Born in Denver, Colorado artist Jett Kwong was introduced to singing at just five years old. Since then, she has gone on to perform and teach around the globe, lighting up venues from Shanghai to Berlin. Jett found her home in Los Angeles, California, where she now captivates audiences with her voice and Chinese guzheng music. Jett’s work is colored by themes such as family, her identity as a mixed heritage woman, and the complexities of colonial history. “Our identities are colored by the context in which we are in – the way we grow up, our appearance, and our basic interests and beliefs”. It is through this belief that she channels her desire to seek out the true roots of individuality.
Leading single ‘Away’ narrates the exploration of frustration we experience working towards our aspirations. An examination into the monotony of facilitating creative endeavors Jett sings, “Time is my only coin, I spend to earn my keep. Carving away at my dreams, just to make ends meet”. Co-written by LMNOP, ‘Away’ features haunting vocals, twinkling synths, and layered guzheng and strings building into a multi-faceted soundscape. With hints of her Chinese heritage, the single is a reminder to practice letting go of the pressures we all feel – both outwardly and inwardly imposed – to keep up with system.
Sonically influenced by a variety of sounds from different eras, Jett’s music is built from pieces of the past with an essence of the future. With the desire to spark conversations about identity, the singer/songwriter confides, “I am inspired to tell not only my and my family’s histories, but a broader story of culture – to be a conduit for those stories and to find more innovative ways to express them.”
Empowered by issues surrounding women’s rights, social and political reform and questions around justice, Jett hopes to contribute towards conversations for affecting change. Having performed at prestigious venues including the renown Carnegie Hall, Jett Kwong is ready for the next installment of her journey with the release of ‘Away’.
https://soundcloud.com/jettkwong/away-final-master-1619
(Photo Credit:Jessica Lehrman)
Edgy rock musician Troi Irons is thrilled to release the live performance video for the single, “Strangers.” The video was directed by Kyle Dijamco and Troi Irons. Troi says, “This ‘Strangers’ video is my first visual apart from a major label. There are a couple music videos up that I spent weeks writing treatments/storyboards for and building teams for only to have a director come and paint over my vision because my name wasn’t on the check paying them. So for this video I wanted to peel it back to the very basics and build a good foundation. This is me in true, raw form as a musician.”
Troi Irons is music’s gifted anomaly. She is a female in a genre that are few and far in between, but one that stands out from the rest of them all. What’s different about her makes her special. You can hear and see it in her vulnerability with the gripping lyrics along with having raw and realness in her sound. All she does is music and she hopes that the simplicity she showcases makes an impact on her fans as much as it does for her everyday. What you see is what you get with Tori Irons and the music she creates.
Haunting. Powerful. Uplifting. These are three words that describe Elise Hayes music. Combining infectious pop and r&b melodies with heartfelt and meaningful subject matter, Elise’s songs live in a unique space in the palate of today’s popular music. No stranger to the stage, Elise Hayes has performed since the age of 12. She attended the esteemed Berklee College of Music as a vocal major, and soon after graduating, relocated to Nashville to pursue a career as an artist and songwriter. “My journey in the music industry hasn’t been a straight line to success,” she says, “I have had to bend and mold and create my own opportunities.” She certainly has done just that. Elise Hayes has written songs that have been featured on numerous TV shows, such as ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy”, Freeform’s “The Bold Type”, MTV’s “Siesta Key,” and many more. The talented singer/songwriter has further written songs for other prominent artists (Lucie Silvas “E.G.O”, Jill Andrews “Rust or Gold”), and most recently, toured the country as a background singer and keyboard player for country star, Carly Pearce, opening national tours for Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, and Thomas Rhett.
During her time on the road, Elise felt inspired to find her way back to her own music and career as an artist. “I think I had been in Nashville too long, churning it out behind the scenes in the industry,” she says, “Having the opportunity to get out into the world and see how powerful music is and how it can bring people together in such a moving way made me fall back in love with performing. It lit me up again.”
Her brand new single ‘Giving Up’ is an empowering anthem featuring glistening vocals, electro pop soundscapes and infectious melodies. She reveals, “This song acts as a reminder to everyone who has ever been broken up with, that you’re worth so much more and sometimes someone leaving you is the greatest gift, even if it’s hard to see it at the time”. The songstress is on a mission to create music that is candid, heartfelt and relatable. Having garnered critical acclaim for her previous single ‘Float’, Elise Hayes is ready for the next chapter of her music career with ‘Giving Up’ is out now.
New York-based singer, Isa Marina, debuts today her third EP, “True Colors”. Throughout the five-track collection, Isa Marina tackles the issues of self-confidence and romantic relationships through a refreshing combination of Latin and R&B musical styles. The EP opens up with “No Grey”, an emotive track in which Isa Marina takes a stand against a lover’s emotional affliction and indecision regarding commitment. Despite its heavy subject matter, the song radiates uplifting energy with its more traditional R&B elements; a killer beat and dynamic vocals. The following two tracks, “Fire” and “Torero”, flawlessly showcase Isa Marina’s Latin influence.
The former reflects her emphasis on girl power and confidence with carefree and flirtatious lyrics, that glide
over a pulsing beat – perfect for the club or a night out. “Torero” further drives this theme home, as Isa
Marina compares her will to that of a bull and suggests that she is more than most men can handle: “Me
jalas pa’ acá y yo por allá (You pull me in and I pull away)”. The fourth song, “Tell Me Who”, lives within the vein of classic R&B/Pop and follows a return to Isa Marina’s more vulnerable side. Similar to “No Grey”, “Tell Me Who” reaches out to an indecisive lover, but in this case, it’s a lover caught between Isa Marina and another woman. Refusing to share his affection with anyone else, she passionately croons: “and it’s taking all of my energy trying to believe in you. Is it gonna be me or her, or you or us? Tell me who”.
True Colors closes with an acoustic reprise of the stand-out single, “No Grey”, adding an entirely new
dimension to the song. With stripped down instruments and production, the acoustic version allows
listeners to zone in on Isa Marina’s raw, inspiring vocal talent. At age 9, Isa Marina taught herself chords to No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom. This was followed by multiple local talent shows and the development of a presence in musical theater and choral groups. At 14, she was so inspired by Maria Calla’s performance in Puccini’s Tosca, that she enrolled at The Marianela Sanchez School of Music in the Dominican Republic. There, she was classically trained as a Dramatic Soprano by renowned opera singer Marianela Sanchez. Upon graduation, she returned to New York to pursue a career in contemporary Pop music. Talent runs in Isa’s family, her grandmother is famed Cuban actress and vocalist, Isaura Mendoza. Isa Marina has quickly followed in her grandmother’s footsteps, as she is already a celebrated singer-songwriter and model. She is often compared to Alicia Keys, Selena, and Aaliyah. Isa was invited to compete on MTV’s TRL, for the show’s ‘Rock the Mic’ competition hosted by Keyshia Cole and won. She has also collaborated with Tidal when she was invited as a guest on popular Latin
online personality, La Bella Chanel’s show: ‘Ayudame Chanel’. The debut of True Colors marks Isa Marina’s third EP release, following Montage (2013) and the more recently Mirrors, Vol. 1 (2016).
Montreal’s Sara Diamond was granted the gift of song through her family lineage. Starting her professional career at just five years old, Sara’s years of exploration led to the development of a profound faith in the healing power of music. Sara’s smooth, smoky, and emotive vocals combine the best elements of R&B, soul, and pop to form her own breakthrough sound. Watch the video for ‘Ride’, the euphoric track is saturated with soulful eminence, sublime vocals, and heartfelt lyrics here:
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