BACKSTORY: The West Texas songwriter stands to be next in line among the grand tradition of brilliant female songwriters from the Lone Star State
FROM: Abilene, Texas
YOU MIGHT KNOW HER FROM: Her 2023 viral single, “Tear Me Apart,” or her recent FLOOD “Neighborhoods” session
NOW: The singer aims to redefine what it means to be the Queen of Texas, offering an inclusive vision of the state’s conservative traditions with her newly released debut album
Everything is bigger in Texas, but on Solya’s debut album, everything is also more intimate, more vulnerable, more carefully considered. That’s not to say that Queen of Texas isn’t loud or bombastic, featuring moments of intense fireworks; rather, these theatrics are interspersed with a quiet confidence that suggests a clarity and songwriting vision more mature than Solya’s 19 years.
The path Solya took from budding bedroom artist to perhaps the next in a long line of Texas alt superstars happened rather rapidly. She began releasing music in 2023, and it was during that first year that one of her singles, “Tear Me Apart,” unexpectedly began gaining some serious attention. “That one actually took a while to take off—it took maybe a year,” she recalls. “I was promoting it every day, and then all of a sudden it just started doing really well.” It was that slow burn that elevated Solya to the place she’s at now: signed to a record deal with Version III, working with acclaimed producer Danny Reisch, jamming with Texas icons such as Jason Chronis, earmarked for success.
“I was really inspired by the desolation of where I grew up and the loneliness that I felt that came with that.”
She’s got the songs to back it up, too. The album’s title track is a buoyant and bubbling chamber-pop epic landing somewhere between The Last Dinner Party and Lana Del Rey. Musically and melodically, it’s clear that Solya is plenty talented, but her lyricism elevates the song to stirring heights. Its lyrics meditate on being alone in a big place, looking for connection but knowing self-confidence has to come first: “Rhinestone lady, satin baby / Always alone / Sapphire necklace, queen of Texas / Always alone.” It’s a concept that courses throughout the album, which actually informs much of what Queen of Texas is about. “Texas is my kingdom,” Solya shares. “It’s what I love. Everyone I love is in Texas.”
Those warm feelings, coupled with teenage isolation, mix together brilliantly throughout Queen of Texas. “I was really inspired by the desolation of where I grew up and the loneliness that I felt that came with that,” the songwriter continues. “Jason [Chronis] was able to bring that blending in country elements in the record, especially with the slide guitar and tremolo.” The chemistry Solya discovered with Reisch and Chronis—the latter of whom leads one of her favorite Texas bands, Tele Novella—happened quickly, and with ease. “When I contacted Danny, I actually didn’t have any demos. I hadn’t written anything when he agreed to do the album with me. The whole album was written in the span of four months, and then it was recorded over just 10 days.”
“When I was about 14, I was like, ‘Yep, I’m going to be a musician and I’m not going to have a plan B. I went full force into music and I didn’t even consider the possibility of doing anything else.”
There’s a propulsion to the record that clearly comes from this urgent writing and recording process, the former unfurling from Solya’s post–high school reflections, musings from someone who’s known that they’ve wanted to be a musician for as long as they can remember—though not without a backup plan. “Ever since I was six, I thought I would either be a musician or a puppeteer,” she says. “When I was about 14, I was like, ‘Yep, I’m going to be a musician and I’m not going to have a plan B. I went full force into music and I didn’t even consider the possibility of doing anything else. When people actually started responding to what I released online, it made me so appreciative.” Beneath the surface of Queen of Texas lies a gratitude that Solya has actually made this work; that all of her dreams are coming true. Fairy tales rarely unfold as neatly as this. “Just being able to do what I do now is amazing. It makes me really, really happy.”
Solya navigates the ups and downs of young adulthood while still holding space for the fact that music, ultimately, brings her more joy than anything else on Earth. Growing up, she’d write songs to entertain herself; there wasn’t much else to do in Abilene. As a young adult, she wrote to work through feelings of heartbreak, anger, and isolation. “When I wrote this record, I had just gotten out of a really toxic relationship. A huge part of this album is about coming to terms with life, being at peace with myself, and being OK with being alone.”
It’s also, importantly, about redefining what, exactly, a Queen of Texas looks like. “The album is also about growing up queer in West Texas,” she elucidates. “It wasn’t easy growing up, and it took some time to become comfortable with it and comfortable writing about it.” Now, she hopes her confidence radiates outward to other young people facing similar struggles. “It’s a huge part of what being the Queen of Texas means to me. It’s giving my listeners representation in a place where they might not otherwise be accepted.” FL
