“Dreamhouse" by Liya (April 29, 2022 Release)

"Dreamhouse" is the latest single from the amazing singer Liya! 

You are going to want to listen to this song as soon as you can as often as you can! What can you expect from the song? Liya talked a bit about it during her recent interview with us... 

“Dreamhouse" is a dark pop single about a twisted world, a saccharine with a few cracks. I created the distorted look down the rabbit hole of a warped Barbie world, while referencing social pressures women face such as body image. 

Definitly something to experience!

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You'll be able to find “Dreamhouse" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Apple or Spotify! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do. Right now!

You can also go check out Liya's full interview with us to see everything she had to say.

Go give “Dreamhouse" a listen!

“Free Woman" by Cassandra (April 29, 2022 Release)

"Free Woman" is the latest single from the incredibly talented singer Cassandra! 

You need to  listen to this song as soon as you possibly can! What can you expect from the song? Cassandra was nice enough to provide a little blurb for us...

Free Woman was inspired by my desire to find a truly healthy, happy relationship. I have so much love for the world around me, the work I do, and for myself, and I do wish to share that love with another person as well. I think this song is really a manifestation of something I hope to find. I know that all people are deserving of a love that makes them feel free to be themselves and to be vulnerable and real. Love should be fervent, kind, selfless, and fulfilling. When I sing this song, I feel the way I dream of feeling in love. I do believe that kind of love will find me one day, but for now, I’ll just sing songs that celebrate what could be.

It was written by Cassandra Pinataro, Bryan Ruby, and Tyler Bank and was produced by Brandon Meagher. I recorded this at Bridge Sound & Stage in Cambridge.

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You'll be able to find “Free Woman" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Apple or Spotify! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do. Right now!

Go give “Free Woman" a listen!

SABZ Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! SABZ is an incredible singer, preparing to release her latest single "BEKINDREWIND". I was so excited she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I really enjoyed your recent single “Essentials”. What was it like putting that together? 

So my producer VibeztheProd and co writer Emaan Zadjali are both Berklee Grads, incredible artists and two of my closest friends. Vibez and I had wanted to explore creating a song together so he sent me a few beats. When the one he sent me for Essentials came up, I instantly conjured up a topline. Emaan really helped wrap the whole thing together, I already knew she was a master when it came to wordplay so working with the two of them to create this track was such fun experience. 

Do you have any other projects you’re currently working on?

Yes! My new single BEKINDREWIND comes out on May 6th!  I’ve been working on this one for almost two years so I’m really excited to finally put it out into the world. But aside from that I have a few tracks that should be coming out really soon so keep a lookout! 

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest way that helped your career?  

I think if it weren’t for Berklee, I wouldn’t have had the chance to really hone in on my craft. I’ve met and worked with so many talented people there who have also become lifelong friends. However, of course like any creative institution theres an element of competition but it allowed me to learn how to motivate myself to work harder to achieve my goals.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?  

Photo Rival.cc

To be honest, that’s always been a very hard question because my musical upbringing came with such an eclectic selection of musical styles ranging from Pop to R&B to Hip Hop, EDM to even Middle Eastern music since I’m Iranian. But I guess for example I’m a huge fan of Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Pink many early 2000s pop figures which you can kind of see shine through in songs of mine such as “Defective”. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge? 

This kind of ties into my answer for the third question. I know I mentioned that competition can be motivating but of course it’s easier said than done. Theres definitely plenty of days where I’ll feel frustrated and start comparing myself to others, but I try my best to remind myself to look at it from a standpoint of wanting to learn from them instead.

What are your immediate career goals? 

Photo Holy Smoke Photography

So in my career as an artist, I’ve actually never gigged! In 2020 I was supposed to sort of get that started when I released Defective but then the pandemic interfered with that. This year I’m hoping to change that and start performing. Besides that, I’m also looking to collaborate  with more producers based in the Pop or EDM scene. 

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Definitely hope she gets to perform this year!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with SABZ to see what she's up to. The best way to do that is probably to follow her on Instagram and/or Spotify. I suggest doing both right now!

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

Thanks again SABZ, and good luck reaching your goals!

Liya Visits Section 36 Music!

Photo Adam Peterson

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Liya is an absolutely wonderful singer, preparing to release her latest single "Dreamhouse". I was so glad she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I’m really looking forward to your upcoming single “Dreamhouse”. What can you tell me about it?

“Dreamhouse" is a dark pop single about a twisted world, a saccharine with a few cracks. I created the distorted look down the rabbit hole of a warped Barbie world, while referencing social pressures women face such as body image. 

What was your favorite part of the recording process?

My favorite part about creating any song is the ability to work with other creatives. In this case, I wrote the song with Maria Landi and had a very collaborative and fun producing experience with Chengcheng Tang. We even recorded my dog, Arya, you can hear her barks in the interlude of the song.

You’ve been able to perform all over the world. What has been your favorite venue so far? 

Photo Bradley John

There are many places I haven't performed at yet but I appreciate and enjoy every stage I'm on. Before the pandemic I had an incredible intimate show in my hometown Sofia, Bulgaria. I loved sharing my original songs with a Bulgarian audience. In the past few months I've been performing all around Boston and I've been enjoying every minute of it.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

My grandfather and uncle. They were both musicians and the first people I remember truly believing in my musical dreams. I keep a picture of them in their band Dynamic at a show in Dresden, Germany from 1977 on my desk and look at it every day. They encouraged me when I was a little girl and still do to this day, I hope they're proud of me. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Photo Erik Torres

Being independent is just as much of a challenge as it is a blessing. I absolutely love it but it does get hard at times. Then again, that's what makes the victories all the more sweet. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I create music to heal myself and make people feel. I love lyric writing and want my songs to not only be catchy, but have a meaningful message behind them. An immediate career goal would be to reach more and more people and perform at more and more stages.

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Those sound like great goals. Hopefully we can all help her achieve them!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Liya to see what she's up to. The best way to do that is probably to follow her on Instagram and/or Spotify. You should also check out her website. And, while you're at it, why not presave Dreamhouse. I suggest doing it all right now!

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

Thanks again Liya, and good luck reaching your goals!

“Answers" by Victoria Barral (April 22, 2022 Release)

"Answers" 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 “Answers”?

Many people in the world are searching for answers, and especially these past few years. Waiting for answers for your life can be excruciating at times. “Answers” is a work that expresses the frustration of uncertainty but also sheds light by saying that things will get better. Life will get better, because God has our lives under control.

Inspiration for “Answers” came in 2020, when I came across Psalms 4 in my quiet time with God. It says: “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!”

I got inspiration off of the Psalm and wrote lyrics in God’s perspective. The lyrics of the chorus came to me quickly - “I see you in your deep distress. I see your heart when there’s nothing left… I know you’re scared hurting for answers, it’s no fair but life will get better. I know you’re scared waiting for answers. Trust that I care more than ever…” This was so reassuring to write something in God’s perspective because it was almost like a response to the call of the Psalm. Writing “Answers” was a blast. 

What was the experience of putting the recording together like?

The recording process for “Answers” was a slow one, I really took my time with this. Probably more time than any other song I’ve worked on. From October 2020-April 2020, I produced “Answers” in my little bedroom studio and worked on multiple versions until it was the final product. The writing process instrumental wise went smoothly. I produced most of the instrumental I including the synths, piano, sub bass, drums, and I took a few loops of guitar my dad recorded on voice memos and sampled it, and ended up reversing the audio. My classmate Amirah Gharbi produced some of the drums and a little bit of vocals. 

The most challenging part of the recording process was recording all the layers of harmonies. Recording vocals required a lot of hard work and time. Vocal performance and emotion in the music was my priority in terms of tracking at home, so it took months to get it right. I ended up video recording the takes and the process of recording.  It was around April of 2021 that I felt I had good takes to send over to my friend and mixer Connor Wang. Connor did a beautiful job mixing. After the mixing process was done my friend Josh Sebek mastered the song and the rest is history. I’m very proud of this work and thankful for it to be out. 

Do you have any goals for the song?

I just hope that this song gives hope to people who are hurting and searching for the right answers for their life. Most importantly, I hope this work is moved by the power of the Holy Spirit! I pray that it will reach both an audience of people of faith and people who aren’t of faith 

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You'll be able to find “Answers" 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. 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 fantastic singer.

Be sure to give “Answers" a listen!

ASHERAH Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! ASHERAH is an incredibly talented singer, coming off the release of her latest EP "Ephemeral". I was absolutely thrilled she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I really enjoyed your recent EP “Ephemeral”. What can you tell me about it? 

Thank you so much- Ephemeral was written for a close childhood friend of mine who passed away from an overdose. He was also my first serious relationship. The process of writing, producing, coming up with the visuals for it, and marketing it took close to 3 years- I think mostly because it was so hard to let go of. Each song on Ephemeral is about a different aspect of the grief process, with the exception of River, the intro track- which was written as a metaphor for addiction.

What was your favorite part of the recording process?

I wrote two of the songs in one of my Ableton classes at school. I was just learning how to use it, so using my Push to create melodies I wouldn’t typically come up with on a piano was really cool. Holy was made entirely with the Push. Writing and layering harmonies is also one of my favorite things to do in general, so it was nice to have a project with complete creative control to create this lush, vocal landscape. 

You’re currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest way that is helping your career? 

I’ve been at Berklee Online for the last two years and it’s had a tremendous impact on me both as a musician and creative entrepreneur. I knew nothing about marketing music, publishing, or rights before I started studying music business. I’ve become so much more well-rounded as an artist and businessperson because of it. I did Ephemeral’s marketing and PR campaigns entirely on my own because of what I learned at Berklee. I’m moving to campus in Boston in a few months so I’m really excited to meet and collaborate with the incredible musicians there. I love picking other artists’ brains, especially when we make completely different types of music, so it’ll be interesting to see how being on campus impacts my creative process. Berklee is also just notoriously unmatched when it comes to networking- I can’t wait to be among people in person who share my passion. It’s been my dream to go to Berklee since I was 8 years old. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I’ve always been fanatically obsessed with the cosmos, theidea of parallel universes, reincarnation, quantum entanglement… the movie “Interstellar” was a huge influence for Chasm. My friend Medulasa did an unbelievable job on the sound design. Sonically, I’d have to say my biggest influences have been Lights’ earlier work, especially her Siberia record, Bjork, Purity Ring, Grimes, FKA Twigs, Enya, Adam Young, Kerli, MARINA, Imogen Heap, Evanescence, and producers like Aphex Twin and Telefon Tel Aviv. I also listened to a LOT of Skrillex and his earlier songwriting when I was in middle and early high school. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I genuinely think it’s keeping up with the demand for new “content.” Being a more private person when it comes to my creative process, letting people into my brain before I’m ready has never been within my comfort zone. I like to take my time, sit on things, let them marinate… and then bring them out of the oven when they’re ready. Never before. I see a lot of artists showing their production or songwriting processes on TikTok and that just isn’t me, even though I get it, and I’m sure my marketing professors would prefer it. But who knows! Maybe I’ll change my mind. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I really just want to become as well-rounded a musician as I can, and become as self-sufficient as possible when it comes to marketing and managing myself. I’d love to tour within the next couple of years and definitely put out another single or two before the end of 2022. Maybe meet my future touring band on campus! 

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Another single or two sounds like a great idea!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with ASHERAH to see what she's up to. The best way to do that is probably to follow her on Instagram and/or Spotify. I suggest doing both right now!

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

Thanks again ASHERAH, and good luck reaching your goals!

“Sorry For Myself” by Allison Leah (Feb 8, 2022 release)

“Sorry For Myself" is the latest single from the fantastic singer Allison Leah! 

And you NEED to listen to it right away!

I’m sure you remember Allison from her interview with us, where we discussed her single “We can Still Sing". I've definitely been a fan of her work ever since. That’s one reason I was so excited to hear this newest release. To say I wasn't disappointed is an understatement. My immediate feeling was that this was a break-up anthem worthy of Taylor Swift. The beat flowing from chorus to chorus will make you want to sing it at the top of your lungs. I know you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

You can find “Sorry For Myself" just about everywhere you usually find your music, like Spotify, and Apple! 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 Allison, 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 “Sorry For Myself" a listen!