SAN FRANCISCO — For lovers of world-building, Faouzia proves fatal.

The Moroccan-Canadian artist released “FILM NOIR (fin)” – an extended version of her 2025 debut album – in June, which draws from the genre’s moody atmosphere. Before the project, Faouzia gained recognition through collaborations with Galantis, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend. After Outside Lands, Faouzia will travel to Los Angeles for her “The FILM NOIR Tour” stop at The Fonda Theatre on Sunday.

From stepping into a carefully crafted stage persona to shaping her personal philosophies, Faouzia spoke to the Daily Bruin’s Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon after making her Outside Lands debut Friday.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Daily Bruin: In an interview with BASIC Magazine, you expressed learning to separate your music persona from who you are personally. Seeing how musicians, especially female musicians, are scrutinized, do you see this as a growing necessity to thrive in this industry? Has having a persona become an asset to your artistic expression by letting go of your need to adhere strictly to your reality?

Faouzia Ouihya: I did it as a defense mechanism without realizing it. Subconsciously, I tend to cocoon myself and hide away because I’m very introverted. I don’t like being seen. I don’t like being watched. This part of my job is really difficult. Honestly, if it was up to me, I would probably just be in the studio, release the music and no one would ever hear from me again.

But, being able to separate myself as Faouzia, the person, as opposed to the artist has been huge in me being able to go out there and get over my fear of being seen. I realized this is what I’m meant to be doing, and I have something that I need to tell the world. I have to get on stage and perform and deliver this message, as scary as it might be for myself.

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DB: Across your festival run and the “FILM NOIR” era, you’ve had a very distinct aesthetic with your attire. How does stepping into this lace-infused wardrobe impact your performance?

FO: The second my final zipper goes up, I feel like I’m in character. It really helps me mentally put myself in that headspace because the second I’m in a hoodie or jeans, I feel like I am back to reality. Being able to express myself with my clothes as much as I am with music is so much fun, and it’s part of the world. I love everything about world-building, whether that’s sonically or visually. I get to do that with my fashion and with the way that I dress. When I first started the world of “FILM NOIR,” I knew that lace and these darker, moodier, more gothic textures would be something that I would take a lot of inspiration from.

DB: You were making major strides in your music career during your teenage years. Around the same time, you enrolled in university and pursued a degree in computer engineering. Can you speak to why this was an important decision for yourself?

FO: At the beginning of my career, I was balancing music and school. I remember it being really difficult. It was definitely a task, but it taught me to persevere and to push through difficult moments. It made me time-manage better and also to get through things that I might not necessarily be the most excited to do – like waking up at 5 in the morning and going to school, then coming back home and trying to finish a record. It was very daunting, but being able to push through that really shows that you can do whatever you say you’re going to.

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DB: UCLA has its own music education programs within the Herb Alpert School of Music in addition to a large population of students pursuing music outside of their academic programs due to our proximity to Los Angeles’ music industry. What advice would you offer to the next generation of artists?

FO: It’s never too late to do anything that you want to do. You may think, “Oh my goodness, I’m one degree in, I’m two degrees in. Do I have enough time?” Absolutely. You have so much time to do whatever you want to do. There is no timeline other than your own, and it may be challenging right now. You may be questioning, “Why am I being put through these tests?” Everything is a lesson. There is no such thing as time wasted. There is no such a thing as a difficult moment just to be a difficult moment. It is all a lesson, and it is all pushing you towards what you need to be doing and what you’re meant to be doing.