Pop and weirdness

“My live show is a one-woman act of sorts,” says electro-opera singer-songwriter Trish Hosein, aka Trishes. “It includes beat-boxing, vocal looping and effects, and keyboard synth hooks that showcase indie-pop tunes. I think these layers fill a lot of sonic space that you aren’t used to hearing a single person do by themselves. It’s a little shocking to people to hear all this noise coming from this tiny girl. And, to be honest, that’s quite empowering.”

Based in Carmel Valley, the 24-year-old attended local Canyon Crest Academy before moving on to Berklee College of Music, where she graduated in 2011 with a degree in Songwriting and Music Business. Performing solo on keyboards with electronic cues, her operatic voice is akin to Lana Del Rey, alternating with confident elegance from kittenish coos to lioness roars, and even occasionally rapping a verse or two. Her lyrics bring to mind Tori Amos in her earliest solo days, or perhaps latter-day Fiona Apple. “Lyrically, my goal is to be conversational, the actual words I would speak. The actual way I would approach speaking to the intended listener.”

“People are always quite surprised at my covers choices as well,” says Hosein. “I’ve done covers from artists like Lil Wayne to Britney Spears. My current show includes a cover by country singer Blake Shelton, done sort of like Imogen Heap.” Trishes’ single “Swimming Pool” was released last month, and several performance videos can be viewed on her band page in the Reader’s Local Music Database.

HOW’D YOU ARRIVE IN SAN DIEGO?

“I’ve lived here since I was 12. My family is from Trinidad, so that’s where I spent my youngest years.”

FIRST JOB?

“Working at Austiano’s Italian Sausage at the San Diego County Fair when I was 15, so it’s close to my heart and I get nostalgic being there. When I was developing my act from a piano/vocal singer/songwriter show into what it is now, there were inevitable bumps in the road, which the people at the fair had the unfortunate fate of witnessing.”

BEST AND WORST THING ABOUT LIVING IN CARMEL VALLEY?

“I live at the top of Carmel Mountain road near the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Reserve, which is terrific because I love to be outside and it’s a great place to hike. The downside is that you have to drive most other places.”

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

“Lorde’s Pure Heroine [is] my favorite album of 2013. This girl is gifted and has something to say, and she’s balancing pop and weirdness in a tightrope act that I for one cannot stop staring at.”

IN WHAT FICTIONAL UNIVERSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE?

“The world of Westeros and Essos [Game of Thrones] would be cool strictly for the dragons, but otherwise a terrible place to find yourself.”

USELESS TRIVIA?

“Monkeys are red and green colorblind.”

FAVORITE CONCERT?

“St. Vincent in March at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. I’ve heard her likened to a female David Bowie, which I think is quite the deserved compliment. Every move was choreographed and executed flawlessly. The movements were robotic and rigid, similar to something David Byrne would do onstage.... I didn’t want it to ever end, but at the same time I wanted to jump out of my seat and run home and experiment with all of the ideas that the act inspired in me.”

SOMETHING YOU NEVER RUN OUT OF?

“Dog food. And leave-in conditioner.”

WHAT REMAINS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

“I want to have babies. I want to do handstands. I want to speak Japanese.”

WHO DO PEOPLE SAY YOU LOOK LIKE?

“I get Kourtney Kardashian, but she’s bangin’, so that’s just fine by me.”

BEST MOVIE BASED ON A BOOK?

“Hunger Games, Catching Fire. It’s both art and entertainment at its finest, which is difficult to do. It’s appealing to the masses, particularly young girls, but retains a strong message. When a work can do both, it’s very powerful.”

THREE THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

1) “I do yoga nightly.”

2) “I consume too many almond products: almond milk, almond meal, almond butter.”

3) “I clean while I’m watching Hoarders to inspire me, and to also keep me from snacking. It’s very difficult to snack while looking at some of those houses.”