“Snap" by Eva Rawlings

 

"Snap" - Single by Eva Rawlings

Release Date: October 6, 2023

What You Should Know: If you loved "5 Steps" as much as I did, you'll enjoy this song as well.

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple or Spotify

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "5 Steps"

“Acrobat" by Jackie Therrien (Oct 6, 2023 Release)

 

"Acrobat" - Single by Jackie Therrien

What You Should Know: "you can hurt me all you want, you’re the best kind of pain."

Find It: Everywhere, like  Apple or Spotify

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "Temporary Needs", "Bubbles (Demo)", "Unlove You", "Johanna", "Night Music", "I Tried Too Hard", "No Parties"

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2023 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Jackie Therrien Visits Section 36 Music!"

“Whiskey" by Jessica Woodlee (October 4, 2023 Release)

"Whiskey" - Single by Jessica Woodlee

What You Should Know: "In writing and producing this song I watched something born from heartache transform into something I love. Forever grateful to Ana Schon for loving this song as much as I do. For anyone stuck in unrequited love, I hope this helps"

Find It: Everywhere, like  Apple or Spotify

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "By Now", "Dairy Aisle"

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2023 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Jessica Woodlee Visits Section 36 Music!"

“Conversa Fiada” by Luiza Girardello (Sep 22, 2023 Release)

 

"Conversa Fiada" - Debut single by Luiza Girardello 

What You Should Know: "This is my debut single, and I wrote it in Portuguese, my native language. "Conversa Fiada" is an expression that translates as "small talk" and the song is my manifesto against it. I wrote it right around the time that we were coming out of the lockdown during the pandemic, and I started to realize how much energy it took to interact with people.

I was craving connection, but when I'd meet with people it didn't feel very deep. We'd end up talking about the weather. So Conversa Fiada is exactly that, I sing the first two verses in first person as someone fed up with these conversations about whether it will rain or not. But in the third verse the tone changes as the lyrics go "I wanna see your demons/All of your trauma, so it washes the soul/Even if it lasts for a thousand years" (Quero ver os teus demônios/Todo teu trauma, que lave a alma/Mesmo que dure por milênios ).

The chorus is a play on the sound of words. I chose words that have the same number of syllables to be able to sing it very rhythmically. If you check out my songwriting notebook there's an entire page with rejected candidates, it's a mess! The words may seem like a random list if you listen casually, but they are a list of subjects that are either taboo or absurd or plainly ridiculous to talk about to someone who you've just met."

Find It: Everywhere, like  Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2023 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Luiza Girardello Visits Section 36 Music!"

Stephanie Larsen Visits Section 36 Music!

Photo Nina Gallant

Stephanie Larsen is a talented photographer whose work you've probably seen on Section 36 Music before. It seemed about time to have her visit so we could all learn a little bit more about here. I'm sure you'll love to hear what she has to say.

So, let’s see what happens when Stephanie Larsen visits Section 36 Music!

When did you realize that photography was something that you loved?

I have loved photos & photography since I was a little kid, my dad always had a camera. He captured our childhood, and before us, his own trips and adventures. I loved looking at photos from a young age. There was so much life in each one and I could spend a long time taking it all in. I started wanting to take a camera to my own young life events like middle school dances, and would eventually start styling my friends and having mini photo shoots. My dad had a coworker that was a photographer and had his own website- this was the early 2000s so that was fancy lol, and I got to meet him and talk to him. This made me realize that I could be a photographer too, and I kept shooting and exploring! That lead me to the doors of photo school and I haven’t really looked back since ☺.

How did you decide to turn that passion into Stephanie Larsen Photography?

The excitement of capturing a feeling, an emotion, a mood/vibe was what I loved from the beginning. That’s why photo school was so fun- learning how to use your fundamentals to tell the story you wanted to tell and getting to experiment, have fun, and see your progress. I’m so lucky that that passion for creativity and experimentation burns on all of these years later and I still do the same thing for my clients. Also- I love teaching this too! I have been lucky enough to teach my own classes at New England School of Photography - MA & Rocky Mountain School of Photography out in MT! Teaching and having even a small part in emerging photographers education is one of the honors of my life!

You’ve photographed several musicians that have been featured here on Section 36 Music. What is your favorite part about working with musicians?

Yes! I started my photo career working with musicians, and then kind of ventured off into the commercial photography / fashion photography world. It is exciting to be back and doing more of it again, it is totally bringing me back to life and re-inspiring me. There is so much cross over between fashion photography and music photography- it is concept driven, mood driven, lighting driven, styling driven. It is so creative. Musicians are my favorite people to work with. I love listening to their music, soaking it in, talking to them about their ideas, and creatively working towards that together. What magic it is to take an album or a song and create visuals for it! I truly feel honored any time I have the chance to work on that with an artist. It is so much fun and so magical. 

Would you say that you have a specific photography style?

I would say creative storyteller! Because deep down that is what I’m doing! 

What would you say are your biggest career challenges?

I am a freelancer, so riding the waves of that can be extremely challenging. There are so many factors that determine the flow of work and there’s a lot that is out of your control, like a global pandemic, a shifting industry & technology, earth-shattering and tragic things like losing your mom and intense grief (that happened to me at the beginning of 2022). Trying to find peace and riding the wave is the hardest but most meaningful part of the journey. Knowing when to push, when to pull, when to pivot- phew it is hard. Learning to trust yourself and love yourself in the process can feel impossible. You just have to keep going, whatever that looks like at the moment. That’s the only way!

Do you have any specific career goals?

I have so many, but to name a few of my dreams:

-Shoot for Rolling Stone!! 

-Work with Miley Cyrus (she’s first on the list but the list is long lol)

-Go on tour with a musician/band

-Have sponsorship by Polaroid, Profoto, Canon etc! 

-Learn how to shoot video and direct- especially music videos! 

-Record my songs and keep practicing my craft with music and build community the way I have with photography!

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Those sound like amazing goals!

As always, I want to give huge thanks to Stephanie for doing this interview, and for sending along so many great pictures to be used. 

I'm sure that after reading this, you may want to find out even more about Stephanie and everything she has going on. I would definitely suggest checking out her website, and following her on Instagram at her photography account. 

And, if you talk to her don’t forget to tell her you saw her on Section 36 Music!

Thanks again Stephanie!

“Reality” by Brooklynn (Sep 15, 2023 Release)

 

Reality - Single by Brooklynn

What You Should Know: "Put on your headphones and enter the dreamlike, spacey oasis that is “Reality” by singer/songwriter and producer Brooklynn. From the first few seconds, you are put into a peaceful trance by the opening guitar melody from co-writer Seku Fujino-Harmachis and immediately hooked by the introspective lyrics and lush harmonies from Brooklynn. Produced and written in their freshman dorm at Berklee College of Music, this trippy, psychedelic-influenced tune is sure to leave you in a transcendent state."

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple or Spotify

Luiza Girardello Visits Section 36 Music!

Photo: E. Roman

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Luiza Girardello is an amazing singer, fresh off her debut single, "Conversa Fiada". I was flattered that she wanted to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

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

I am incredibly excited for your debut single, “Conversa Fiada”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you so much for having me! I'm excited too, it's been a long time coming. This is my debut single, and I wrote it in Portuguese, my native language. "Conversa Fiada" is an expression that translates as "small talk" and the song is my manifesto against it. I wrote it right around the time that we were coming out of the lockdown during the pandemic, and I started to realize how much energy it took to interact with people.

I was craving connection, but when I'd meet with people it didn't feel very deep. We'd end up talking about the weather. So Conversa Fiada is exactly that, I sing the first two verses in first person as someone fed up with these conversations about whether it will rain or not. But in the third verse the tone changes as the lyrics go "I wanna see your demons/All of your trauma, so it washes the soul/Even if it lasts for a thousand years" (Quero ver os teus demônios/Todo teu trauma, que lave a alma/Mesmo que dure por milênios ).

The chorus is a play on the sound of words. I chose words that have the same number of syllables to be able to sing it very rhythmically. If you check out my songwriting notebook there's an entire page with rejected candidates, it's a mess! The words may seem like a random list if you listen casually, but they are a list of subjects that are either taboo or absurd or plainly ridiculous to talk about to someone who you've just met.

What was your favorite part of the recording process?

The whole process was awesome! I love working with friends

and making music together is one of the best feelings ever. I originally wrote this song for a class in my last year at Berklee College of Music, and I talked to a friend who was also a senior, João Vitor Costa Dias, to see if he would like to work on arranging my original music, since I had my Senior Recital coming up. João asked to take a listen before agreeing, and after checking out my very bad demos he said yes. He wrote arrangements for a rhythm section (guitar, keys, bass, drums) and a string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello). And I gotta say, it sounded amazing. We worked together for that show, which happened in December 2022, and he also played drums on it.

By the beginning of 2023, I had finished school and my student visa had run out, but I still wasn't allowed to work or leave and re-enter the United States. I honestly got pretty depressed, and the Boston winter doesn't help. Since there wasn't much else I could do, I took that time to record all of that material from the recital. We went to Wellspring Studio in Acton, MA in February with the band and engineers and recorded these tracks live in the studio, without a click. We wanted to capture the same energy from the live playing we had been doing. In about 24 hours of studio time spread over three days we recorded nine songs, and I couldn't be happier with what we made. There are more cool things coming out soon as we work on finishing up the rest of this material.

What is your favorite part about performing in front of a live audience?

I've been performing as a singer my entire life, but I started my music journey as a classical singer on the more academic side, and singing with rock and metal bands on the more fun side. For the longest time I couldn't conceive of any crossover between these two worlds I was a part of. I later started going into Brazilian music and jazz, and I really love all of these styles of music, but what I really wanted to do (and couldn't even admit to myself for the longest time) was to write and perform my original music. That changed everything. There is something about it that makes it scarier, because of the level of vulnerability involved. There is nothing to hide behind. But it is just as gratifying as it is scary.

Are there any upcoming shows that you’re especially excited about?

Chris Beyer

My next show is on October 5th at this cool place called Warehouse XI in Somerville. I'll be sharing the bill with Round Trip, a band totally worth checking out. They're killing musicians and I'm lucky to also have Jake Stevenson, their guitarist and vocalist as the guitar player for my band.

What would you say is your biggest challenge with your music career?

I think my biggest challenge is the same in my music career and in my personal life. It's staying true to my vision and aspirations. I grew up in a family of frustrated artists. Which is not to say that their art isn't amazing. It is. But for example, my mom is really a high level visual artist, but it was only a couple of years ago in her 60s that she's had her first art show. No one had ever seen it outside of family and friends. My dad is the same, he's also a musician and producer, and he's also only fully embraced it now in his 60s.

I'm really privileged for the fact that they both raised me saying that I could have any career I wanted, as long as it made me happy and I applied myself to it fully. And a part of me believed it, but it took me a long time to understand why I couldn't allow myself to go for it. As an adult I see that their example was louder than their words. They did an amazing job as parents in so many ways, but it feels nice to break this cycle that I see has been in my family way before their generations.

It wasn't easy for me to actually embrace being a musician. It took a mental health crisis, a cancer diagnosis and six months of chemotherapy for me to come to terms with the idea that if I died tomorrow the one thing I would regret was not having expressed more, and not having actually tried to dedicate myself fully to music and see what happens. This September also marks 9 years since my chemotherapy ended and I got into complete remission, so it feels like a full circle to release this first song now.

What are your immediate career goals?

I am currently finishing up my next single. That one is going to be in English, and I'm really excited to get to share it very soon. The main goal in the time being is to keep doing what I'm doing: writing, performing, releasing and teaching music.

--

I'm excited for that next single!

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

I'm sure you’ll all want to listen to Luiza and follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram, and on Spotify. In fact, check her out everywhere! And if you can make it to her upcoming show, I definitely recommend you do!

Thanks again Luiza, and good luck reaching your goals!