Dasha headlined at SLO Brew Rock on October 18 for a packed crowd of old teachers, family, and of course, fans! Even Counselor Shelly Benson was seen dancing! Photo courtesy of freshman Cadence Flickinger.
Students at San Luis Obispo High School love scrolling through social media apps like “TikTok” and “Instagram”; and if they were watching videos in the spring they probably know the song “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” by American Country Singer-Songwriter Dasha.
What most don’t know is that Dasha was a student here at SLOHS. Expressions caught up with Dasha before her hometown show on October 18.
Expressions: Did any of the songs you wrote in high school get released on any of your albums?
SLOHS alumni Dasha Novotny: No, I don’t think so. I wrote so many songs in high school. None of them have come out on the albums, but a lot of the artistic development that made [the released] songs happened in high school. I would go to the studio in town and just write everyday after volleyball or musical theater practice. I would be there until almost 2:00 am.
Expressions: Your first album, “Dirty Blonde” (2023), was more a pop album compared to “What Happens Now?” (2024), which is more country. What made you make that switch?
Dasha: As an artist, it’s so strange making music because it’s such a reflection of who you are, what you’re going through, your personal situations. I feel like that pop album was a part of my artistic journey of figuring out what my sound is. It’s really hard finding your sound as a musician. It just takes time sometimes, and you have to write a lot of music, you have to do your ten thousand hours. So I feel like that album was me figuring out what do I want to dress like, what do I want to look like, what do I want to sound like, what is my production want to be like? At the time I was like ‘I want to be this pop artist’. Then I realized that my first love was always songwriting and storytelling; that fits way more into the country genre, which is where I also started songwriting. So it was kind of like a flip back, a U turn back to where I started.
Expressions: What was your biggest inspiration when writing some of your songs?
Dasha: They’re all true stories. They’re exaggerated, they’re very dramatic. But they’re all real stories about boys, friendships, and just random situations that I run into. I’ve always been very much of a feeler. I’m a Pisces, so I cry a lot. I feel like I feel things a lot and I kind of bank up inspiration throughout my life. The song “Olivia” on my first album “Dirty Blonde”, is totally about this girl I knew in high school.
Expressions: Lastly, what would be your biggest advice to SLOHS students who want to pursue a career in music?
Dasha: I would say just keep writing, play shows, and just start trying. There’s no right answer, there’s no right way to start and if you really want to do it, you’ll figure it out.
Dasha’s incredible albums “Dirty Blonde” and “What Happens Now?” are available on all music platforms to stream. Go support this amazing former tiger!
