A Chat With Pollo Del Mar, Recording Artist

I am well aware it is 2012, huntey. I worked hard through the holidays so I took January (and most of February) off from the interviewing game, but I'm back baby and this is only the tip of the iceberg for this year. Pollo Del Mar may not be on Drag Race (yet) but she is still superfab! She recently released her first song and decided it was time to get out and tell the world... As many times as possible!

So Pollo, you are already a very well established San Fransisco Drag Queen. Why branch off into the musical field?

I may not be a singer by nature, but I am a long time been a fan of music -- in particular house and dance music -- and it was something I always wanted to try. It seemed like the appropriate time.


What made now the appropriate time?

It is really in relation to RuPaul's Drag Race. When the show came out four years ago, drag performers looked at Drag Race as "the answer." It was like what we had to do to be successful, but with only twelve to thirteen girls being chosen a year, a girl can wait a long time to get what everybody is saying is "success." I had tried to get on the show, and I haven't been chosen yet, but I didn't want all of my dreams and goals to be put on hold while I wait for the possibility of being on television.


Speaking of Ru Paul, give me your best Ru Paul plug for your new track!

This is how Pollo Del Mar would do Ru Paul. "If you've ever found yourself in a really awkward situation where you ask 'How in the hell did that happen?' then you can relate to my new song, How Embarrassing, available now on iTunes and Amazon. Go immediately and download it."

Was this song based on your real life experiences?

No. Not at all. Not for me personally, anyway. Drag, for me, isn't at all a sexual thing. When you do drag correctly, in my opinion, it is very uncomfortable, so the idea of pairing that with sex doesn't work for me. It is actually based on a friend of mine who had a similar situation out of drag, but when I thought about how funny it would be if it were in drag, it gave me the jumping off point for the song.

How did you even get into the music business? I've tried! It's hard!

I'm very fortunate because my career as a journalist allows me to meet many people in the music industry. Oddly enough, though, that wasn't how the doors opened for me. My friend Shango recorded a song in San Jose. It was so polished -- it sounded professional. When I heard her song (a mashup of Lady Gaga's "Dancing in the Dark" and Madonna's "Vogue"), I asked her who her producer was, and she even eventually went on to help write and produce my song. [Available on iTunes and Amazon]


Were you overwhelmed to be in the studio for the first time?

I was so afraid. I don't consider myself a singer. My goal was never to sound like Mariah Carey, and it was very important to me that whatever product I put out was not highly autotuned. If the audience decides not to buy my track because I don't have a certain vocal sound, I can respect that. I just wanted to be sure that when I performed the song, I sound like me. Trying to take all of these ideas into the studio for the first time while you are paying by the hour, yeah I was completely overwhelmed. I was so scared the song wouldn't turn out the way I wanted, but I couldn't have hoped for something better.

So if you have another chance to record a song, you'll be more prepared right?

It's not a matter of "if", because I have actually been working on writing five different sets of lyrics to go into the studio with. That will happen. This opened up a door for me. I realized what others have known all along as listeners. You don't have to sound like a goddess to make a song. You just need inspiration and the ability to tell a story that connects to the listeners. I believe I have a lot of those stories.

I guess it's safe to say Pollo Del Mar, Recording Artist, is here to stay, but enough about your new song (How Embarrassing, available on iTunes and Amazon), I need you to dish on Drag Race. Who's your fave?

It's interesting because this year we have those strong personalities we are so accustomed to with the show, but we have so many amazing runway looks. They are really bringing it and look so polished and professional. What shapes my personal opinion of the girls are the people I've had the opportunity to meet. On my birthday, we went to LA to see Jessica Wild, and she introduced me to Chad Micheals. I was blown away. He is so professional and is a top of the line performer. He is just as wonderful and caring in person as he is on the show - what you are seeing is the real Chad. It won me over.

That said, Kenya is so hilarious! I spent a weekend with her, too. Latrice is killing it. And then, of course, you have the one turning all the heads this year, Sharon Needles, who I am a big fan of so far.




Have you got to meet Ms. Needles yet?

I have never met her, but I have worked with her boyfriend, Alaska, who we have seen highlighted on the show a couple of times this season. She was so nice, and good people attract each other. I can only imagine that Sharon is equally nice, equally fun, and equally crazy.


When you met Chad, you talked him into helping you with a funny "Drag Race Audition" video.

Yes! It was the first time we had ever met, and I mentioned what I wanted to do. He thought it was hilarious. He played along so beautifully. We spent at least a half hour talking afterwards.


And we can't forget about Delta, Raja, and Jessica Wild!

I didn't want the video to be too serious. So many queens take themselves way too seriously, and I have a tendency to as well. I mean, we are basically gay clowns, so why not have fun with it? I keep hearing everyone say "Oh, I don't understand why you haven't been cast!" or "Get on season five! I'm so backing you." I love that, but it can be so ridiculous, so I just had to spoof it.

That being said, the girls were all super nice! I have to give Delta a special shout out, though. The way the show was edited and the pieces of the confessionals that were used painted her to be one of the least likable people on that season. When I met her, I was in awe of her. She is so gorgeous, but I was torn because I didn't like the character that was shown on TV. After meeting her, I sent her a message thanking her for disproving everything that show set up about her and
thanking her for making me feel like such a jerk for believing those things.


Why do you think San Fransisco hasn't been represented on Drag Race?

That's the question everyone wants the answer to. I don't know for sure. I think it's because SF drag is really associated with a more punk rock attitude. The show started out showcasing mainly these gorgeous pageant-type queens. As the show has progressed, it has come to have a greater influence of non-traditional girls. This season we got to see The Princess, who spent part of her time on the show bald, and we get to see lots and lots of Sharon and her more goth take on drag. People believe San Fransisco has a lot more Sharons than we have BeBes, but I know we have plenty of both!


Just to make sure, your song is available on iTunes and Amazon, right?

Of course it's available on iTunes and Amazon. And, if you haven't already gone out and bought it over the course of reading this conversation, then you have completely missed the boat. Get on it! The last thing anyone should want is to look at their iPod and not see my new hit single, How Embarrassing. That truly would be embarrassing!