Photo Credit: Val Rios (@val.ok)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // April 28, 2020
Almondmilkhunni hasn’t always been in the spotlight, but she certainly is now. From putting herself through college by dancing to achieving viral social media posts, the Philadelphia native definitely steps up to the plate. On her highly anticipated debut self-titled EP, Almondmilkhunni demonstrates her indisputable talent for crafting unique pop-R&B soundscapes that’ll keep you begging for more.
On her career goals, Almondmilkhunni shared,
“I used to have a lot more clearly outlined goals but now, I just want to see what I can do. Every studio session we have, I try to push myself more and more. Really see what happens. It’s a lot more exciting when I’m just like, ‘Alright, let’s see what we can do.’ Get better, grow, and develop my skills more. Those are my main goals.”
To celebrate the release of her new music, we recently chatted with Almondmilkhunni about baristas, meditation, and of course, her debut self-titled EP.
HH: For those who don’t know, where does the name Almondmilkhunni come from?
A: The name Almondmilkhunni came from being a barista at Starbucks and I had just discovered almond milk. It was a little bit before it got super popular, and I thought it was a cute, funny username. Once I started dropping music, everyone online mostly knew me as Almondmilkhunni so I decided to keep it as my artist name too!
HH: Would you say your identity as a Latina woman has affected your music career?
A: Being Latina has definitely not affected anything in music for me–especially being pretty white passing. But most of my team of producers, A&Rs, and just the people I have around me when I’m recording and making music are usually Latino, which is a great energy for me.
HH: Your debut self-titled EP is finally here, and we’re absolutely loving it! How does it feel to know that anyone and everywhere can listen to it?
A: Thank you! It feels amazing to have it out. I was super nervous and self-doubting up leading up to the release, but now I’m just very excited and proud of my project and I want everyone to listen to it and enjoy it.
HH: Can you describe your creative process for the EP?
A: I’m very big on my inner world being in order before I can create anything. So while making the EP, I was meditating during the daytime, keeping myself healthy and hydrated, and then being very moderate about drinking. So I think that’s the biggest part of the equation for me when I’m in creative mode. And then we just get to have fun and be completely immersed in what we’re making in the studio.
HH: Powerful tracks like “Give It All to Me” and “Bandana” completely blow us away. Which song did you find the most difficult to write?
A: Thank you so much! Both tracks came relatively easily because the beats were just so fun and gave us room to just make what felt right. Jade McKenzie wrote on both tracks and she’s incredible. I would write for the songs and record and then Jade would come to the studio with her ideas and I’m like, “Yeah, those are definitely better. Let’s go with that.”
HH: What was it like working with lil aaron on “Cherry?”
A: lil aaron is the homie and I love him. He’s been checking on me with FaceTime calls during quarantine and we had a good vibe going since we first met in the studio. But before all that we were just following each other on Twitter and would interact on there.
HH: If you could sell out a headline show anywhere in the world, where would you pick?
A: I don’t know where specifically, but just anywhere that all of my friends and family could be and just have everyone who’s close to me or has been there since the beginning. I have a lot of followers like that who listen to my music now but have been following me since I was a dancer and I want more than anything to throw a great show for them.
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
A: “Fuck Around” by Tink is my go-to R&B song; it’s perfect. And then “Real Games” by Lucky Daye is also my idea of a perfect song, and anything by AQUIHAYAQUIHAY is a hit. They’re definitely on their way to the top.
The Hidden Hits 