There are artists who write songs, and there are artists who create worlds. Sia Shells is the second kind. The moment you hear her talk about music, you instantly feel it. Her art is not just melodies and lyrics, it is a living thing, shaped by the ocean, guided by intuition, and powered by something bigger than words. She sings the way water moves. She writes the way sunlight hits the waves. Every sound she creates feels like a blend of soul, spirit, and shimmering imagination.
Her new song Riding The Wave is more than music. It is an experience. It is the sound of letting go after years of holding on too tightly. It is the feeling of drifting from fear into freedom. It is a story of surrender that turns into strength. When she speaks about it, you can hear the peace she has finally earned. When she sings it, you can feel your own heart shift.
Sia Shells is a true embodiment of transformation. She left the noise of Los Angeles and stepped into the warm, healing quiet of Mexico. She traded pressure for presence. She traded survival energy for spiritual alignment. And from that shift came a whole new version of her artistry. A version that breathes. A version without fear. A version filled with magic.
Talking to Sia Shells feels like talking to someone who has lived many lives and learned from every one of them. She blends spirituality with storytelling, intention with sound, and emotion with melody in a way that feels effortlessly natural. Her music is not just heard; it is felt in the body. It calms you. It moves you. It reminds you that the world still holds beauty and wonder.
In this exclusive conversation, Sia Shells opens her heart and lets us into the world behind Riding The Wave. She speaks about surrender, the ocean, inner peace, resilience, magic, and the long journey that led her to the artist she is today. This is not just an interview. It is a dive into a soul that has learned to trust life, trust the universe, and trust herself.
And now, with Riding the Wave, she invites us to trust too.
“Riding The Wave” carries such a powerful balance of resilience and surrender. What personal experiences helped shape its message about strength in the middle of uncertainty?
In life, I’ve navigated countless currents pulling and pushing me. There were times the surface felt impossibly far, but the anchor was always the same: trusting the universe’s flow. I learned that opportunities I chased that felt right often turned out to be lessons, and the shifts I surrendered to were the universe protecting me. A prime example was leaving behind the conventional path of Los Angeles for the destined, sun-drenched life here in Mexico. This song is the sound of that surrender, a testament to finding freedom by letting go of the steering wheel.
You refer to “Riding The Wave” as “a magic mermaid spell disguised as a song.” How do spirituality, intention, and emotional energy influence your music?
Absolute magic resides in the way sound connects us. Since our bodies are made of mostly water, our souls remember sound; there’s a profound, resounding echo in music that pulls you back to moments of clarity and healing. When I create, I’m channeling intention, I want the sound itself to be a spiritual balm. My hope is that the listener is pulled into that memory and feels the visceral connection of the water within them, empowering their emotional landscape.
What has been the biggest turning point in your artistic journey so far?
The biggest turning point was realizing that my artistic journey and my spiritual calling were the same. It was connecting my lifelong passions, the deep magic of the ocean, the whimsical persona, and the singing and allowing them to merge into one cohesive, authentic voice. My life became my art, and my art became my life. This fusion is what truly shaped the artist I am today.
When people discover your music for the first time, what is the one feeling or message you hope they walk away with?
A comforting sense of whimsy and calm. We often lose our magic as we transition into adulthood; my music is designed to be the siren call that ignites that spark, that inner child wonder, and restores a profound sense of play and possibility.
What does a typical day of creating look like for you from inspiration to final recording?
Now that I live in a beach town, the creation process is pure flow. I am a vessel, and the ocean is the channel. It starts by going to the sea and simply letting the inspiration run through me. I then work closely with my producer to build the song from scratch, I no longer record over existing compositions. We ensure that every piece of the composition is in line with how I envision the overall vibe of the song, creating something new, unheard, and deeply intentional.
How has your sound, mindset, or creative outlook changed between when you started and where you are now?
I have found a profound sense of inner peace, and that calm is reflected in my sound. Before, my life and music felt chaotic—tied geographically to places that drained me, far away from the ocean and the sun. Now, my work is built on stillness and clarity. Your environment is your greatest collaborator. Where you live truly matters; nature surrounding you is one of the biggest influences on your soundscape.
Who are the people or experiences that have had the greatest influence on your music?
I’ve always been influenced by artists who can create a true magical paradise escape. I was the kind of kid who would daydream and fade off into imaginary worlds. My influential icons—Bob Marley, Massive Attack, Portishead, and Enya—all mastered that transportive feeling. The dreamy, ethereal soundscapes from Enya show up in my atmospheric composition choices, while the uplifting, positive heart of Bob Marley grounds my lyrics. The experimental, deep sound-quests from Portishead and Massive Attack feed my desire to push boundaries.
Many artists face moments of doubt or creative blocks. How do you push through those times and reconnect with your inspiration?
I learned quickly that you cannot force the flow; you must surrender to it. When I hit a creative block, I step away. I believe in flowing, not forcing. Sometimes I’ll have an entire song channel through me at once; other times, I’ll hit a wall, step away, and the missing element reveals itself in a dream or a moment of quiet reflection. It’s a natural process, like waiting for the perfect tide.
How has your personal understanding of resilience evolved, and in what ways does this evolution shape the music you are creating now?
My resilience evolved from being about fighting the current to trusting the current. I spent years trying to be the outcast in school, navigating hardships, feeling geographically lost, and being in wrong relationships. Now, I realize resilience is found in stillness within the whirlwind. My current music reflects this: it has a new softness, a calmness, and a deep inner peace that comes from finally knowing where I belong.
What is one lesson the music industry has taught you that you believe every upcoming artist should understand early in their career?
The industry taught me to go for it, regardless of perfection. If you have a sock over a microphone and a closet instead of a professional studio set up, you can still shine and make it through. You do not need all the fancy bells and whistles to feel ready to move forward. Find your voice first, and remember that it’s okay to change and evolve your sound until you find what’s absolutely and authentically right for you.
If there is one message you hope every listener carries with them after hearing “Riding The Wave,” what would that be?
To go with the flow of life—to take notice of the universal patterns guiding you. Life provides us with moments and challenges in a specific order to help us evolve and grow into who we are truly meant to be. Trust the process, trust the universe, and keep pushing forward.
Looking ahead, what are your biggest dreams for your career and what steps are you taking now to turn those dreams into reality?
My biggest dream is to deepen the connection with my audience in more IRL settings like live shows and concerts, perhaps opening for some of the incredible bands I admire. To make that a reality, I am currently focused on professional outreach to music supervisors and licensing agents to ensure my music has the visibility and resources necessary to support those live performance opportunities.
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