The Indie Files: Salakida

California-bred and ATL-fed, Salakida is folk/soul/rock diva with a guitar on ck, a mic in her hand, and Coach bag on her shoulder. Here's what she said when we threw a few questions her way.
1) Your music career began in Cali and continued when you moved to the ATL. How do both places influence your artistry and your sound?

Well, if I had to analyze myself in both places, I would say that being in Atlanta has forced me to be more independent, because I'm alone there, musically, so it's challenged me to figure out my vision a little more. In California I simply knew more people so I was always writing, and to all kinds of tracks, pop, gospel, r&b, rock, everything. When I'm in California I feel more free, Atlanta makes me more focused and both are necessary!

2) The guitar features prominently in your music. Do you feel especially connected to that instrument and why?

The guitar is my favorite instrument, period. I love all the stringed instruments really, from harp to violin, sitar. The guitar for me is the best instrument for capturing a feeling of transcendence, which is what I look for in music from other artists, as well as my own.

3) "The Resurrection" is the title of your sophomore album. Where'd the title come from?
The idea of resurrection excites me so!!! I mean there are so many things that it represents for me but without getting into it too deeply, I had been feeling, if not dead, definitely numb for a long time before I started this record, just not connected to anything or anyone except for my family, not inspired one way or another. I started asking my friends what they would like to hear about in a song, and after all the crazy suggestions got aired out, and after I finished rolling around on the floor laughing, I relfected on one idea. My friend Allison said she'd like to hear something about The Resurrection of the heart, which spawned the song "The Resurrection" and became the theme of the album, change, rebirth. A lot of the songs are (seemingly) about romance because I'm pretty consumed with unraveling the mystery of love, lol. Most humans are !!!