Q&A Remix With Malia DelaCruz (Ciao Malz)

Q&A Remix is a frequent column on IHTOV in which people from all walks of life answer a set of questions about their vinyl collection. Today we welcome Malia DelaCruz (Ciao Malz)

What is your most memorable vinyl buying/receiving experience?

On my first trip to San Francisco, I had to check out Amoeba Records after watching so many YouTube videos about it as a kid. As I was strolling through, I made eye contact with Slow Dance in the Cosmos by Porches. In that moment, it felt like they had everything. Porches was a local band that my best friend Sam and I used to see live. I originally bought the album for him but ended up keeping it.

 Is there a particular record that holds a special meaning for you or that you come back to often?

One record I’ve been searching for is Five Years Gone by Jerry Jeff Walker—I’ve been looking in shops for a few years now. I feel like I’m due to find it soon. I love the warm, crackly sounds on it—perfect for listening to on vinyl.

What’s your favorite record to listen to on headphones?

Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything? is my favorite record to listen to on headphones. My favorite song on the album is Hello It’s Me. I’ve heard the radio version way too many times, but on my first listen to the vinyl, something felt different. The intro has a fake count-in where the organ honks, making the real intro hit so much harder. As a DIY producer, I keep coming back to appreciate the oddities.

What is the weirdest vinyl you own?

I own an Alabama 3 – Woke Up This Morning (1997 Remix) record that includes four remixes of the song. The Chosen One remix is the theme song from The Sopranos. The best part is that it starts with a vinyl scratch, so hearing it on vinyl feels complete. Every once in a while, I remember it and go down a very long Sopranos marathon—mourning everyone all over again.

What was the last record you played?

The last record I played was Wede Harer Guzo by Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band. This record is the theme song to my house—it’s sort of the background noise whenever I have people over. It’s very gentle and adds a nice vibe to my daily chores.

CIAO MALZ is the project of Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Malia DelaCruz, in collaboration with guitarist James Chrisman (Sister.) and drummer Felix Walworth (Told Slant / Florist).

Originally from Connecticut, DelaCruz relocated to New York to attend St. John’s University in Queens, and she soon rented a studio space in the Lower East Side. Here she began experimenting with her sound, while also collaborating and performing with Brooklyn’s acclaimed Sister. trio, but it wasn’t until 2021 that she felt ready to begin self-releasing her own recordings under the CIAO MALZ name (pronounced “Chow MaaaahhhLz”).

Her music first reached the Audio Antihero label when she issued a cover of Frog’s “You Know I’m Down” sleeper hit in 2023. Impressed with demo material like “Your Winner,” “Always Be My Maybe,” and “Circumstancey,” the label offered to work with her on her debut, the ‘Safe Then Sorry’ EP. On this, her most eclectic, complete, and unrestrained work to date, CIAO MALZ takes inspiration from Jordana, Elliott Smith, Jerry Jeff Walker, Frog, and Men I Trust to combine an honest introspection, that’s informed by her experience as a young woman of color, with a layered sonic bounce.

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