Dea collaborated on the song \u201cCarla\u201d with rising second-year music industry student Nora Weatherfield, who said the song was written as a narrative. Weatherfield added the thoughtful writing and spooky instrumentals of the track contributed to her interest in working on the song. Dea said he wrote the song in Amsterdam, inspired by the beauty he saw outside of his Airbnb window. <\/p>\n
\u201cI love the storytelling that he has in that whole EP, and then in that song (\u2018Carla\u2019) specifically,\u201d Weatherfield said. \u201cIt ties it together.\u201d <\/p>\n
![\"Dea](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ae.dea_.courtesy.B.jpg\")
Dea stands in front of the camera at dusk with the skyline of the city behind him, wearing a gray hoodie. The artist said his six-track EP creates a cohesive storyline that ties each song together. (Courtesy of Dea\/Altered from original)<\/p>\n
The EP was also a chance to learn more about recording vocals and writing songs, Dea added. The artist said he rewrote most tracks on the EP multiple times, with the song \u201cStaringContest\u201d going through eight rewrites. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s (his intention) what distinguishes him as a person who\u2019s able to bring his visions to life,\u201d said Eva Kroz, a rising-second year cognitive science and music industry student, and one of Dea\u2019s friends and collaborators.<\/p>\n
Kroz said Dea found a way to close the gap between what he told her was a lack of natural creativity, which she said she thought Dea had in the beginning, and where he is now. Kroz added that she thinks he has since developed an inate creativity because of the drive to do music well, and said she admires that. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe draws inspiration from his life, but then makes it a broader idea that many people can relate to,\u201d Kroz said. <\/p>\n
Though Dea\u2019s EP tests out the hazy, alternative rock genre, the artist said he has experimented in a variety of genres. Dea added he got his start in the music industry as a producer, working at an Oakland record label in high school. He said he learned through experimentation rather than formal lessons, unlike some of his peers. <\/p>\n
\u201cTeaching yourself on the go is an incredible feeling,\u201d said Dea. \u201cIt\u2019s given me the qualities that I love most about myself as an artist.\u201d <\/p>\n
![\"Dea](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ae.dea_.courtesy.C.jpg\")
Dea sits on a rock in front of a waterfront with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the distance behind him. The singer said his Oakland upbringing influenced him to start music by making hip-hop beats. (Courtesy of Dea\/Altered from original)<\/p>\n
Dea said his Oakland upbringing influenced him to start by making hip-hop beats. That influence still shapes his work today, he said, with his music built around production before melodies or vocals, even in his alternative rock songs. Dea added this production-first approach helps makes his sound distinct within the rock genre. <\/p>\n
This passion for production also makes Dea a valuable collaborator, Kroz said. She added that she sees Dea as a producer and translator, who can take her ideas and make them into music. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s very good at understanding the vibe of a musician and what somebody\u2019s going for,\u201d Kroz said. <\/p>\n
Dea\u2019s first live performance was \u201cConcerts on the Hill,\u201d during spring 2026, a show organized by UCLA Residential Life. Dea said he was initially nervous, having only received notice two days prior, but pulled together a group of instrumentalists and got to work deciding how to transfer his production-heavy sound to the live stage. <\/p>\n
Dea said the experience of performing live was validating and made him more confident that he could deliver his music in one take. <\/p>\n