For this week’s edition of Friday Fives, I had the honor of interviewing Sonia Montez. It was wonderful reading her answers and talking with her. Read on for more about Sonia, her start in music, and the women who’ve inspired her.

1. You live in New York. I’m originally from the East Coast, and miss it dearly. So what’s your favorite part of New York?

• The way the sunrise and sunset glow hits buildings. I live near a park where I can see everything from the Verrazano to Midtown and it’s just so pretty. It’s a specific skyline and I miss it when I’m not here.

2. You’ve been complimented a lot on your amazing lyrics. What inspires your songwriting?

• The human condition. I’ve been fascinated by how complex people are for a long time. So, I’m very inspired by other people’s stories. I’ll sit down and imagine what it would be like to be in the shoes of everyone in those stories. It plays in my head like movies. I have written extremely personal songs but when I play live, I usually find the songs I’m most attached to are the ones where I allow myself to feel another’s conflict. That’s why a lot of my songs would seem contradictory to anyone who tries to make a connection between them. We are all villains and heroes, victims and criminals, stupid and wise, so I embrace it all…or try to…in song.

3. Everyone has to start somewhere in “the business.” Where did you get your start?

• Oh, this is going to be a more horribly revealing story than I think I ever wanted to allow but here it goes. I studied music in some form or another from the time I was six. I speak in English and Spanish but I think in music. But, the real “industry” start I owe to a very short time in my pre-teen and teen development when I loved The Backstreet Boys. When I was 14 I was skimming the talent ads when I saw the following advert, “SONGWRITERS AND PRODUCERS FOR BACKSTREET BOYS AND N’SYNC SEEKING NEW TALENT”. I had written all of two full songs at the time and I honestly didn’t think I’d get seen for more than two minutes before they booted me out. I went and it turns out they actually liked me. I ended up working with them for a little over two years before I realized that I was just too myself to ever be a pre-packaged and over-produced bubblegum pop act. I left, experienced life, and came back with something worth writing about.

4. Is there anyone you would say has inspired or encouraged you?

• The matriarchs of my family. From my mom to my great-grandmother to my many aunts all whom built and continue to hold the house to my heart. There is such beauty and strength within the stories of the women I grew up with. I’ve also come to accept, throughout the 12 years I’ve been playing in NYC, that some people will want you to fail and that my refusal to conform to a trend mold and who I am, the way I am isn’t the norm so it’s threatening. I’m not going to stop playing music regardless so people can either listen or ignore…but I’m pretty loud to ignore

5. If you had to sum up your experience recording and performing in a sentence or less, what would you say?

You can find out more about Sonia and her music on her website, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. And, as a parting gift, I present you the music video for her song, “Little Jealousy.”

Image source: Sonia Montez Facebook.