By: Staff
Bri Scully’s latest release, "Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl," is a quintessential addition to any sad-girl playlist, blending vulnerability with an undeniable sense of empowerment.
The song dives into the “situationship” culture with a twist, capturing the struggle of accepting less than what you want and the self-defense mechanisms that come with it. Bri’s lyricism, especially in lines like “feed me lies like candy,” brings sharp, introspective insight, balancing raw emotional truth with a sense of irony that listeners can feel and relate to.
Produced by Brandon Lew and mixed by Joey Messina-Doering (HAIM, Carly Rae Jepsen), the track contrasts heartbreakingly honest lyrics with upbeat, infectious production. This contrast perfectly embodies the push-pull of longing and resignation—a relatable anthem for anyone who’s ever tried to convince themselves they’re okay with casual connections.
With her career on the rise, Bri Scully is drawing attention from both fans and critics, and she is hailed by bloggers and music publications as an artist to watch. Known for her introspective storytelling and willingness to reveal raw emotions, she’s been making waves in LA’s music scene, performing at high-profile showcases and venues that have only amplified her reach. With momentum building and her growing fanbase eagerly anticipating what’s next, Bri Scully is set to make a significant impact on today’s music landscape.
We had the chance to catch up with Bri Scully for an exclusive interview in "The Cage" Music Blog.
Here’s how it went:
BEGIN INTERVIEW:
Hello Bri Scully, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We’ve had a blast diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more excited to learn more about you, both as an artist, and as a person.
Is your stage name your given name and what led you to choose this method of connecting your artistry with fans?
Hi!!!! Thank you so much for having me. I’m truly honored to be featured. My stage name is my given name actually. My full name is Brianna but everyone has called me Bri for as long as I can remember. I toyed with the idea of going by a stage name earlier this year, but in the end I decided that my music is so deeply rooted in my own personal experiences that I wanted to own it fully by having it be represented by my given name.
As a solo artist, what are some of the biggest challenges you tackle on your own—and what’s the best part of having full creative control?
Being a solo artist is truly such a double edged sword. On one hand, I have full autonomy and creative power to do whatever I want, release when I want, design my own art and branding. On the other hand, it can feel incredibly isolating because you’re truly just taking risks all the time with barely any guidance. This has really been such a lesson in trusting myself, my abilities and my vision. It’s definitely made me a more confident person overall.
When you dive into a new project, is there a specific emotion that sparks your creativity—like joy, heartbreak, or excitement?
Although my art for my music is generally quite colorful, I am honestly a pretty sad person (that sounds so wild to say. I promise that I am fine!), so a lot of my music is fueled by heartbreak. We work really hard to mask the sadness in musicality and production that’s pretty catchy so that it contradicts itself, which I think is a really strong representation of me as a person. I do feel most inspired to write when I have experienced some sort of loss, whether personal or external. Finding music as an outlet to express all this has been so extremely healing for me.
Your journey is absolutely captivating! Growing up in South Florida, you filled journals with stories, poems, and songs from such a young age. Then, after holding onto all that creativity for years, you moved back to Florida from New York during the pandemic and decided to share your work with the world. Incredible! What inspired you to finally break through and unleash the talent and creativity you possess?
The pandemic was an insane time. I left my apartment in New York and moved home to live with my parents. I was back in my childhood bedroom with no car and barely any friends around. It was so insanely isolating. I had no creative outlet. Then, I started hanging out with boys who I grew up with who started to play at open mics around town and wanted me to sing with them and they would play for me. But then I thought “why don’t I just learn so I can play for myself?” Then I got into guitar lessons and started diving back into piano. I would sit at the piano for almost five hours every day and lyrics just started to flow? It was honestly crazy. I had not written music in almost 10 years and yet I was writing like I had never stopped. I didn’t realize how much of my past I had buried. While I never want to experience anything like the pandemic again, it brought me back to myself in a way I didn’t know I needed. I wouldn’t be pursuing music now if it weren’t for that time.
Now you’ve also teamed up with powerhouse producer and co-writer Brandon Lew, along with acclaimed mixer Joey Messina-Doering (known for his work with HAIM and Carly Rae Jepsen)—amazing! How did these connections come about, and what’s it like to collaborate with such experienced, talented professionals who believe in your vision?
It’s like the best hug you’ve ever had. Working with people who truly truly GET you is just beyond cathartic. I met Brandon by absolute happenstance. I was actually supposed to work with another producer who bailed on me at the last minute when I was all ready to start putting music out. I was also brand new to LA when this happened so I didn’t know anyone. I made a list of everyone I did know who had music connections, and that is when a friend introduced Brandon and me. Brandon immediately made my music better by challenging me to basically turn my idea of songwriting on its head. He has made me 100% better. We have been working together ever since we met. He has become family to me and I just have the best time working with him. We could not be more polar opposite as people, yet he gets me and listens to me unlike anyone else in my life.
Joey was introduced to me through another very talented songwriter who works with him. I thought his mixing history was absolutely perfect for my vision of “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl.” He nailed it. He’s so kind and supportive. Beyond wonderful to work with. Given his history of who he has worked with, I was honestly intimidated to reach out to him, so when he decided to jump on board, I was SO excited and started to wholeheartedly believe in how good the song was.
What was your reaction when you first heard the final mix of your project?
My mom was visiting and we blasted it in my car. She started crying. She said “Bri this is it. You’re figuring it out.” So then I started crying too. It is SO exciting to hear something you made come into full fruition.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process, including where you most prefer to be when you write and create the foundation musical arrangements?
My best writing typically happens either in the middle of the night or when I’m driving (or both together), so the recording app on my phone is my literal best friend. I am so bad at sitting and writing when I have to. I can truly fuck around for like four hours in a session, barely come up with anything, and then the SECOND I head home something comes to me. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel pressured? It’s just all about doing whatever we can to get me out of my head, because once I’m not overthinking I can write my best song in under an hour.
What instrument do you use as the foundation to start your musical creations with?
Guitar or piano mostly. Super super bare bones. Sometimes even just audio recordings to start.
What was the most challenging part of bringing this project to life, from the initial idea to the final recording?
You’re going to laugh at me for this, but the hardest part about making this song had nothing to do with the music process at all. The most difficult part…drumroll please…was the photoshoot. In the middle of the night on a random day, I had this grand idea to pose in a candy bikini for the shoot. You know the ones that people normally wear when they’re feeling a bit frisky. Not me. I wanted to wear this thing in broad daylight for hours on end for FUN. When I tell you that was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever worn, I am not joking. I was covered in sunscreen and four layers of self-tanner, PLUS laying on a float in a cowboy pool, and that thing got so sticky that I was losing my mind. Not to mention that it pinches at every crevice of your body in a way that made me have to pause a few times to readjust. I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination. But we got the job done and the shoot/video turned out to be everything I could have dreamed of so that’s what matters…right? Art is pain…right?
What part of the music-making process is the most stressful, ie the creation, the actual release date, etc?
Oh the release date for SURE. My favorite part is making a song in the comfort of the studio knowing we just made something that we are so proud of. Once it’s out in the world, it’s up to everyone else’s interpretations and my imposter syndrome kicks in hard. Release days feel like my birthday. I know I should be excited but I’m so caught up in how many people remember and reach out that I forget the root of what the day means. I am actively working to make this less of a dramatic event for myself, because I know what it feels like to hold my ideas close to my chest and never share them. I did it for years, and I never want to go back to that, so I must persevere being dramatic for no reason and celebrate a song that I really loved making.
You mentioned two important key phrases. “Unwavering honesty” and “Sad girl playlist”. How does your combination of these two very powerful emotions that fans will undoubtedly gravitate towards you for, being honest and having sadness, convert to your vision in your music?
Honesty hurts sometimes. It really digs at the root of what we’re feeling and lays it all out. Often, that honesty releases a level of sadness that we didn’t even know we were feeling. I am only interested in making music that really hits the core of my emotions. That doesn’t mean I’m always running around making sad ballads. Sometimes the sadness is masked which creates this level of irony where you find a song to be incredibly catchy and then you actually sit into the lyrics and you suddenly think “oh wow this is nuanced.” That was definitely our goal with “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl.” I’m truly laughing at myself and the utter silliness of hookup culture while admitting at the core that I am incredibly lonely and would love to find a deeper connection than the ones I have experienced thus-far.
You mentioned, “This song is my satirical take on the situationship epidemic. I wrote it while I was sleeping with someone, masking the sadness of wanting more by settling for less.” Do you feel this song became a cathartic release, allowing you to process those complicated emotions? How do you hope it resonates with listeners going through similar situations, helping them find connection, understanding, or even growth through your experiences?
This song was SUCH a cathartic release and has resonated with so many people in a way that is just so fun. I’m so proud to have made it. It feels like my best idea. The fun thing about it is how it has brought women in my life together to just laugh about how insane hookup culture is. It’s fun feeling in on the joke while I feel like some male listeners (aka the men currently in my DMS) don’t quite get what I’m doing and take it all at surface level, which is funny because that was truly and honestly my goal. It’s truly a “the girls that get it get it” type of song, and I feel that the most when I play it live. This song has really helped me learn that it’s okay to just make fun of yourself sometimes and dance, and when I watch my crowd at shows let loose when I play it after crying through my other songs like “Haunted” and “Touch,” I feel like I get to release a bit of tension from my life too.
We see you perform a lot and have even already had your own show, that great. Which top 3 live music venues are on your bucket list to perform at?
I have been SO lucky to play the shows I have and learn from the other artists I’ve showcased with on shared bills. I’m learning so much from them as I go. I really want to play the Troubadour. It’s such an iconic venue and I honestly love intimate concerts the most, so I think I would have an amazing time there. Hollywood Bowl is amazing because it feels like an escape from LA while being in the heart of the city, and to play in that space with a full orchestra? Maybe do some jazz covers? I would cry. Lastly, this is special to me because I went there with my dad, but Blossom Music Center in Ohio just blows my mind because it’s truly in the middle of the woods with the most incredible acoustics you can imagine. I’d lose my mind playing there. I think these places in their own way all share the commonality of a sense of connection with people, history, and/or nature. They all seem very grounded to me which is incredibly important.
Which of your already released songs, including this one, is the most important to you, or had the most impact on your life or career and can you tell us why?
I’m going to have to say “Haunted.” It’s a song I released last summer. The reason this one feels the most important is because it made me fully believe I was a good writer. Brandon (my producer) and I had been working endlessly to get me out of my head when writing because I just kept overthinking. Nothing felt honest enough. I wrote “Haunted” while leaving a guy’s house at 3 am (another situationship…shocker). I was crying on the freeway (dangerous, don’t do it) and I just had to get what I was feeling out. I wrote the first verse and chorus in about five minutes. I sent it to Brandon and he said “this is it.” I was so numb and raw at that moment that I wasn’t able to bullshit my way through my feelings. I had to let it out in order to move forward. “Haunted” brought me back to myself while also launching a path forward in how I wanted to write. It forced me to call out my own flaws and toxic coping mechanisms. As a society, we are often guilty of using other people to get over someone else who has hurt us. This is exactly what I was doing at the time, and this song made me look at myself in the mirror and acknowledge that. I think it’s so important as an artist to look inward at your own insecurities instead of just singing about other people all the time. It’s painful, trust me, but that’s where the magic is.
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
This is a hot take, but I am really fed up with A&R companies that ask for high dollars for promotion that you can do yourself but just don’t know it yet. There are SO many aspiring artists who are proud of what they are making and desperately want it to be heard, and companies take advantage of that by promising them thousands of streams for such a costly amount that it depletes you of funds for upcoming projects. The unfortunate thing about this too is that there are so many of these companies that do this that when someone legit finds you and reaches out, it can be difficult to trust that they genuinely want to help you and have your best interest at heart. We are our own small business. We have to take risks so we can learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to promoting, but what I have learned so far is that the best promotion you can do is sitting down and doing it yourself. You will LITERALLY be working late cuz you’re a singer, but the connections you make are far more beneficial in the long run.
Where do you see your sound and artistry heading in the future? Are there any exciting new directions you're exploring?
I may be heading into a darker space in my music. We have been experimenting with some autotune usage and lots of sounds that create this really in your face uncomfortable experience (leaning in the direction of the second half of my song “Touch”). This on top of some really punchy lyrics about some tough relationships I’ve had are going to create a really powerful listening experience that I am just extremely excited about.
Was there ever a time when you emotionally felt, “I can’t do this anymore”? How did you find the strength to continue?
Lol yes…to be honest I am feeling that right now. It Is extremely hard to be an artist, especially an independent one. It can feel exhausting and uncomfortable to promote yourself when you feel like no one is listening. This is such a large investment in yourself, both personally and financially. I have never felt prouder of the music I am currently in the process of releasing, but since I’ve been doing this for a few years now, sometimes I feel like me being an artist is less exciting to people than when I first started and that really gets in my head and makes me question if I’m on the right path. I’m actively working on buckling down, trusting myself, and knowing that I’m enough. This release has already created some very meaningful introductions for me, including you all at Cage Riot, and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am. The support from you and other bloggers has really helped me feel confident in my own skin and be proud of what I have to contribute to the music scene.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Trust yourself and your intuition. Your gut is so powerful and spot-on, so listen to it. Walk out of rooms that do not serve you. Stay longer in the rooms that do. You are not perfect, so stop trying to prove to everyone that you are. You are so much more interesting when you show up as your true self, even if that isn’t the person people expected you to be. Your vulnerability is a superpower, and those who feel overwhelmed by that do not need to be in your life. And most importantly, what is for you will not pass you.
What is your favorite song to cover?
“Lost Cause” by Billie Eilish. It is my go-to song to play post-breakup. It’s so jazzy and passive aggressive and sexy and it never fails to bring me back to myself. I covered it at my solo show back in February. Honestly, I was so nervous at the beginning of my set, but the second we got to this song, I locked in and had the time of my life. So, thanks for that Miss Billie I love you.
Most people love or hate social media—where do you land?
Ugh this is such a mixed bag. I do think I have to say that I like it. I do NOT like equating my worth with the amount of likes or views I get, but I do love the connections I have made there. Also just personally, my tik tok algorithm is so insanely well-curated for me at this point that I am just so constantly entertained that I cannot picture a world without it.
What is the most inspirational thing a fan, or anyone, has told or shown you about your music?
First of all, whenever anyone reaches out from across the world to say hi, I get so emotional. It means the world to me. The most impactful outreach I have received is about my song “Touch,” which addresses my experience with sexual assault. Unfortunately, this is something that a majority of women have experienced at some point in their lifetime. I released the song with the intention of creating an experience that is uncomfortable, yet makes people feel less alone. Since this release, a number of women have reached out to me telling me their stories. It has also opened up a dialogue amongst my family with my mom, my aunts, and my cousins. We have since shared experiences with one another that have shocked me yet also made me feel less alone. This is an experience I wish on no one and a statistic that I never asked to be a part of, but I feel so safe and loved by the women who have come forward and told me about what they have been through, and I feel so extremely grateful to have created a space where they feel safe enough to speak and be heard.
So, what’s next? Can you share the full details on your future projects and what fans should be excited about? We’re hearing about more releases, and we’d love to be the first to announce it!
Yes ughhh you all are the BEST. I have more music coming out in the new year that I am SO excited about. It all sits in a darker space than what I have released thus far. It is very guttural and definitely quite sad, but the lyrics are stronger than ever. I’ve been sitting on these songs for a bit to make sure that they are exactly right (whatever that even means this is all so subjective), but I cannot wait to share them with you.
Bri Scully, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
Thank YOU so much. This is truly such an honor.
End Interview
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We’re happy to have shared Bri Scully’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Bri Scully on Spotify & YouTube.
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