ll find them together.” Relationships mean you stop running and you face your issues head-on with your partner. Being ok with showing that side of you takes a lot of trust.
Can you tell us a little bit more about how your culture and ancestors have inspired this EP?
My Mexican culture inspires everything I do including this EP. Even when I write in English, the sonics of the songs I write are based on American and Mexican rock stars like Linda and Blondie. The braids in my hair for the “Amor” video inspired by the braids I wore horseback riding with my grandfather. It’s all connected in small ways.
What has your experience as a young woman in the music industry been like? Have there been times you felt as though opportunities were being blocked for you because of gender? If so, how do you decide to push through it and keep making art?
I am very lucky to say I have had an incredible experience in the music industry. I keep my circle small and everyone I allow space for is so respectful and kind. Trust me though, I’ve seen and heard awful stories from women about men who abuse their power. We live in a time where word gets around so quickly. If you’re an ass, someone will find out eventually. I make sure to always have my guard up. I guess that’s the hard part about being a woman in the industry, always having your guard up.
Do you have any advice for young women, especially women of color, who are aspiring to be musicians?
My advice to women of color in music is do not let anyone take your shine away. Opposition is normal and, a lot of the time, your biggest competitor is yourself. Make friends with everyone, especially the young women end people coming up with you. Everyone can win.
You’re about to play a few festivals? How excited are you to perform?
I love performing at festivals. I just played Summerfest in Milwaukee and it was so epic. I love seeing everyone dancing and speaking to fans. Seeing new cities is also so epic. I always knew I would stand on a stage and sing songs I wrote every night, but getting to do it at these festivals and venues feels surreal.
What was the most important thing you learned about yourself creating Wish You Were Here?
The most important thing I learned while creating Wish You Where Here was that I needed to go to therapy. There was so much I needed to talk to my therapist about. My family history and culture carry a lot of generational trauma. My grandparents immigrating to America, my mother having me at 19 and working with me at her hip. We carry that in our bones. All of us. Being young and in love is a blessing that was facilitated to me by the blood sweat and tears of my family. I had to write about that. “Amor” was written about that love for my family.
What do you hope listeners will take away knowing about you after listening to your EP?
I hope people realize that music is born to be genre-less now. This album is pop, rock, acoustic, alt… I don’t want it to be one thing. It’s all about the story and the writing and I hope people feel nostalgic for a drive by the California coast after/ while listening.