In this interview, we talk with Dria Thornton, a Houston-based R&B and hip hop artist whose music combines raw vocals, vulnerable storytelling, and strong ’90s influences. Dria reflects on the artists who shaped her sound, the importance of authenticity in songwriting, and how Houston’s music culture helped define her identity as an artist. She also shares insights into her work writing for TV and film, collaborating with other creatives, and creating platforms that support women in Houston’s R&B scene.
You blend R&B and hip hop in a really unique way. How would you describe your sound to someone hearing your music for the first time?
I think what you just said. It’s a blend of R&B and hip hop. I have a little bit of a ’90s influence in what I do, both in the R&B and hip hop side, because that’s the era I grew up in. So it’s like a blend of ’90s R&B and hip hop.
Who are some of the artists or influences that you think helped shape your sound?
Definitely Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Monica, Boyz II Men, India Arie, Beyoncé, and Brandy.
And what are some artists today that you feel are close to what you’re doing creatively?
I love Ella Mai. Ella Mai is really someone I connect with because she’s very raw vocally and lyrically vulnerable, and that’s really where I sit. It’s not really about the genre, it’s about the lyrics, the storytelling, and the raw vocals. I’d also say Coco Jones, Ari Lennox, Mahalia from London, and Tiana Major9. Those are artists who are close to what I’m doing and trying to do.
You’ve worked on a lot of successful music projects throughout your career. What has that journey been like for you as a songwriter and artist?
It’s allowed me to really dive deeper into my craft. Working with so many different people allows me to hear their stories and hear their perspectives. It helps me get to know somebody I don’t know and shape that into a story they want to tell. That’s a real skill and something I’ve really worked on for years. It also makes it easier for me as an artist to write from a truthful space.
I checked out some of your music on Spotify. It’s great. You have millions of streams there. Was there a moment where you felt things really started taking off?
Yeah, actually there were two moments. The first was with the first song I had that did really well, which was “Baby I Got You.” One of my best friends is Serena Williams, so that gave me a bit of a leg up. She helped promote the song through a campaign she did, and it started spreading like wildfire. That’s when I realized my music just needed to be presented to more people in order for it to really take off. Then recently, over the last couple of years, I partnered with an influencer named Westfall, he’s out of California. We started doing music together, writing together, and performing together. His fan base connected with mine, and my streams have gone through the roof. I’m at around 40,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and he’s at around 700,000. Partnering with an influencer while also making genuinely good music has really helped expand my audience.
What exactly is your role in your music? I know you write your songs and lyrics. Are you also involved in production?
A very small part of it. I usually work with my partner, Chris the F.R. He handles most of the production side, from mixing and mastering to engineering and all of that. I’m really focused on the writing, the lyrics, the background vocals, and a lot of the vocal arrangement. More of the creative production side of the song, but not the physical production.
Onto a few Make Music Day questions. How did you first hear about Make Music Day? You participated in Make Music Houston last year, right?
Yes, I did. I found out about it because I’m also an advocate. I’m a creative, but I’m also a creator advocate. I serve on the City of Houston’s Music Advisory Board. The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs used to organize the Make Music Day activities across the city, but then it transitioned over to Fresh Arts. One of my fellow board members is actually at Fresh Arts, and she suggested I do the opening-day performance for their first year running Make Music Day last year. It was a really great opportunity. We had city officials come out and support creatives in the city, and that was really fun.
How would you compare a Make Music Day performance to a regular gig?
I think having the title “Make Music Day” really sets the tone for the purpose behind it. It creates awareness throughout the city and gives people an opportunity to discover you who may not normally come to your gigs or know about your music. Make Music Day creates a public opportunity and awareness that you don’t normally get.
Houston has such a strong music culture. How do you think your city has influenced you as an artist?
Big time. That’s part of the hip hop side of me. My college years in Houston were during a time when hip hop was really taking off here. The chopped and screwed style, the culture, the artists, it was all so new and exciting to me. I also grew up in California, so I have this combination of softness and roughness, classy and fiery. I like that combination because that’s really who I am. It allows me to be truthful and show the raw side of myself.
And what’s next for you? Any upcoming music, performances, or projects you’re excited about?
I’m really excited about the project I have out right now. It’s a full R&B project called When It Comes to Love, which I released back in December. It’s still pretty new, and I’m excited by how people are responding to it. There are a few songs that people consistently praise. I also have a platform I created called Women to Watch: R&B Storytellers of Houston. That’s a platform I created last year that offers other R&B female artists in Houston more visibility so the city can support and champion them. A lot of artists leave the city really and go somewhere else to perform when the city doesn’t know about them yet. This is a platform for them to build their city community around them. That’s coming up June 10th at the Foundation Room, and I’m really excited about it. I’m also always working on new music. I do custom music for TV and film with multiple large music libraries, and I’m constantly getting placements in television, film, and sports. I also do work with Serena Williams on some of her campaigns and for the theme song of her and Venus’ podcast. That’s me on their Stockton Street podcast. I’m always doing custom work, doing recording for myself, and performing, because that’s my number one thing.
Finally, what advice would you give to young artists trying to build their own path in music?
I’m going to say what the legendary Quincy Jones told me: “Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.” Follow what successful people before you have done, apply it to what you do, and make it unique to yourself. Whether it’s writing, performing, creating a tour, promoting yourself, or making an album, you have resources and examples from people who’ve done it successfully. Take those and tie them into what you want to do. And it’ll really be a really unique experience in business. Stay dedicated.