“Settle" by Victoria Barral (July 16, 2021 Release)

"Settle" is the latest single from the talented singer Victoria Barral! 

You're going to want to listen to this song as soon as you can! What can you expect from the song? Luckily, Victoria was willing to answer a few questions about it for us.

What was the inspiration behind “Settle”?

The inspiration for ‘Settle’ came from life experience and my personal beliefs as a christian. I can’t stress it enough- do not settle for just anyone. Wait for the person God has for you. I have been single my whole life, and while sometimes I feel left out, I know in the future, I will be glad I waited. For years, I’ve seen my friends or people I didn’t know very well settle in relationships, and I kept quiet. I’ve seen so many people get their heart broken and waste their time with people that didn’t even love them. I’ve seen people try to get out of toxic relationships, but would try to numb the pain. So one day I decided to put my feelings into music. I started to sing some words that popped into my head. Then I got the chorus to the song in less than 5 minutes: “Why do people settle just to fill a void, it’s sad that people settle for the wrong people.” I sent this to my co-writer Audrey Bussanich and she absolutely loved this concept and resonated with it.

When we started to write the song, we took this idea and decided to write in third person. We pictured these different songwriting ideas like movie scenes. We created this character- a young woman who gets home late one night, goes to her room and sees her boyfriend is asleep. In the beginning of the song, she is having trouble sleeping that night and she’s staring at the ceiling. Throughout the song, she starts to have this realization like, “why am I doing this to myself. Why am I in this relationship that I know is wrong for me.” Throughout the whole song she is having these thoughts and remembering what her mom told her- “You’re walking down the aisle for something more than happiness.” These are some lyrics in the 2nd Verse that we came up with. The rest of the writing session went so smoothly and the message we wanted to get across is hopefully clear. Audrey and I think a lot of people can relate to this concept, and we hope that we’re spreading light and a good message to young women specifically. As an artist, I hope this song will touch people and maybe open their eyes to something they never have thought out before. 

What was the experience of putting the recording together like?

The experience of putting the record together was so much

fun, but also time consuming and challenging later in the process working virtually. We started writing the song in September of last year and started to record a rough demo. We kind of went for an alternative pop/ folk vibe and spent a few months getting everything together. Initially, Audrey and I did a home recording with her on acoustic guitar and me on piano and vocals. We sketched out an arrangement for bass and drums, but originally they were recording digitally. Months after that, we decided we weren’t satisfied with our version, so I decided to have this professionally recorded in the studio in Boston. Months later, I reached out to Connor Wang, the head of the Audio Engineering Society at Berklee who had an amazing vision for production and mixing and he loved the demo. He was so helpful with the recording process and helped me find session recording musicians. Everything went so well, and the musicians did an amazing job matching up to the original arrangement. The session players on this track include: Adam Saah on drums, Eli Schildkraut on piano, Diego Cortez on guitar, and Kari Estes is on bass.

I sent the best vocals I could to Connor, and the final mix was beyond what I expected. By the end of May, the final step of mastering came and Josh Sebek did an amazing job balancing out the dynamics in the master! The rest is history! This project was by far the biggest collaboration I’ve done it’s really taught me to be teachable, professional, and hard-working. I could be happier with the recording process.

Do you have any goals for the song?

I just hope this song speaks to people. As an artist it’s important to write music that has meaning and value. Above all, I hope anything I do as a musician glorifies God. I understand it’s important for the song to do well in streaming, but it’s all in God’s hands. I’m just here to sing and write what comes from the heart and follow my dreams as a songwriter and recording artist. 

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Hope she can meet that goal. You'll be able to find “Settle" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify or Apple! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do. In fact, go pre-save it on Spotify RIGHT NOW!

If you want to learn more about Victoria, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her full interview with Section 36 Music, her social media accounts, as well as more samples of her incredible singing.

You can also hop directly to her recent interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing singer.

Be sure to give “Settle" a listen!

Priya Mani Visits Section 36 Music

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Priya Mani is an incredible singer, and I was thrilled she was willing to visit with us and discuss her recent music, her time at Berklee, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Priya Mani visits Section 36 Music!

I really enjoyed your recent debut single, “SHE”. What can you tell me about it?
Thank you! The initial inspiration for ‘SHE’ came from a show I watched, where I saw the story of a single mother who gave everything up for her children. She was brave, loving, and selfless. Her story touched my heart, and inspired this song. I hope that 'SHE' represents the strength and resilience of mothers and mother figures, inspires all of us to appreciate them, and give them the love and support they deserve. 

Musically, 'SHE' is a fusion of western pop and Indian contemporary music. I wrote the first demo of this song in English, I just had a verse and chorus at the time. As I wrote the rest of the lyrics and the arrangement, I thought of all the amazing mother figures in my own life as well. I added the Hindi lyrics to the song because it felt more personal, relatable, and made it feel whole!

We worked on this project completely remotely. After multiple zoom calls and sending tracks back and forth, we were finally able to complete the song! I would especially like to thank Snehal Pandey for mixing, mastering, and producing. This wouldn't have been possible without the incredible artists who were a part of this project, and I'm beyond grateful for the genuine dedication and passion with which they worked on 'SHE.’ 

You’re currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing you see that doing for your career?

Berklee has given me so much more than I ever imagined

possible! Since being here, I’ve been able to learn and gain invaluable experience in the fields of vocal performance, music technology, arranging, songwriting, and composition. I’m currently beginning my fourth and final year at Berklee- majoring in Performance, and double minoring in Mediterranean Music, and Recording and Production. I feel like I’ve been introduced to the world of music in a whole new way through the courses I’m taking, and the overall experience of studying here. Personally, I highly value Berklee’s focus on different styles and genres of music from around the world. I have done live performances in over 10 different languages, and worked with professors from over 8 different countries. I was also able to study abroad at the Berklee Valencia campus in Spain, and it was a beautiful experience. 

I believe that my college experience will help me transition into the music industry. The best part about studying there is the people I've met, the professors I have learned from, connections made, and the lifelong friendships. I hope to be able to stay in touch with the musicians I’ve met, and collaborate with them as well in the future. It's truly a special place!   

At Berklee, you’re a member of the phenomenal a cappella group “Treble Threat”. What is that experience like?

Being a part of Treble Threat was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Even though I haven’t had the opportunity to meet some of the members in person yet (due to COVID), we’ve all gotten very close over the past year. These women are beyond talented and each of them bring something unique that creates the 'Treble Threat sound.’ It’s fun, and a great learning experience. I had the opportunity to be the assistant music director for the group and arrange some tunes as well, and it was some of the most enjoyable and rewarding work I’ve ever done. The best part about being in the group, especially in a remote setting, is seeing our final product come to life! 

You were the soloist on Treble Threat’s virtual performance of Kelly Clarkson’s, “Underneath the Tree”. What was that like to put together?

Christmas is my favorite time of year, and virtually putting together our Christmas cover was very enjoyable! Our performance of ‘Underneath the Tree’ was really fun to sing, especially because we felt the Christmas spirit with this one. We also had fun filming the videos and incorporating the red and green color scheme!

Who/what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I grew up listening to music of many different styles, genres, and languages! Here are a few of the artists who inspire me- Mohammed Rafi, Shreya Ghoshal, Ella Fitzgerald, Jessie J, Coldplay, and Adele. My family is very musical, and growing up I was majorly influenced by their music taste as well.

What are your immediate career goals?

As of now, I would like to continue performing, writing, and releasing more music. I am also focusing on obtaining my bachelor's degree at the Berklee College of Music. I have been freelance composing, arranging, and teaching music, and I hope to be doing that in a greater capacity in the future! Lastly, I would like to collaborate with professional artists from around the world and gain experience performing world music.  

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Sounds like she has a lot of exciting things in store for us. I can't wait!

As always, I want to thank Priya for visiting, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Priya to see what she's up to. The best way is to visit her website, and follow her social media accounts like Instagram and YouTube. They're all great ways to keep track of everything she has going on.

You can also check out her Section 36 Music page. It's a perfect way to enjoy everything Priya has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Priya, and good luck reaching your goals!

“The Waves" by Melissa Mills (June 21, 2021 Release)

“The Waves" is the latest single from the incredible singer Melissa Mills! 

And you won’t want to miss it!

I’m sure you remember Melissa from her interview with us, where we discussed her single “Blueberry Daydream". Or, like I am, you’re a fan of her wonderful single “Lose My Cool”. That’s why I was so excited for this new release, and was not disappointed! I know you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

You can find “The Waves" just about everywhere you usually find your music, like Spotify, Apple, and more! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do.

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If you want to learn more about Melissa, check out

her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her full interview with Section 36 Music, her social media accounts, as well as more samples of her incredible singing.

You can also hop directly to her recent interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing singer.

Be sure to give “The Waves" a listen!

"Back to the Basics" by Cat Lines (June 25, 2021 release)

"Back to the Basics" is the latest single from the amazing Cat Lines! 

You'll want to listen to it as soon as you can! 

What can you expect from the song? Well, here's what Cat had to say about it in the release…

Ringing in the Summer with this joyous hit, Cat Lines says her newest single, “Back to the Basics” is the best song she’s created yet. Previously featured on Southern Fellow and a Starbucks Official playlist, the young singer/songwriter and fiddle player is making waves with this tune about the struggles of being a creative person in an overcomplicated world.

“My mind’s a labyrinth desperately in need of street signs” is her favorite line in the song, a testament to how easy it is to overthink when trying to create something beautiful. “I came up with the main lick while I was at work one day, and my co-workers probably thought I was crazy because I could not stop dancing around to it” she says. “This was one of those songs that felt like it wrote itself”.

She’s especially proud of the fiddle solo after the second chorus, something she says she’s been waiting for the right song to create. It adds a unique, fun element to a song that in places feels almost like a musical number. All in all, “Back to the Basics” is a reminder to us all to take a breath, rewind, and, when in doubt, think simple.

I think we all need to be reminded of that sometimes! 

I absolutely loved this song. She Cat was right to be proud of the fiddle solo, but that's far from the only incredible section of this song. You need to hear the rest of it for yourself. You can find it just about everywhere you usually find your music, like Spotify and Apple. So be sure to listen to it.

As soon as you can!

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If you want to learn more about Cat, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her social media accounts, as well as samples of her incredible music. 
 
You can also hop directly to her interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about her.
 
Be sure to give “Back to the Basics" a listen!

“Everything/Nothing" by Christiana Berenguer (June 25, 2021 release)

“Everything/Nothing" is the latest single from the incredible singer Christiana Berenguer! 

And you'll want to listen to it again and again!

As you all know, I fell in love with Christiana's music the first time I heard her perform at Fenway Park. I was just blown away. It's always a special joy when I hear her new music, and this is definitely no exception. I know you'll feel the same way when you hear this song! All of her music is a treat for the ears. Christiana's vocals make a complete experience you won't want to miss. I've already listed to it several times today. I'm sure you will too!

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You can find “Everything/Nothing" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify or Apple! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do.

If you want to learn more about Christiana, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her full interview with Section 36 Music, her social media accounts, as well as more samples of her incredible singing.

You can also hop directly to her interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing singer.

Be sure to give “Everything/Nothing" a listen!

“Colorized Summer” by Briana Cash (June 18, 2021 Release)

“Colorized Summer" is the latest single from the talented singer Briana Cash!

 

And you won’t want to miss it!

You probably remember Briana from her interview with us, where we discussed her single “Ancestral Sin". She has quite a collection of wonderful songs under her belt, and "Colorized Summer" only adds to that sparkling resume. What do you need to know about the song? Luckily Briana was nice enough to tell us all about it.

A Little Bit about Briana and Chris...

Briana Cash loves making music, being creative, helping others and giving back. She recently shot a PSA for 'Statement', an advocacy media company, aims to help push public opinion to help pass H.R.1280 - George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 with the launch of its social spot, “Bad Apples.” It was written and directed by Foley Ellis Ibidapo. (Repped by CAA & LAIR) Inspired by Chris Rock's comedy sketch "Cops and Bad Apples". #ContactYourSenators  www.ourstatement.org

Briana is currently in a legal battle with Interscope Records over her birth and trademarked name. It's a similar situation to what Lady A (Anita White) is going through with the band formerly known as Lady Antebellum. Briana and Anita (The Real Lady A) have even forged a friendship.. "We both have common law and priority rights. But in my case, this is my birth name and I'm trademarked. Interscope signed an artist that took my name without permission and they keep infringing on my mark when they have been told to stop, repeatedly..."  There is actually a lot more to this, but it's a separate story in itself.  Briana's story is actually being written now. They say Briana's life has been a roller coaster Netflix series since she moved to LA a few years ago.

Briana is well established and has been involved in the music industry for over 15 years. She is a voting member of The Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA, Guild of Music Supervisors. Also a member of The Society of Composers and Lyricists, The Alliance for Women Film Composers, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Her eclectic writing technique and diverse sound covers a lot of ground. Her main styles as a performer are Jazz, Pop / Adult Contemporary, R&B and Adult Alternative, similar to artists such as Norah Jones, Sade, Amy Winehouse and Sting. Briana has her own unique sound regardless of genre. This former classically trained vocalist believes all styles have a way of crossing over and are interconnected.

Briana is an advocate for many charities, human rights, animal welfare, the environment (global warming and climate change), BLM, No Kid Hungry, Breast Cancer and more. She recorded three Public Service Announcements for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She licensed her award-winning song, “Take a Walk With Me” to Susan G. Komen as a donation for use in their 2010 National Campaign. “Take a Walk With Me” is on a short list of approved licensed songs with artists such as Melissa Etheridge. She graduated from Berklee College of Music and received Berklee’s “BEST” Scholarship. She is a Berklee College of Music Alumni Ambassador and a TA for their Berklee Online Music Business Foundations course through Coursera.org. Briana enjoys collaborating with artists, producing, composing for TV/Film and working in music licensing. She worked on a TV documentary series, Wineram as a composer and music supervisor on Amazon Prime. Briana’s song, “Cranberry Lake” is in the award-winning film, 'Aga'.  Written and directed by Milko Lazarov and produced by Veselka Kiryakova. Bulgaria’s submission into the 2020 Oscars best international feature category and had the honor of working with award winning composer Penka Kouneva.

Chris Wirsig is an award-winning composer, songwriter and producer, who enjoyed classical training on piano and saxophone, studied audio engineering at SAE Technology College, and has more than 20 years experience in music production. His music can be heard in games like the acclaimed Top Ten iPad game “Alien Tribe 2,” the multiple award-winning short movies “Intervention,”

“20 Matches,” “Cat Dexx: Inkosi,” and “Trick Of The Old Cat,” the comedy feature film “39 And A Half,” and in numerous TV shows on ABC, E!, MTV, Fox Sports, Audience Network/DirecTV, and many others.

Current and upcoming projects include the pilot for a tech-horror web series, “Glitch,” an LGBTQ+ animated comedy series, “Be More Popcorn,” the cyberpunk boxing drama “Steel Will,” and a charity project with an orchestral cover version of Depeche Mode’s “People Are People,” a project with 36 musicians and singers, benefitting several organizations fighting for justice and equality, arranged and produced solely by Chris.

On the songwriting/producing side, Chris started the acclaimed Electro Pop/Dark Wave band no:carrier in 1995 and the Electronica/Chill-Out project Virtual Conformity in 2001, as well as several side projects. He’s also co-writing and producing songs with other artists and songwriters like Psyche, Lori Barth, Briana Cash, Daniel E. Wakefield, Liza Marie Sparks, Queen Chameleon, The Dust Ryde, echoekill, and many others.

After studying audio engineering in the late 1990’s, he worked as editor for the musician & tech magazines “KEYS” and “Studio Post Pro,” and founded the first German fair-trade record label, NovaTune. Chris is a Grammy Voting Member, as well as a member of the Production Music Association and the Society Of Composers and Lyricists, for which he served as LA Administrator for two years and is now a member of its Board of Directors.

Briana and Chris are working on new music together and separately. Please visit Briana's and Chris's websites, subscribe to their mailing list for updates and check them out on social media!

 

The Inspiration behind "Colorized Summer"...

Chris and I decided to work on some tunes together. We were kicking around a few ideas and themes. We decided to write a fun retro, summer themed tune. I'm a person who visualizes. When I was writing the lyrics and melody of the song, I visualized myself or how anyone else might relate to the song. Driving down the coast, free, laid back summer vibes. Just a happy feel good tune. I don't know about you, but it has definitely been a pretty stressful year for me and many people. Sometimes we just need warm fuzzies as a distraction. I was on the east coast when writing this. Chris and I would work remotely via email and zoom. I would visualize being back in California driving down the PCH in Malibu in an old convertible soaking up the sea air, atmospheric beauty of the coast, basking in the sun. 

 

The vision for this song...

We would like to see it used for summer themed scenarios and have people listen to the song and add it to their summer playlists if they feel inclined. :)

 

Favorite parts of the song?

Briana: The free-ness of the tune. I love summer. It's my favorite season and I really love living in California and am genuinely a happy person. I like the dark elements to it as well though. We were aiming for a chill Lana Del Rey vibe.

Chris: The great thing for me, writing and producing it, was that we both were open for experiments, something I always enjoy when working on music. The song has this easy summer vibe, but still holds some quirkiness, a happy feeling with maybe just a little hint of melancholy in it, brought in by the slightly detuned strings.

 

More important information...

Briana: Below are links regarding the Interscope Records Trademark Infringement dispute.

https://brianacash.com/seeing-double-what-if-someone-tries-to-take-your-name/

https://brianacash.com/womens-international-music-network-briana-cash/

https://brianacash.com/women-who-rock-wcw-ig-live-with-briana-cash/

 

Chris: I’m currently working on several short film scores, as well as some TV stuff, and there are a few more singles and albums lined up for release later this year.

additional links

www.brianacash.com

www.chriswirsig.com

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You can find “Colorized Summer" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify. So, there's no reason you won't be able to find it.…which I highly suggest you do.

You should also check out the PSA made in support of the George Floyd bill.

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If you want to learn more about Briana, check out her Section 36 profile page. It has samples of her music, links to where you can find her, and more.

You can also hop directly to her recent interview right here on Section 36 Music.

Be sure to give "Colorized Summer" a listen!

“Linger On (Avery’s Song)” by Brittany Rogers (June 18, 2021 Release)

“Linger On (Avery’s Song)” is the latest single from the amazing singer Brittany Rogers!

What is the song all about? Well here's what she had to say about it…

When we grieve the loss of a loved one, we aren’t grieving for only our loss. We are grieving with and for, every person who was ever touched by the life of that person. It’s devastatingly beautiful to find out, that someone who deeply impacted us, also made similar impacts on so many strangers we will never get to fully appreciate the span of. It is comforting to think that our loved ones weren’t just special within our own understanding of them, but inherently and uniquely within other’s as well. Though it can be tempting to look back and wish we had leaned more into moments of love, laughter, and connection-or even just had a chance to say goodbye one more time- death can be a powerful reminder of how we wish to treat the ones we love who are still with us, tangibly. This song is dedicated to Avery Taylor: Your love will reverberate through every person you ever gave it to, and for that, you will always Linger On.

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This song is spectacular. You can feel the emotion in the music, and can tell that this song means so much to Brittany. You're going to want to listen to it over and over all day.
 
You can find “Linger On (Avery’s Song)" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify or Apple! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do.
 
As soon as possible.

“We Can Pretend" By Annie Elise (June 18, 2021 Release)

“We Can Pretend" is the latest single from the amazing singer Annie Elise!

And you won’t want to miss it!

I'm sure you remember Annie from her interview with us, where we discussed her single “Open Eyes". That was a song I couldn't stop listening to. "We can Pretend" is another. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

What can you expect from this latest song? He's the info from the blurb...

Annie Elise is hard to define - maybe it’s the colorful electronic production inspired by her synesthesia, or perhaps it’s her airy and effortless vocals and memorable melodies. Either way, her energy is infectious and ‘We Can Pretend’ is no exception. Drawing musical and lyrical influences from Porter Robinson, Bad Snacks, and other electronic artists, the track speaks about a false awakening and wishing that the real world could be just as nice as those that we dream about. The sparkling textures showcase the brilliant production and performance talents, and speak to Annie’s versatility as an artist. This song is an instant classic and will find a home on Spotify playlists like Creamy, Metropolis, Pixel Garden, and Serotonin.

The collaborators of the track have never even met in person, meeting through online communities and working together in virtual settings. Originally written within one month for a Discord server competition and mastered by GRAMMY Foundation Treasurer Piper Payne, it has been endorsed by Bad Snacks, herself, who is a large influencer in the Discord community. In addition to Bad Snacks, the song and artist have been endorsed by Danny Ross, the BMI creative team, Tiger Darrow, Ariza, Dresage, and KARRA.

Whether it’s her synesthesia or her ability to bring people together in a virtual world to create an incredible track, Annie Elise has only just begun making her mark on the electronic music industry.

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You can find “We Can Pretend" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Apple and Spotify. So, there's no reason you won't be able to find it.…which I highly suggest you do.

If you want to learn more about Annie, check out her Section 36 profile page. It has samples of her music, links to where you can find her, and more.

You can also hop directly to her interview right here on Section 36 Music.

Be sure to give “We Can Pretend" a listen!

"Playlist" by Lexi Mariah (June 11, 2021 Release)

“Playlist" is the latest single from the incredible singer Lexi Mariah!

And you won’t want to miss it!

You probably remember Lexi from her interview with us, where we discussed her previous single “SOURPATCH". That's one reason I was so excited for this new release. I wasn't disappointed! I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

You can find “Playlist" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify. So, there's no reason you won't be able to find it.…which I highly suggest you do.

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If you want to learn more about Lexi, check out her Section 36 profile page. It has samples of her music, links to where you can find her, and more.

You can also hop directly to her recent interview right here on Section 36 Music.

Be sure to give “Playlist" a listen!