Laura Estabridis Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor!  Laura Estabridis is an amazing singer fresh off the release of her single "Free". I was so excited she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I couldn’t stop listening to your recent single, “Free”. What can you tell me about it?

“Free” is a very special project for me since it was the first song I ever worked on from the writing process all the way to the release. It all began around a year before coming to Berklee College of Music (2018) I was currently living in Lima Peru were I met the amazing producer and songwriter León Merino who co-wrote and produced the song in order to bring it to life. 

In the process, we put together parts of our own romantic experiences and channeled it into the story of a woman who is desperately trying to escape a toxic relationship. This was very interesting to develop through electronic pop since we were able to express the feeling of finally being free of this relationship through an energetic synth drop. 

After three years since the beginning of this project I am no longer very involved in the electronic music scene. However, I’m very proud of this song and I’m so happy it’s out for the world to hear! This project taught me a lot and definitely set grounds for future releases. 

What did you enjoy most about the recording process?

Back in 2018 I didn’t really have much experience with professional recording so  getting to spend time in the studio and watch the amazing engineer (Wisdom) work his magic was amazing. We spent many hours trying to get the perfect interpretation for each phrase in order to capture the intention of the lyrics. Overall, the entire process was so new and exciting for me. However, I must admit that my favorite part was when I first heard back the compilation of the vocals takes. That’s when I felt we had something really special coming. 

You are currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing Berklee’s doing for your career? 

Berklee College of Music has been a dream come true. I am currently working towards a double degree in Songwriting and Music  Production & Engineering. This has helped me a lot mainly in terms of gaining knowledge on how the recording world works. As an independent artist this was crucial in order to be more self sufficient when working on new music. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

To this moment I would consider Adele, Lady A and Fleetwood Mac to be some of my main influences. During the pandemic I spent six months living in Kentucky with my best friend and his family, where I was introduced to country music and learned to love it. However, for this particular track we were inspired by more pop and electronic music such as Chainsmokers and Halsey. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I consider one of my biggest challenges to be finding that push to pick a song to develop. Sometimes it can be hard to look at my own work and decide it’s ready or “finished” enough to build it up to a release. I’m trying to be better about it now since I began to remind myself that not everything has to be “perfect” as long as it’s something I’m proud of, have a deep connection to or want to share with other people. 

What are your immediate career goals?

Talking about breaking the cycle, I recently decided to begin working on a new song this summer. I’m still not sure in which direction to take it but that’s definitely something I’m excited to start soon so definitely watch out for a new release in the fall! I still have a year left at Berklee so I want to spend it getting ready to make that leap into the real world, deciding which direction to go in terms of future work opportunities and building an online presence as an independent artist. 

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I know I'll definitely be on the lookout for that release!

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

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow along with her to see what she's up to. The best way to do that is probably to follow her on Instagram and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both of those right now! 

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

Thanks again Laura, and good luck reaching your goals!

“New Leaves" by Sarah Bernadette (May 27, 2022 Release)

 "New Leaves" is the debut album from the incredible singer Sarah Bernadette! 

Be sure to listen to this song as soon as you can. After that, listen to it again. And again. And then over and over! 

As Sarah shared during her recent interview with us, "The album includes both recently written songs as well as songs that I wrote 6-7 years ago that I just never got to record. It features songs about love and loss and self-discovery, and even features what I consider to be a counterpart to “Green”. My song “What Did I Expect?” at the end of the album weaves in plant imagery to tell the other side of a relationship - when the growth isn’t nurtured properly and the love is not sustained."

It's definitely an amazing collection.

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You'll be able to find “New Leaves" 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 Sarah's full interview with us to see everything she had to say.

Go give “New Leaves" a listen!

“Tell Me" by Scarlett Dream (May 24, 2022 Release)

"Tell Me" is the latest single from the talented singer Scarlett Dream! 

You need to listen to it immediately! 

As shared during Scarlett's recent interview with us, the song "originated on a voice memo with my fiance playing ukulele in the background. We kept the ukulele in the final version! 

Most songs require an intricate editing process but this song vocally stayed the same from the voice memo to the final version. It was a stream of consciousness of things I was feeling at that moment. I think those emotions are what make the song authentic and relatable to others."

That authenticity really shines through with this song. You need to hear it for yourself!

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You'll be able to find “Tell Me" 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 Scarlett's full interview with us to see everything she had to say.

Go give “Tell Me" a listen!

Sarah Bernadette Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Sarah Bernadette is an incredible singer whose debut album will be released this week. I was so excited she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I’m a huge fan of your recent single “Green”. What can you tell me about it?

Thanks so much! “Green” is about the joy of starting a new relationship, and the excitement of the potential for mutual growth as you get to know each other and develop the relationship. That’s why I use so many plant metaphors in the song - a new relationship feels “green” like new fruit waiting to ripen, it’s turning over a new leaf after previous bad experiences. In writing this song I wrote down all of the green-related imagery that popped into my head, brainstorming all the ways I could incorporate the theme into the song. In addition to the nature-related imagery, I also talk about new love being as precious as an emerald, and feeling as lucky as a four-leave clover. 

Is there anything else you're currently working on?

I’m about to release my first full-length album, “New Leaves” which features my single “Green” that I released last year. The album includes both recently written songs as well as songs that I wrote 6-7 years ago that I just never got to record. It features songs about love and loss and self-discovery, and even features what I consider to be a counterpart to “Green”. My song “What Did I Expect?” at the end of the album weaves in plant imagery to tell the other side of a relationship - when the growth isn’t nurtured properly and the love is not sustained. I’m so excited for my album to drop - “New Leaves” comes out Friday May 27th to all streaming platforms! 

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing Berklee’s done for your career? 

My time at Berklee really allowed me to hone in on my songwriting skills - as a songwriting and vocal performance double major, I took several intensive songwriting classes where I was frequently expected to write a song a week. Sometimes this meant that I wrote songs that weren’t my favorite, but that’s sort of the point, I think; it’s okay if not everything you write is amazing, but it teaches you that you can always take something from your previous works, even if they weren’t your best songs overall. It also provided me the opportunity for frequent feedback from my peers and the amazing songwriting faculty at Berklee. I am also grateful for the wonderful voice teachers I studied with at Berklee who allowed me to grow my technique and learn how to better control and manipulate my voice - shoutout to Kathleen Flynn and Kristin Cifelli! 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I feel like my influences are always changing depending on who I’m listening to at the time, but I can pretty confidently say they’re almost always amazing women! As of recently my biggest influences are Cécile McLorin Salvant (especially for her vocal inflection and her incredible delivery of her lyrics, which I can only aspire to) and Amy Winehouse (for her wonderfully blunt writing style and tone). 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

So many! I would say for me it’s really hard to motivate myself to post on social media and remembering to promote myself. I think a lot of musicians feel awkward promoting ourselves, and sometimes I wish I could just do music and people would just listen without me telling them about it - but I know that obviously that isn’t how it works! 

What are your immediate career goals?

Right now I’m just hoping to get people to listen to my new album, and that they’ll enjoy it :) I’m easy, as long as I can make money doing music and have the time to do my own personal projects, I’m happy. 

*also if you’re in the Boston area, come out to my album release show at Virtuosity in Boston on Huntington Ave! Saturday May 28, 8pm :) 

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I hope everyone can be there!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with her to see what she's up to. The best way to do that is probably to follow her on Instagram and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both of those right now! Also be sure to visit her website for even more great information.

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

Thanks again Sarah, and good luck reaching your goals!

Scarlett Dream Visits Section 36 Music!

Photo Guzel Khos

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Scarlett Dream is an incredible singer whose single "Out Til Dawn" likely finds a place in your playlist. I was so excited she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I’m a huge fan of your recent single “Out Til Dawn”. What can you tell me about it?

Out Til Dawn was created in the studio in NYC and I like that it's pretty upbeat compared to some of my other songs. The music video on YouTube was shot in the desert in Joshua Tree and it was a really fun experience to have with my friends! I may now be on thin ice with Airbnb but it was totally worth it!

What was your favorite part of the recording process?

Photo Guzel Khos

My favorite part of the recording process is refining the song and getting in the booth, followed by hearing my producers work their magic and give our ideas life. There's something special about unleashing a message in the booth and having it finally exist outside of your mind. A weight gets lifted.  

Is there anything else you're currently working on? 

I'm working on so much new music! The first single i’ll be releasing of 2022 is coming out on May 24th! 

It's called Tell Me, and it originated on a voice memo with my fiance playing ukulele in the background. We kept the ukulele in the final version! 

Most songs require an intricate editing process but this song vocally stayed the same from the voice memo to the final version. It was a stream of consciousness of things I was feeling at that moment. I think those emotions are what make the song authentic and relatable to others. I can't wait for you to hear it-- you can Spotify pre-save in my IG bio! 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

Photo Guzel Khos

My biggest musical influences are Mazzy Star, Frank Ocean, Beach House, Lykke Li, Clairo, Duran Duran, and Joy Division. I love 80’s synth pop vibes! I'm just a fan of good music from John Legend to Adele to Nick Drake. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

The biggest challenge for me is gaining traction as a small artist. It's hard to cut through the noise in the music industry. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I'm excited to continue putting songs out and creating videos, as well as doing live performances. One goal of mine is to have my music in a show or film, or to even create music for a movie soundtrack. 

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That sounds like a great goal!

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

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

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

Thanks again Scarlett Dream, and good luck reaching your goals!

Liya's Thrift Store Creation!

Not long ago, Liya shared a video of how she turned a thrift store find into an outfit for her dreamhouse music video. It was quite a drastic transformation, and I knew there had to be a story behind it. So, I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions about the outfit.

I don’t know about you, but one of the first things that popped into my head, was whether the find was an accident. Did she see the item in the store and just know it could become something special, or did she go to the store looking for something…anything…that she could use in the video?

“I love thrifting”, she explained, “and when I do it, I look for two things: 1. pieces that I like the way they are and 2. pieces that have potential, meaning I love the pattern or fabric, even if the piece doesn't fit me well, or at all.”

She continued, “When I bought this shirt, I knew I wanted to

turn it into a two-piece that I can use on stage, as well as for the 'dreamhouse' music video.”

The design was another interesting aspect, “The shirt initially was really big on me, which meant I could do a few things since there was a lot of extra material. So I went with a skirt and a bathing suit-style top with extra long ties.”

I’d say she was happy with the results because she added, “I don't think I'd do anything differently next time, I would just do more of this, haha!"

I think she’ll definitely keep doing this because she’s made a habit of this, including a purple two piece suit that was another thrift flip (linked here or here.) and some amazing feather pants (linked here or here)

And it’s not just clothes. As she added, “I also sew in the 40 inch extensions for the 'dreamhouse' music video myself. I'm planning on making a quick tiktok video/reel showing people how I did that too!”

All in all I’d say Liya has done a great job creating some unique pieces to use on stage and in videos. 

I can’t wait to see more of it.

Alicia Nicole Visits Section 36 Music!

Photo Paige Sierra

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Alicia Nicole is just bursting with talent, who who you may know from her outstanding single "When Heaven Comes". I was thrilled she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I really liked your single “When Heaven Comes”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you! Yes, this was one of those songs that came to me a little easier. I heard the beat, which sounded a little different than the final release, and I came up with the melody to the intro. This song is about me looking back at who I used to be from the place I’m at now. It’s about stripping away all the habits I had that didn’t serve me. I use the lyrics

 “I had to kill her in my sleep 

Thoughts wouldn’t let me succeed

I had to kill her in my dreams” 

as a visual representation of letting go of doubtful thoughts and people pleasing tendencies that held me back from accomplishing my goals and becoming a badass business women. This song for me is also my way of calling out the people that want to throw shade and dim someone’s light. Believing in yourself is not always easy with those people around but once you start really truly doing so it’s like you’ve unlocked the matrix.

Are there any other projects you’re currently working on?

Yes, I’m currently working on a couple of singles that I’ll be releasing soon. I don’t have a set date on the release just yet though.

You had the chance to study at Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing that’s doing for your career? 

Berklee has really helped me transform as a musician. Although I’m still working on my degree (electronic music production and sound design) I have a lot more tools in my belt than I did before. Now I know how to read music and analyze it in a more advanced way. This makes working with other musicians a lot easier. Not only have I learned the foundations of music but I’m also diving into the business and marketing end of things as well. As an independent artist I think it’s very important to learn the business side so there’s less chance of being taken advantage of. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

My first musical influence was Pat Benatar. She was the first woman I saw perform live at age 6 or 7 and I was blown away, in that moment I knew I wanted to be performing on stage. Some of my other influences are Ann Peebles, Sade, Christina Aguilera, Erykah Badu, Celia Cruz, Selena Quintanilla, Summer Walker, Kali Uchis, Ariana Grande, and Hiatus Kaiyote. The list goes on but those are definitely the top. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

In an industry where women represent less than a 1/3 of artists and only 3% are producers there are bound to be some challenges. The biggest challenge I’ve faced is lack of respect or validation. It’s not until I mention I study electronic music production and sound design at Berklee that I’m taken seriously. I shouldn’t have to name drop just because I’m a woman and have to “prove” I’m supposed to be there and my opinion matters. This happens to so many women at any level in the industry and it’s time for a change. I’m definitely seeing more power house women push their way to the forefront which is creating so much more space for the women following after them. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I would love to finish an album and go on a mini tour to get my music out there to different communities. 

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A mini tour sounds like a lot of fun!

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

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

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

Thanks again Alicia, and good luck reaching your goals!