The Aces' Alisa Ramirez on Music, Identity, and Their Latest Album

Indie-pop quartet The Aces released their highly-anticipated third studio album, I’ve Loved You For So Long, back in June. Spanning eleven tracks, the record sees the band reflect on their childhood and unpack how their early experiences with closeted love and religious trauma have influenced their relationships, mental health, and identity in the present.

Finding inspiration in the likes of The Cranberries and LCD Soundsystem, The Aces experimented with new styles while remaining authentic to their roots. The early singles caught the attention of tastemakers like KCRW, BBC Radio 1, and KROQ, to name a few, racking up over 12 million streams ahead of today’s release. The band is currently on a global tour supporting their album.

We are thrilled to have Alisa Ramirez from The Aces share invaluable advice and insights for industry newcomers

Hey, what's up, shesaid.so this is Alisa from the Aces, and I'm going to be answering some of your questions today.

What were some of the musical influences that inspired the sound of your latest record?

I'd say a big musical influence for this record was late 80s early 90s Shoegaze. And, kind of the end of New Wave as well as the beginning of Grunge. I feel that was a big thing for us. This record is largely about our teenage years and our youth and how experiences from our teenhood affect our adulthood. So it was very much about timing and kind of leaning into sounds that were really nostalgic to paint the pictures of the past and leaning into sounds that were really futuristic and really modern to paint the stories of our adulthood and our current moment. So I'd say timing and big eras of music - past and present - were really influential for the sound.

How do you overcome creative blocks?

I think having a creative block is really tough, but the best thing for me is just not trying to “beat it over the head”, you know? Just sitting at my studio desk, hoping something comes out. It's kind of a two-way street. If you're showing up to create something, and the Muses aren't showing up, then okay, it's not gonna happen. I think sometimes it just comes to you and it happens. But if you're going through a period where you just feel like you can't get it out or there's nothing inspiring, then I would just say take a break. Go live your life. Go read books, go to museums, explore, go out and meet new people. Just try to just live your life and find inspiration through everyday things and new experiences. That's what I always do. Seems to work.

What’s your top advice for young individuals wanting to become musicians?

I'd say just go for it. It's a lot of work practice. But if you love it, it won't feel like work. Just practice, practice, practice, build your audience, don't take no for an answer and just keep getting better at songwriting and keep getting better at whatever instrument you play. Keep chasing creativity, keep chasing inspiration.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Yeah, we do we always huddle up and do like a little mantra, kind of a prayer to the universe, kind of tap in and, and just, you know, ask to have a good show. None of us are very religious, but it's always a good feeling to kind of huddle up and combine our collective energy to put on the best performance we can.

If you could travel back in time to any musical era, which one would it be?

I would probably travel back to the 60s as it was a really exciting time. It was the first time that people were going electric. It was the first time people were talking about sex and mental health in a more forward way. It wasn't this kind of subliminal thing, it was more in your face. It just felt like the first time that music started to get really exciting and have a rebellious element to it, you know what I mean? And not just be kind of centred around like religion and social norms.

Okay, well, those are my answers. Have a good one!

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The Aces Third Studio Album I’ve Loved You For So Long is out on Red Bull Records.

Stream The Album Here.

shesaid.so Mix 049: Maude Vôs

The shesaid.so mix series aims to spotlight the diverse artists within our community. We’re committed to championing underrepresented voices from around the world, focusing on female, non-binary, trans and queer individuals. Our monthly mix series allows our contributing selectors to showcase their unique backgrounds and inspirations by creating exclusive, 30-minute live recorded soundscapes.

This month, we have the Los Angeles-based DJ/producer Maude Vôs, a consummate experimentalist with a distinct musical voice that is brought to bear in both the studio and on dark underground dancefloors. 

Maude Vôs has built a top reputation in the LA-underground electronic scene through Delusional Records, the record label founded with Marie Nyx to uplift underrepresented artists and create a community around change and visibility within the electronic music industry. The label has been nominated for Best Breakthrough Label by DJ Mag, and has released 35 different artists over 16 releases (85% identifying as LGBTQIA+) since 2021. 

Maude Vôs was also recently featured in the book Patch and Tweak with Korg (a deep-dive into Korg synthesizers). Catch Maude giving educational workshops within their community, releasing music, and playing infectious DJ sets at festivals such as CRSSD Festival and Reform Festival, where a psychedelic techno sound is placed on display as rooted in atonal production and found sound experimentation.

What’s your top advice for young people wanting to become music producers/DJs/run a record label.

1. Know your vision and why you do what you do; ethos & intention go a long way. Integrity is everything in this industry! Know who you are aligning yourself with and decide if your values are similar. 

2. How you communicate and represent yourself is so important, be professional, I’m not “your homie or bro.” 

3. Do your homework, from the labels you reach out to, to the roots of the electronic music culture, to where you are choosing to take up space. 

4. I don’t care how big you are, entitlement isn’t cute. 

5. Stay humble, stay curious and stay sober when you're working, this is a job. 

6. Collaborate, sit in the studio with fellow producers, keep creating. The reality is you’re going to make a ton of bad art, and it's 100% part of the process. The more you can create your toolbox the better you’re going to get at production. 

7. Youtube University is my favorite! 

How do you stay grounded and focused?

Personally: Believing in the work I'm doing is always a huge piece of the focus puzzle for me. At times, It’s actually quite hard for me to pull myself away from my work because my soul is so intertwined. On the other side of that coin, knowing you can’t do everything (gigs, interviews, remixes etc), it’s so important to know when to say no to things that don’t serve your bigger picture goals. That being said, feeding your soul and finding a balance. For me that looks like nature, nourishment, spa time, massage, reading, podcasts, yoga, ritual and therapy.  I moved out of the city a year ago and my nervous system is the happiest it's been thus far. Living in the mountains is very grounding and connective for me. 

Label wise, working as a team with Marie Nyx is extremely helpful. We have very defined roles so we do not have to take on the entire load of running a label, although the two of us do the jobs of a four person team at times. Lastly, remembering a career, making a record, starting a label, can not be built in a day; managing expectations and regulating oneself is really important.  

And then the little things…papers calendar, setting alarms, lists & timeboxing tasks. 

3 things you can't live without in your bag.

My Pucci sunnies, my AirPods, a roll on jasmine essential oil. 

Your label, Delusional Records, has been making waves in the industry. How do you and Marie Nyx approach the curation process for your releases?

Artist wise we reach out to many of the artists we want to work with. It’s very intentional and we want to mindfully bring together artists that we feel our audience would appreciate. We really like curating remix EP’s or VA Comps that bring together an array of artists, all with a unique sound and story. Personally, making music can be extremely lonely so I revel in collaboration and creating community. As for our solo artist EP’s we have decided to do less solo EP's each year (like we did for the first year and a half) and release larger bodies of work that we find compelling and invest in marketing these projects. More specifically, I do creative direction for releases(art, assets, visual direction) and handle working with our mastering engineer, while Marie Nyx handles distribution and A&R, together we create the release and campaign timeline and do the socials. 

Forthcoming in the fall, we have an EP by Seattle DJ and producer Mirin Doja. I have loved her sound for a few years now, so I reached out to her about potentially working together, and then signed her EP.  All of us then worked together to curate an amazing remix compilation featuring QRTR, Bored Lord, Mars Kasai, Aria Bare, Trovarsi and myself. 

What has been the most rewarding moment in your journey so far?

There were 2 poignant moments, one being going to audio school and being the only non-man in my graduating class. There I received two degrees, one in recording technology and one in media music. Next, quitting my 9-5 studio tech job in 2019 to pursue music full time after producing and DJing for over a decade at that point! This allowed me so much more time to hone my sound design techniques, conceptualize the label, and truly focus on my art. My world opened up after I took the initial jump. I’m also not nearly as tired and am much more present with my work. 

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Tracklist: 

Terminal - Gilles Renneson

Diatoms - Jossy Mitsu

Temple - Bambounou

Sonar Chant - Neida

Sun Dog- Danny Goliger (unreleased) 

Day One - Pilo & Duce Heart(Maude Vôs & Marie Nyx Remix) (unreleased) 

Delirio - Bitter Babe & Nick Leon

Permutations- Alec Pace

AHE- Amor Satyr & Siu Mata 

Maiden of the Matrix ft. Kita Komodo - Maude Vôs

Backwards - Swimful 

Connect with Maude on Instagram

Artist Spotlight: Lucy Tun

We’re thrilled to spotlight the Burmese/British singer-songwriter, producer and DJ Lucy Tun in this month’s Artist Spotlight.

As LCYTN, she found success with her debut project 'Good Nights Bad Stories' and the glossy trap-influenced forerunning single 'Kulture Klub', which has amassed over half a million Spotify streams. She was also courted by the fashion world, having DJed for the likes of Gucci and ROTATE.

But while her music and coming-of-age story as LCYTN was mired with self-doubt, she returns as Lucy Tun: a confident turning of a new chapter as a woman, artist and storyteller.

Lucy Tun’s ‘adhd images’ taken from her Instagram account (July 10, 2023)

What one thing do you hope your fans will take away from listening to your new EP?

I hope that they get a little piece of me because a lot of the songs are quite personal. This is my first project so there is a lot of vulnerability. I hope that they'll see that and appreciate that, and relate to it. The second thing I hope for them to see or hear or take away is the idea that change is a natural process. It has been a natural process since the beginning of time. We're all changing all the time. It's something that we all go through. Because of that, it's something to not be as fearful about as you grow up.

It's okay that change happens. It's okay to change. It's okay that your friends change. It's okay that your circumstances change. It's okay that your life changes. It's natural. And you're not alone in feeling that way.

How do you balance expressing your personal experiences and emotions through your music?

Well, this project is personal. But there are some songs in there, some elements of my music which I'd say I've moved away from. I've always written about me before that. Now I'm kind of wanting to tell different stories and take influence from people I know, things I've seen, things I've dreamt. And it is also personal. I think it's like accepting that you're going to be vulnerable and you're going to be a bit exposed, and people are going to perceive you in a different way, and you can't control that. You can't control how they perceive your music; that's been really helpful, just letting go of all of that.

Your best advice for young people wanting to become music producers, singers, songwriters?

I think that there are two elements of being a musician. There's the creative part of it, and there's the not-so-creative part; the industry. Some people love being in the industry. They love networking. They love meeting people. They see it as an extension of their creativity. Some musicians hate the industry. They don't like the business side of it and the networking side. They prefer to just make music on their own or with a very small circle and not branch out any further. It can be really overwhelming. There are some musicians who probably feel like it hinders their creative process when you care too much about this side. It's this weird, like, weighing scale of balancing it. And I find that when you're starting out specifically this part, the business side, the industry side, doesn't matter.

You need to focus on finding your sound and what matters to you the most; the music you enjoy making the most. That is the first part that you should only focus on. The music industry side, the business side of things, will come later, and it will come naturally. All you should focus on first is finding your sound. You probably don't need a lot of people to do that. You just need yourself or one or two people that you really trust, and you work with creatively. That's it. Find those people.

If you had to pick one song from your new EP to introduce to your music which would it be and why?

I'd say Kulture Klub. Kulture Klub is my pop banger. It's my baby, you know? I'd love to show off my baby and be like, hey, here's my baby. It's a very cute, very poppy baby. Here you go.

If your album was a color, what color would it be and why?

Ultramarine blue or that royal blue. I feel that deep blue color is a primary colour. It feels so intense and grandiose and almost whole and perfect in a way. There are a lot of connotations with that. I want to reference something; to make the ultramarine blue color, they used this stone called Lapis Lazuli in the period of ancient Egyptians.

So this colour has been around for a really, really, really long time. And it creates this intense, perfect, primary feeling that connects to me. Because just like a primary colour, this EP is the foundation of my music as Lucy Tun, so I see the connections there. This is the primary color of my music; whatever might be my second EP, an album, or any music after that, I'll mix in this first batch of music with that color. This EP is my primary, my foundation.

We as young people feel this pressure to be perfect and to be bold and striking and interesting. We want the same feeling of being like a perfectly shined shoe. We want to be that shiny all the time. When we don't feel like that, we tend to go into really existential feelings of like, gosh what am I doing with my life, you know? I think that that blue colour really represents that perfection that us as young people always strive to be. I think as you get older, kind of becomes a little bit calmer. I don't know if that makes sense, but yeah.

What's my favourite and least favourite thing about making music?

They're both the same answer, and it's the unpredictability of making a good song. You never know when you're gonna find, like, creative inspiration to make something. It is not a nine-to-five job. I cannot sit down and be like, hey, I'm just gonna write a good song today.

I think maybe there are some people who can, but I can't. So it always comes off to something, you know, at a random time, four in the morning, 2 p.m., on the train, on the toilet, something will come, and I have to savor this, and I have to write this, and I have to make this song. It's like a pang that comes. So, you know, that's great because you always have to be open, and it can come at really great times when you need it, or it can come at the worst times when you actually need to focus on other stuff. I remember being in uni and not being able to concentrate because all I cared about was making music. So that was when it wasn't as helpful but I did write some really great music during then.

If your music had a signature dance move, what would it be?

Like.. “emotional cramping”. Intense dance movements… but there's some welling up in the eyes. That's how I imagine it. I would love that to happen at a show where people are really dancing their hearts out; they see it as an emotional release. If there are some tears there, as long as they're getting it out (I wouldn't want anyone to just cry, you know, for no reason). But sometimes you just got to let it out. That's how I would love people to kind of dance to my music as a form of release.

What are your top go-to emojis?

The crying face emoji. I always find the crying face emoji can exhibit a lot of different moods. Like I'm so happy I'm crying, or I'm so sad I'm crying, but also not in a way that's too, you know, intense. It's like… you know, unstressed crying face emoji. It can be so many different meanings. It's a very Gen Z emoji. I love it. I use it all the time and people just get it. You know?

Second one; probably a blue emoji. Maybe a blue heart. The third emoji is the safety pin because it ties in a lot with the motifs of my EP, which will be shown later.

Three things you can't live without in your bag.

Number one, my keys! That might be obvious, but I am very forgetful. Number two, lip balm. Lip balm, lip balm, lip balm. When I have dry lips, I feel like a shrivelled-up tumbleweed in the desert.

It's a must. There are so many situations where even just putting on lip balm - emotionally and mentally - it does so much for me because I feel secure. So lip balm.

Number three probably blush. I wear a lot of blush. I love blush. I'm wearing blush right now. I feel a bit dead without blush.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Time travel, time travel.

I would love to like experience the past and see how it's shaped the present and also see the future. That would be amazing to be able to just travel between all of that. That would be incredible, BUT without messing anything up.

Okay, well thank you so much and have a good day.

Thin Lines: The Parasocial Artist-Fan Relationship

The artist’s relationship with their fans is a bit of an unspoken contract: fans power an artist’s success, and, as a result, the artist must do everything in their power to connect and, furthermore, please their fans. But where do you cross the line? At what point do you separate the art from the artist? If you work in the music business, you already know this: these lines are very blurry.

Doja Cat is someone who has very publicly attempted, more than once over the years, to keep her fans in check. In a since deleted Threads account, she recently retaliated at her fans over a variety of issues: criticizing her for who she chooses to date, calling themselves "kittenz" or supporting her “cash grabs” pop-leaning tracks like “Planet Her”. While her approach is definitely on the unorthodox side, she’s doing what most artists don't typically have the courage to do: draw a line with their fans. Doja Cat has always had a unique relationship with her fandom but things seem to have taken a more radical turn recently, as expressed in her recent “Attention” single. Whether that's her authentic approach to handling fans, or a tactic that leverages people's appetite for shock value content, this is not the first time Doja draws our attention to the concept of parasocial relationships. This intricate dynamic blurs the lines between reality and perception, leaving both artists and fans in an intricate dance of connection and detachment.

The term "parasocial relationship" was coined in the 1950s by psychologists Horton and Wohl to describe the illusion of a one-sided bond formed between media consumers and the personalities they see on screen. Over the years, this concept has evolved with the advent of social media, enabling fans to follow artists' personal lives, thoughts, and interactions more closely than ever before. Through behind-the-scenes content, spontaneous IG and TikTok lives, artists open up avenues for fans to perceive them beyond their creative output.

This transformation has allowed fans to feel intimately connected to the artists whose music they love. However, this intimacy is often an illusion. Fans may feel as though they know the artist on a personal level and demand the type of behavior that matches their expectation. This asymmetrical relationship typically leads to a sense of extreme attachment on the fan's part, which can often manifest in radical ways - as we've recently seen with Bebe Rexha's hospitalization after a fan threw his cellphone at her face back in June; Pink’s ash remains gift handed over by a fan on stage this summer; or Phoebe Bridgers' stalker from a few years back. Others, like Travis Scott, have built a reputation around intentionally engaging with fans in a way that encourages that type of behavior. When these types of boundaries are crossed, however,  the consequences can be harmful or even deadly.

Fame is a double-edged sword. Most artists struggle with maintaining the delicate balance between their true selves and the persona they project online. The pressure to consistently engage and share aspects of their lives can be overwhelming, as Tokimonsta pointed out on her IG the other day. The parasocial relationship raises important ethical considerations. Fans may feel entitled to opinions on an artist's personal life or decisions, sometimes crossing boundaries and invading privacy.

The artist-fan bond is a complex interplay of perception, connection, and detachment. It underscores the transformative power of digital media in shaping how we interact with public figures - whether it's in entertainment, politics or health & wellness. While this relationship can provide a sense of belonging and inspiration, it's crucial for both artists and fans to navigate its thin lines with delicate care.

How Ice Spice Rose to Stardom: A Case Study

Ice Spice is a rapper who has quickly risen to fame in the digital age. She has achieved success through a combination of authentic branding, strategic marketing, and virality.

Ice Spice's rise to fame started in 2021 when she recorded herself taking on Erica Banks' Buss It challenge on TikTok. The video quickly became popular, and Ice Spice gained a large following on the platform. She then released her popular single, "Munch," which also gained attention on TikTok.

Ice Spice's success can be attributed to her authenticity and relatability. She doesn't conform to traditional norms but instead embraces her unique identity and personality. This enables her to form deep connections with her audience, who perceive her as a genuine and approachable figure.

Ice Spice's success is a complex phenomenon with many contributing factors. In this case study, we will take a deeper look at five of the most important factors that have helped her achieve stardom:

1. Community Driven Virality

Ice Spice filmed herself doing Erica Banks' Buss It challenge on TikTok, which was a popular trend in early 2021. This helped her gain exposure and connect with potential fans who resonated with the challenge, leading to a boost in visibility and interest in her music.

2. The Power of #Munch

The song was released in August 2022 and gained popularity after getting support from Drake, who played the song on his Sirius XM radio station, Sound 42.
Gen Z'ers, especially on TikTok, played a crucial role in propelling the song's popularity through user-generated content and remixes. The hashtag #munch now has over 2 billion views on the platform.

*Critical Factor: Authenticity & Relatability

Ice Spice didn't conform to conventional norms but instead embraced her unique identity and personality. This allowed her to connect deeply with her audience, who saw her as a genuine and approachable figure.
Authenticity builds trust and loyalty, creating a strong bond between the artist and fans.

3. Celebrity Endorsements & Brand Deals

The rapper quickly got the attention of industry professionals, got signed to 10K Projects and then Capitol Records by January 2023.
Beyoncé chose Spice to be included in the campaign for her latest Ivy Park x Adidas collection. Brand collaborations with Vogue, Marc Jacobs and more followed soon after.

*Critical Factor: Leveraging Endorsements and Collaborations

Ice Spice leveraged lifestyle marketing to enhance her commercial appeal. She strategically partnered with brands that aligned with her persona, making her brand collaborations look very intentional.
Strategic collaborations can open doors to new audiences, helping emerging artists gain recognition and credibility in the industry. 

4. Artist Collaborations

Collaborations with established artists like Nicki Minaj and Pink Pantheress and her participation on the Barbie movie soundtrack extended Ice Spice's reach and solidified her position as a cultural icon.  
Collaborating with artists from different genres, like Taylor Swift, exposed Ice Spice to new audiences and increased her search volume significantly. 

5. The Spice Cabinet

As Ice Spice's fame grew, a dedicated fandom, known as the Spice Cabinet or Munchkins, emerged on social media platforms.
The fans admire her fashion sense, lush flow, and empowering confidence, solidifying her as an inspiration to many.

*Critical Factor:  Building a Strong Online Community

Ice Spice actively engages with her fans, fostering a sense of community and inclusivity. She nurtures a passionate following that eagerly supports and promotes her music.
Engaging with fans and building a loyal community contributes to continued visibility and success.

Ice Spice's swift rise to stardom exemplifies the power of authentic branding and strategic marketing.  From viral TikTok trends to high-profile collaborations, she harnessed the digital age's potential to create a devoted fan base and dominate the music scene.  

The world can't wait to witness the next chapter of her phenomenal success story.

Founders Note: Redefining Success

What does success mean to you? Is it a million streams, a record deal or an eight figure valuation for your business? If, like me, you’ve pivoted your ambitions once or twice or a bunch of times over the years, I’m here to tell you: it’s okay to change your mind.

I’m writing this from my hometown in Romania, a small city that’s nowhere near anyone’s radar. The teen version of me was so desperate to leave it all behind that each time I had to return to see my family I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I’m taking a step back in my journey. Until about a year ago. That’s when things started shifting in a major way for me from an internal compass perspective. Suddenly, the things that used to bring me the most joy were now making me feel indifferent at best, or close to giving me a panic attack at worst. Among them – inbox zero, traveling every other week, late night raves and drinking (I still love live music and some DJ nights though), packing 10 meetings into my day, IRL shopping. Over the past year, they have slowly but surely been getting replaced with new yearnings – stillness, spending 3h preparing a meal, patiently listening to my family stories that I’ve already heard a hundred times before, writing (more than just emails and decks), seasons (yes, you start missing that after spending almost a decade in LA).

Is it me or is boring the new cool? You might say I’m getting old but, oddly enough, I feel younger than ever before. I’m just really enjoying my festina lente era, and it’s okay if you are too. Worked for the likes of Napoleon and Augustus, I guess, and it’s all the rave with personal development gurus out there today (even more proof that LA got to me). Was I losing touch with the same ambition that got me here, I thought? 

Turns out it’s quite the contrary. My intuition has slowly been pushing me to laser-focus the type of energy I was putting into things and reconsider how I was spending it. I instinctively knew that in order to bring my best self into anything required a balance between hard work and smart work. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t be putting in 16h work days anymore; it just meant that, when it did happen, I knew that I’d have to make it up with off days. It also means that I now have a much clearer, incremental process about achieving my wildest dreams. And contrary to what one may think, the dreams are getting more ambitious than ever before. I simply understood that, in order to reach the high mountaintop, you must break down the journey into smaller steps and be as consistent as possible with your commitment.

And since we’re all music people here, it doesn’t necessarily mean waking up at 6am every day and grinding out the perfect schedule on a daily basis. It does, however imply, that you put in some work daily – and work can sometimes mean taking half a day to clean your house, 1h to go for a walk, 2h to talk to your mentor or 4h to volunteer at our local charity. Or maybe you do need that daily structure. You do you and find whatever helps enter your flow state. And if two months or two years later you change course, that’s absolutely fine. In fact, it’s most likely a positive thing. The amount of time it takes doesn’t really matter as it’s proportional with the depth of the task at hand.

This is why most music marketer’s advice for independent artists nowadays says that you should focus on your 1000 true fans first. It doesn’t mean you should stop at 1000 fans, it simply breaks down the daunting task of becoming a successful artist into a systematic process. The first step in that process is developing a strong relationship with this early group of people because they will unlock an initial level of financial support in addition to providing you with feedback that will help you finetune your music and your identity as a creative. This applies to music entrepreneurs and executives alike - whether it means focusing on your first 100 customers or your first mentor. 

In other words, take it slow and enjoy the process. The more present you are with the journey, the more likely it is that it will take you to more and more interesting places, pushing you to redefine what success means to you at every corner.

shesaid.so at All Access Fest Virtual

We're excited to be part of All Access Fest Virtual on August 2nd with a virtual booth.

All Access Fest is a worldwide virtual music and live entertainment career fair that will provide unprecedented access to industry professionals, invaluable knowledge, and countless opportunities to accelerate your career journey.

This free music & live entertainment industry career fair inspires the next generation (ages 16-24) to follow their dream career through tools, resources, and hands-on learning from industry professionals panels, workshops, resume reviews, A&R feedback, and more.

Companies involved include Netflix, YouTube, Billboard, TIDAL, EMPIRE, UnitedMasters, among others.

Whether you’re an aspiring musician, agent, roadie, or interested in other aspects of the industry, All Access Fest is your place to get valuable insights and make connections to help you get to the next level. 800+ attendees from 10+ countries and 30+ states in the US are already signed up!

Register for FREE today at bit.ly/MFF_AAF.

DETAILS

Event Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (PT) / 12:00 - 8:00 PM (ET)

Location: Custom virtual platform (Zuddl)

Registration Link: bit.ly/MFF_AAF

MFF Social Handles:

Instagram – @musicforward

LinkedIn – Music Forward Foundation

shesaid.so Mix 048: Cristina Lazic

The shesaid.so mix series aims to spotlight the diverse artists within our community. We’re committed to championing underrepresented voices from around the world, focusing on female, non-binary, trans and queer individuals. Our monthly mix series allows our contributing selectors to showcase their unique backgrounds and inspirations by creating exclusive, 30-minute live recorded soundscapes.

This month, we have the Italian DJ/producer Cristina Lazic, whose vibrant minimal tech productions and staunch support for women and mothers in dance music have catapulted her career over the past half-decade. 

Music has always been a big part of Lazic’s life. As a child, she learned how to play piano before composing her own music as a teenager. In 2016, she picked up DJing while on maternity leave; in the past few years, she’s learned how to produce, growing her skills exponentially by incorporating her knowledge of music theory into her groovy soundscapes. 

Lazic’s kinetic DJ and production style have led to releases on labels such as Crosstown Rebels’ Rebellion, Bondage Music, TBX, and Creature Records, as well as performances at iconic international clubs and festivals such as Exit, Get Lost Miami, Unum, Koko, Magazzini Generali, and at Hi Ibiza in support of renowned selector Damian Lazarus. 

She also recently released her first NFT - an audio/visual asset featuring her song “Meteor” and 3D visual art Crazy Panda. You can buy one for a chance to win a production lesson from Lazic.

What first inspired you to start making electronic music?

I have always been a big fan of electronic music, and music in general. I grew up during my childhood years learning to play the piano from my grandmother, who was a piano teacher. I started composing music during my teenage years, and at 18 I moved to London, the city where I started developing a strong love for electronic music.

Since then, I have been a big electronic music fan, traveling all around the the world to listen to my favorite producers. However, it wasn’t until 10 years later, during my maternity, that I approached the world of DJing myself. While I wasn’t working looking after my 6-month-old, I wanted to find a hobby to accompany the milk and nappies. A friend approached me to join her for some DJ courses, and that’s how I started playing. 

That was in 2016 - fast forward 4 years, my music career started picking up, even if it was still a side business. But then Covid happened, and I was based in Italy then where they had very strict lockdowns. I took this opportunity to improve my music profile and started producing. 

I already had Ableton installed on my computer, but a lack of bandwidth (full time job and daughter) to actually use it… so I took the time afforded to me by Covid to finally start studying the program, attending remote classes and watching tutorials on Youtube.

I always wanted to learn to produce, as I felt this would make me more of a complete artist. I’m glad that I was able to find an opportunity during a moment of frustration. Now, production has changed my music career and I can definitely say it has given me a professional boost I neve would have achieved by DJing alone. 

What’s your favorite part about producing and DJing?

I am a very creative person, and I feel that with music production I can bring to life all my ideas in the form of music, my true passion. I personally enjoy applying the things I learned as a child through my grandma and piano lessons, concepts such as harmony, to my music productions. 

When it comes to DJing, I love to share my energy with the audience. I just simply enjoy improvising and taking the dance floor on a musical journey, always with the mission to make them dance and have a memorable time.

Why is it important to you to support women in the music industry?

For me this is of paramount importance, as the electronic music scene has been male dominated for a long time. Things are changing now, and there are more women in music, but in my opinion there is still much work to be done. In my genre, for example, deep tech / minimal, only 2% of producers are women. I think it’s important to support each other and create awareness of the fact that, even if you see many women who are DJs now, the road to gender equality is still a long one. I am quite happy about the progress that I have seen in the last years though, and this is thanks to initiatives and communities like shesaid.so. However, I believe that it’s necessary to constantly remind people of the importance of having gender equality in the industry - therefore the support among women, and among women and men, is something that has to be continued throughout time.

What can the music world do to create a better environment for artists and their children?

First of all, there is a big need to build awareness of the fact that there is a problem in the industry: it’s not family friendly. More initiatives have to be done to help artists, and music professionals in general, with kids. For example, I loved seeing Rhianna pregnant on the Super Bowl stage; this was a great way to show that parenthood is something normal, and can cohabit with your professional career. I’d love to see more of that, but also more events, panels and initiatives that talk about parenthood in music. Secondly, I think more support is needed for parents in music. That’s why with shesaid.so, we are looking into bringing to life a helpline that parents can call 24/7 to receive mental health support. 

And last but not least, events should become more family friendly. For example, I dream of attending a festival with a kids friendly area, or the normalization being a dj and a mum; that’s why, in my rider, I have included a note where I mention that I often travel with my family and I ask promoters to support that, by providing a triple room so that my husband and daughter can feel welcome. In the future, I hope to be able to also request a child care service during the slot of my performances. 

Talk to us about your recent NFT project.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Polkadot Decoded festival in Copenhagen, and this was the perfect occasion for me to drop my first NFT: an audio + video asset featuring my track “Meteor” and beautiful visuals by 3D art studio Crazy Panda. We dropped the NFT during my DJ set at Polkadot Decoded, via a music web3 platform called Public Pressure.  Among those who will support this project by buying a copy, 3 lucky winners will receive mentoring sessions with me. Many people have been reaching out to ask me to mentor them lately, so I thought of extending this opportunity to the wider public. As of today, I mentor several junior artists, and during my previous career in tech while working for Apple and Google, I was mentoring junior colleagues. I really enjoy helping others build self confidence, plan their development and take action to achieve their goals; but so far I have been mainly mentoring men, especially when it comes to music, and I hope that moving forward I’ll be able to help more women.

You can find the link to the NFT here: https://app.publicpressure.io/nft/0x049f362a5d5b4b77fb1a150528d3997b3e8a71cb?blockchain=moonbeam

Where’s your favorite place to play? 

Hi Ibiza is one of a kind. I was lucky enough to play there last year in Damian Lazarus’ Club Room during Saturdays with Black Coffee, and I will play there again in a few weeks, opening for Damian Lazarus and Dubfire. The club is just amazing, with an excellent organization, sound system and crowd. It definitely feels special to play at the best club in the world and share the decks with some of the best DJs on the globe!

Tracklist

Member Spotlight #44: Jennifer Justice

Hi, I’m Jennifer Justice, Founder & CEO of the Justice Dept, Host of Takin’ Care of Lady Business Podcast.

The Justice Dept is a Business Strategy & Business Development Consulting Firm and a law firm which represents female-founded companies, female executives and talent to help them maximize their wealth and increase their value. More money in women’s hands, means more choices and freedoms for everyone. I spent 17 years solely in the music industry as a music attorney representing everyone from Mark Ronson to Jay Z to Beyonce as their entertainment attorney and as an executive at Roc Nation from its inception. I had a passion for gender equality and decided to take everything I learned from a business, strategy and legal angle and help women get rich.

Describe a day in your life as a founder

6:30 am

I have a very busy morning because I'm hosting around 60 women for an investor breakfast for one of my clients, West-bourne. West-bourne was born to create a go-to brand for plant-powered and planet-positive pantry staples like granola, avocado oil, pancake mixes - with the least impact on our environment. I need to get ready, look presentable and still get my children up and get them to school - all without making an entire mess of my apartment. 

7:15  AM

I'm showered and ready to go. Now it's time to get my children up and ready to go. Start making them breakfast. The easiest is possible. Smoothies (packed with everything they would never eat) and Croissant toast - it’s a thing. I also start making my kids lunches, but I'm careful not to mess up my kitchen since my kitchen island is full of about 60 bottles of avocado oil from West-bourne, as well as all their other amazing items such as their coconut Crumble and house granola. 

8:20 AM

I start reminding my children over and over and over (my 10-year-old boy/girl twins Jack and Nico) and over and over and over again - to put their shoes and socks on, brush their teeth, and grab their backpacks because we need to get out of the house

8:26 AM 

Out the door and on our way on the three-block walk to their school.

8:40 AM 

Camilla Marcus, the founder of West-bourne, arrives along with some other early arrivals.  

9:00 AM

A cavalcade of stylish, impressive and successful women start entering the apartment. Each grabs their cold brew and begins tasting all the amazing food provided by West-

bourne.

9:45 AM 

Introductions begin. It is an amazing event and so well attended beyond our expectations. We begin the Q&A and everyone has such amazing questions and tips to add about a product line and sustainability that it blows us away and the excitement around the brand is beyond our wildest dreams.

10:45 AM 

People slowly start trickling out, and my kitchen island that was once devoured by all the products, is now empty as everyone is excited to try everything that West-bourne makes. We take the last few selfies/photos so everyone knows we were there of course which include tote bags from my podcast, Takin Care of Lady Business.  

12:00 PM

Call with my editor regarding my upcoming book, my companion piece to Takin Care of Lady Business: How to Build the Matriarchy. I have a lot of work to do on it and a lot of follow-up from some guests but I'm excited that it is moving forward as quickly as it is.

1:00 PM

Time to record a podcast episode for my podcast, Takin Care of Lady Business, with the amazing Rebecca Minkoff! She of course nails it in less than the time allotted and realize she will be my 100th guest!

2:00 PM

Finish up some time-sensitive work for my clients’ Salt N Pepa – they have a big well-deserved deal coming up and has taken a lot of time and attention. Then on to phone calls and Zooms for the next three hours with clients.

5:30 PM

I am co-hosting a women-only dinner with UBS and The Justice Dept to introduce women in all different spheres of life to each other – you know, how the boys do it. We get the private room at Hancock Street, and the guests start arriving. It’s women in all areas in Venture Capital, founder of Caulipower brand foods, female executives wanting to learn angel investing and some who are looking for career changes – all in different industries.

9:00 PM – Dinner is finally over, and go home to kiss the kids and wind down for bed. It’s been a very long day.

How did you get your start in music?

I started in the music industry as a music attorney at the then-newly formed law firm, Codikow, Carroll, Guido & Groffman, LLP. Elliott Groffman had left the all-male (still to this day – no female partners) law firm of Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks to join

Rosemary Carroll, Michael Guido & David Codikow. I was a junior associate, and the first client I was asked to work on was a then-unknown JAY Z. I was tasked to clear the sample for the composition “It’s a Hard Knock Life” for his new song “Hard Knock Life” for his album Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life. From there, my career in music and in hip hop in particular, only grew.

I made partner in three years and amassed more amazing clients, from Mark Ronson to Method Man to Slipknot and Juliette Lewis. At the same time, I was representing executives that were negotiating their employment agreements with their respective employers. In one negotiation in particular, I was representing a female Senior Director for Universal Music Publishing in A&R named Rebecca Wright (she tells the story too and approves of me telling it too!). She had signed some big songwriters and made the company real money. Yet, they only offered her $90,000.

What was more infuriating is that I had just negotiated the deal for the Director, a level below Rebecca, for a man that hadn’t signed anything real to UMP yet, and he was offered $130,000 right off the bat. Needless to say, I pointed this out to UMP and instead of doing the right thing and increasing her salary said things like, “She’s fine with it, why do you care?”, and my favorite “Her husband makes a lot of money so she doesn’t need it”. You cannot make this shit up! They ended up giving her only $10,000 more, and that started my crusade to end the gender pay gap and the gender wealth gap.

I stayed at Carroll, Guido & Groffman (the name had changed by the time I left) for 11 years total after negotiating Jay Z’s deal with Live Nation. I went to Roc Nation as one of the first employees in 2010 as the General Counsel. In a matter of a few years, we grew the company and the value of Roc Nation exponentially. I was then promoted to EVP, Strategic Marketing & Business Development, where I helped other artists on our roster leverage their passions and community to build solid businesses outside of music.

During this time, I became a single mom by choice to boy / girl twins because of course I wasn’t busy enough. When they were about to start school, I decided to leave Roc Nation and figure out what was next for me – I had been working with Jay Z for 17 years at that point. I needed a new challenge. My passion for gender equality had only grown but I needed more experience outside of my comfort zone so I became the President of Corporate Development at Superfly – the live experience company known for creating Bonnaroo and Outside Lands. While there, I expanded my capital-raising abilities and my network of players in that field. I learned a new vertical in a creatives journey.

However, I was still making money for men by day and trying to overthrow the patriarchy at night. So when my three-year contract was coming up, and they didn’t need me anymore, the seeds of the Justice Dept were planted. So many women had come to me asking who they could hire as an attorney that understood them? Who could help them raise money or build their female-founded companies that understood their journey? Who could help them grow and hire the business people they needed they could trust and took them seriously. Thus, the Justice Dept was born! Our sole mission

is to make women rich so they can make the choices they deserve to make for themselves. We have never lived in a time of conscious capitalism – what happens when capital is in the hands of the others? Only one way to find out!

A woman/role model you admire (could be alive or dead)

I get asked this a lot and I can never choose just one. I admire all of us – what we do every day to get thru the day as women, mothers, wives, daughters, friends, employees – we deserve to be celebrated every day. We are all superhuman.

3 values that guide your life

I value having a stand and speaking up – advocating - especially now for women. Silence is complicity in my book.

I also value perseverance and loyalty.

Tips for staying grounded on a tough day

I allow myself to acknowledge it, give myself a break, stay off social media and know it will pass.  Tomorrow’s another day and we have work to do. Quitting isn’t an option.  

One piece of advice you'd give your younger self.

Believe in yourself, bet on yourself and trust your instinct. No one truly knows your strength but you. Embrace being underestimated. You are worth every dollar and at least 30% more.  Your words are important, your voice matters and the more we hire each other, buy each other’s products and invest in each other’s companies, the more those words and voices will be heard! 

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Connect with Jennifer:

Website: https://www.thejusticedept.com/jennifer-justice

Podcast: https://www.thejusticedept.com/takingcareofladybusiness

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Artist Spotlight: L U C I I A

The shesaid.so Artist Spotlight is a series where we highlight new artists from our global community that you should keep an eye on. If you’re interested in submtting yourself or your artist please contact us at hello@shesaid.so

We're excited to feature Cuban/Swedish Grammy-nominated artist LUCIIA for our next #shesaidso Artist Spotlight. LUCIIA has opened for Coldplay in Sweden this month and has been championed by top tastemakers, including BBC Radio London, Vogue Scandinavia, Reprezent Radio, Rinse and many more. She has been working with Grammy-winning producers and songwriters in the US and UK and forged her sound, where classic 90s R&B blends with the future. Watch our video with LUCIIA, read our Q&A and listen to her single 'Same Thing New Man' 🎶.

If you had to describe your music using only three words, what would they be and why?

Nostaligic, Pain & Clarity

My sound takes you back to 00-90s R&B, I tell stories that have been hidden inside me for to long and releasing them hurts but gives me complete clarity at the same time.

If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

Khamari (on repeat 24/7) wait? Have you heard his music? He is so sick, probably one of the best in R&B right now! 

As an artist, what message or emotion do you hope to convey through your music?

Comfort. I want people not to feel like they are alone. I felt lonely all my life until recently, music saved me. I hope my stories can help others the same way. 

If your new single was a movie, who would star in it what would the movie genre be?

Drama. Teyana Taylor 

If you had to describe your music using three emojis, which ones would you choose and why?

I sing about all the feels, what you need and when you need it 

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Living In A Barbie World

Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Are you tired of living in a Barbie world? Too bad and sorry, not sorry for adding yet another Barbie commentary to your digital desk. The iconic doll has pervaded our lives to such an extent this year that I couldn’t help myself. I will aim to keep it music related.

The extent: A total of 20 artists are involved in the soundtrack (including Ryan Gosling whose music career runs deep, and yes I’m also counting Mark Ronson). Mattel’s licensing team locked in 100+ deals with brands spanning fashion, gaming, hospitality, food & more 🥵The movie is expected to gross $100M = Warner’s total marketing spend (it does not include Mattel budget).

The why: Inspired by Marvel’s resurrection, Mattel sees opportunity in exponentially reviving Barbie’s IP through franchising beyond the toy aisle. The campaign’s snowballing effect has been so effective that other businesses around the world hopped on the trend to include pink variations of their offerings. Jealous.

The music takeaway: Much can be learned from a marketing & branding angle - check out this IG post or Twitter thread we did for those insights; before you ask, yes we did mention the massive marketing budget most of us don’t have but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn there.

What I’ll add is this: music wasn’t an afterthought but a similarly strategic tool that was leveraged in an incredibly smart way. Whilst the Barbie marketing strategy had a nostalgic focus, Mark Ronson and team carefully curated a diverse lineup of (mostly) young talent with a fresh sound.

If you're a legacy artist, there are many opportunities for you to tap into a younger audience with the right type of partnership (think Kate Bush x Stranger Things although you’re not limited to film & tv; in fact, it’s better to think outside the box here and go to places others aren’t thinking of). For younger talent that’s struggling with TikTok, remember that 30+ year-olds have deep pockets (2bn people still use Facebook daily) and parents, in particular, would do anything to invest in their children’s happiness and education. Something to think about.

Andreea Magdalina, Founder at shesaid.so

What Music Can Learn From The 'Barbie' Movie

Image of Billie Eilish from her Instagram account on July 18; behind-the-scenes of her video for her Barbie movie song, “What Was I Made For?”

The 'Barbie' movie premiere and soundtrack teach us a few valuable lessons on the importance of building your brand.

Here are 8 tips inspired by the iconic 'Barbie' universe.

1 - Define Your Brand

Just like the stars at the premiere, let your brand shine through in everything you do. Clearly define your artistic brand, values, and unique selling points. Be authentic and create a visual identity that reflects your music and personality.

2 - Collaborate For Success

The 'Barbie' soundtrack brought together artists from different eras and genres. Collaborations can expand your reach and introduce you to new audiences. Find like-minded musicians and create magic together.

3 - Diversify Your Sound

Barbie's movie soundtrack showcased a variety of musical styles. Experiment with different genres, sounds, and influences to create a unique sonic signature that sets you apart from the crowd

4 - Multidimensional Expression

Barbie represents diverse roles and careers. Expand your horizons and connect with your audience on multiple levels. Explore different avenues for creative expression, e.g. focus on merchandise, fashion and see yourself as a creative entrepreneur.

Margot Robbie and Nicki Minaj at the premiere of "Barbie" held at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on July 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Michael Buckner for Variety

5 - Create a Strong Online Presence

Barbie’s marketing strategy left fans in awe. It's also a testament to the popular doll's already strong brand identity, reimagined for today's world. Build a solid online strategy that focuses on social media, streaming platforms, and a mailing list. Focus on 3 channels, build a community of superfans and scale from there

6 - Depth Is More Important Than Scale

Whilst having a big social media presence certainly helps, you don't need a huge profile to be successful. Creating a deep relationship with a few people is better than a large but shallow group of fans. Focus on your early supporters, similarly to how the movie focused on the doll's number 1 audience segment: young aspiring women.

7a - Partner with Established Brands

Just like how Barbie leveraged the power of music artists, strategic partnerships can amplify your brand, expose you to wider audiences and bring in new revenue. Brands are often drawn to artists with distinct identities that align with a new target audience. Research and identify relevant brands, then convince them of the mutual benefits of connecting with your highly engaged community of superfans.

Stewart Cook/Shutterstock

7b - Partner with Established Brands

When it comes to marketing statistics, focus on your strengths.

Remember you don't need a huge social media presence - high engagement matters more.

Utilize your existing network and be very clear in your outreach.

8 - Money Can Buy Success

With that said, it's important to acknowledge that all this incredible hype around the Barbie movie would not have been possible without a hefty investment. Most films don't get the same level of marketing spend because most don't have such a powerful and iconic brand backing them. Remember that next time you compare yourself to someone who might have been lucky enough to have more financial support than you.

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A Day in the Life of Music Industry Exec and Mom of Two, Kayleigh Ramchand-Bentley.

The Flexible Working Bill has successfully passed its third reading at the House of Lords on July 14th without any amendments, and it is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law. Workers across the UK are set to have more say in their working patterns than ever before. These laws will include the right for workers to request flexible or remote working from the very beginning of their employment, marking a significant departure from the current requirement of 26 weeks of continuous service.

Experience a day in the life of Kayleigh Ramchand-Bentley, a music industry executive and mother of two, as she juggles her responsibilities at Various Artists Management with her youngest daughter by her side. Watch the video and gain insights into Kayleigh's perspective below.

“There’s only so much you can capture in a 1 minute reel, and by no means is taking a 7 month old into the office as easy as this video seems - it’s exhausting and sometimes not the most ideal situation for me, or my daughter… or my colleagues 😅 but we make it work and I’m grateful to be in a position to do so.

However, I want to recognise that this set up should not be considered a privilege, but rather an acceptable flexible working request. I’m by no means saying that this way of working is for everyone, but everyone should be entitled to reasonably request working around their’s and their family’s needs.

The Flexible Working Bill is set to become law in the UK and will give workers the right to request flexible working from day one, and will require employers to respond within a certain timeframe, justify rejecting a request and provide consultation with the employee where a request has not been deemed suitable".

We hope it has a huge impact on making the music industry more accessible for parents and carers.’

Thank you so much for sharing this, Kayleigh!

shesaid.so South Africa Open Call: ALL ACCESS Programme

shesaid.so South Africa presents ALL ACCESS, a training programme designed specifically for women and gender minorities in the music industry. The Chapter’s mission is to break down barriers and provide equal opportunities for all members to advance their careers in specialised roles. The initial iteration of ALL ACCESS focuses on event production in partnership with Rocking The Daisies - South Africa's biggest Music and Lifestyle experience.

Eight participants will be selected to attend a one-month training program in August 2023. At the end of the program, three participants will be selected for work placements with Steyn Entertainment, Untitled Basement, The Fam, and Other Village People.

Participants in the workshops will receive R800 to cover transportation costs during the training period. Work placement participants will receive R5,000 per month for three months. You will have the opportunity to work on real-world projects and learn from some of the best in the business.

Key dates

Application deadline: 17 July 2023

Participant Selection: 18 - 31 July 2023

Training Programme: 5, 12, 19, and 26 August 2023

Work placements: 4 September - 30 November 2023

Click HERE for more information and to apply.

Follow shesaid.so South Africa on Instagram for more updates.

shesaid.so Mix 047: Jessica Skye

The shesaid.so mix series aims to spotlight the diverse artists within our community. We’re committed to championing underrepresented voices from around the world, focusing on female, non-binary, trans and queer individuals. Our monthly mix series allows our contributing selectors to showcase their unique backgrounds and inspirations by creating exclusive, 30-minute live recorded soundscapes.

This month, we have the Los Angeles-based DJ/producer Jessica Skye, whose artistic identity mixes free-flowing, ethereal productions with a dedication to health and wellness.

Jessica Skye has played iconic venues around the globe such as Ministry Of Sound, Creamfields, Lovebox, Parklife, Snowbombing, and supported the likes of Groove Armada, Nightmares on Wax, Dave Lee and Todd Terry, She’s also run worldwide focused yoga retreats, classes, and events from the top of glaciers and sunny sunny rooftops to countless festivals and sandy beaches. 

With an airy, kaleidoscopic sound, Jessica Skye perfectly melds her musical vision with a tranquil, serene lifestyle - a holistic creative approach that establishes a safe space for people to unwind, move to the music, and find a sense of flow. 

In addition to becoming an Apple Fitness+ trainer where she curates and leads yoga workouts, mindful cooldowns and mediations, Jessica Skye recently released her album Fluō State 001 - a collection of melodic, downtempo tracks inspired by the ebb and flow of the energy of a yoga class.

Check out her guest mix with us and take a read of our interview with her below.

You’re a yoga teacher and a DJ - tell us about the crossover between these two worlds?

JS: For me, there is so much synergy between the two worlds and the thread that weaves it all together is music.

In both scenarios I’m holding a space for people to enjoy themselves, create some escapism as well as find a sense of flow. My duty is to read the room as well as carry the energy of it. When the balance is right there’s the most amazing exchange and feeling of connection.

How does being in the wellness scene influence your sound as an artist?

JS: This is actually how my album Fluō State 001 (Fluō is Latin for slow) came into existence.

When I got back into the music studio after a two year break, I was really drawn towards making chilled and downtempo tunes. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and loved the idea of creating a body of work I could teach yoga to.

I wanted to create a sonic journey that ebbed and flowed the same way the arc of energy would in a yoga practice. So my starting point was to imagine the yoga session. I pictured the setting, the lighting and the mood, with hundreds of people sat in front of me ready for their practice. From that point everything flowed really organically...

Every track on the album is really intentional in its design. I knew how I would want to open a yoga space, how I wanted the arrangement to build in energy to it’s peak with Virgo Rising, then slowly bring the energy back down ending with the wave-like soundscape AlphaBeta III.

You perform around the world - what's your favorite venue/festival to play?

JS: One of the best and most memorable gigs I’ve ever played was back in July 2019 at Feel Festival which takes place just outside of Berlin.

I felt like everyone was there for the right reason... To dance and connect with the people around them. The energy of the event was palpable from the moment I arrived on site. My set was 4 hours long... And I honestly could have played for 10.

It’s a safe, fun and welcoming space with creative installations all set around a gorgeous lake. Everything about it was so thoughtful and intentional in it’s design. Most importantly, it was inclusive and welcoming of everyone, with a very clear zero tolerance for low vibrational behavior.

Is there a theme to your mix? What can listeners expect to hear?

JS: A deep and melodic situation. Opening with the lead track from Fluō State 001, Virgo Rising. I hope you enjoy :)

What's up next for Jessica Skye?

After a 3 year break from live gigs, so I’m excited to jump back behind the decks this summer. I want to keep finding ways to bridge the gap between wellness and music and I’m already starting to plan out Fluō State 002.

shesaid.so Montreal: Project Crescendo

Musicaction Foundation and shesaid.so Montreal are proud to present the 28 professionals who will be participating in the inaugural edition of Project Crescendo, an initiative aimed at supporting women entrepreneurship.

shesaid.so MTL is the local branch of an international network of creatives and entrepreneurs working in the music industry. Their aim is to create opportunities, dialogue, and space for local women and their allies. This chapter was founded in 2021 after a year of consulting women who make our scene thrive, building on their needs and experiences to create an organisation that empowers, connects, informs and entertains. They also build bridges across Tiohtià:ke/Montreal’s different communities through eclectic programming, insightful networking and radical inclusion. shesaid.so Montreal has been announced as a partner by the Canada Council for the Arts this year to present the Polaris Music Prize Long List in support of extraordinary and diverse musical talents from across Canada.

Project Crescendo is an innovative project that aims to provide emerging professionals in the francophone Canadian music sector with the opportunity to benefit from the transfer of experience and knowledge through the mentorship of recognized and experienced female entrepreneurs in the industry. It also aims to create and expand the professional network of women in music through opportunities for exchange, mutual support, and sharing while highlighting successful female role models. These are all essential elements for professional development and addressing the access gaps and gender inequalities in the industry, as highlighted by women in the study funded by Musicaction published in March 2022.

You can read more information about the project’s Phase 1 & 2:

Phase 1 - Entrepreneurship Support of the project, support is provided to 4 early-career entrepreneurs for the next year, allowing them to deepen and acquire new knowledge and skills to better support the artists they work with and strengthen their businesses.

Phase 2 - Advisory Hour Bank will provide entrepreneurs and early-career employees with access to professionals in various fields of expertise. Whether seeking information, seeking advice, or accessing specific professional expertise, each of the selected 10 participants will have access to 20 hours of consultation over the next year.

Selected participants : Flavie Mélançon, Garance Chartier, Julie Frigault. Natalie Aloessode-Bernardin, Elma Bos, Julie-Anne Cloutier, Léonie Bourassa, Leslie Cortés, Luna Choquette-Loranger, Maude St-Armand Coucy, Monira Cormier, Nelly Jourdain, Sima Dell’Olio, Joanie Moreau.

Senior accompanying participants : Krista Simoneau, Jacynthe Plamondon-Émond, Stéphanie Moffat, Suzie Hamel, Anne Vivien, Dorothée Parent-Roy, Émile Tremblay, Gaby Gauthier-Durand, Jenny Thibault, Kyria Kilakos, Martine Groulx, Roseline Rousseau-Gagnon, Sabrina Cousineau, Sonia Ceseratto. 

Congratulations and best of luck to the 28 professionals selected for Project Crescendo's inaugural edition as they embark on this exciting journey!

Read more about the project and first cohort HERE.

Connect with shesaid.so Montreal’s team HERE.

Artist Spotlight: Arlissa

LA-based singer and model Arlissa (born in Germany but raised in South London), has risen to international stardom as a pop artist. Despite pressure from her previous label, she now embraces her independence to pursue her sound on her own terms. As a proud bisexual, Arlissa is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and recently participated in Spotify's GLOW sessions, collaborating with various artists and speaking on a panel.

Arlissa has written and performed on “We Won’t Move” from the critically acclaimed movie 'The Hate U Give', BTS’s “Spring Day”, Zayne’s comeback hit “Flames”, and “Eyes Off You” for Ariana Grande’s soundtrack for Charlie’s Angels.  She’s previously collaborated with Homeschool, Duckworth, Bartees Strange, Kiana Ledé and Jonas Blue. She’s ready now for the world  to hear her at her most authentic and vulnerable debut album 'The Open Hearted'.

What’s the story behind your debut album, ‘The Open Hearted’?

It was originally called “The Broken-hearted”, but shortly after finishing it, I experienced two huge heartbreaks. The ending of my marriage and a relationship after. I had never been single and knew it was time for me to give my love to myself instead of so freely to others. I’ve never been afraid of loving others but never learnt to love myself. So I changed the title to The Open-Hearted, and it’s really about claiming and honoring myself and my feelings throughout heartbreak. I’ve always been so quick to put others before myself and invalidate my own experience to create as much safety for others. This album is about claiming my power as a human who has experienced hurt in a multitude of ways. And knowing love is never lost. When you find it in yourself again, it follows you everywhere you go.

If you had to pick one song from your new album to introduce someone to your new release, which one would it be and why? 

I would struggle with to pick one song because the album is completely eclectic and each song shows a different side to me which is what I love most about it.

If your new album was a movie, who would star in it, and what genre would it be?

Laura harrier because yes. And it would be a psychological thriller cat and mouse game. 

What’s the most unexpected place you've found inspiration for a song? 

You can literally find inspiration anywhere. Nowhere is unexpected because writing songs is really just channelling from source energy and transmuting it through your own lense and experience…hopefully that makes sense. 

What’s the most important lesson you've learned in your music career

To trust yourself no matter who tells you otherwise. You’re the only one who has to live with the choices you make. So make sure you’re making the best one that’s in alignment to what you’re trying to achieve.  If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

The power to not over think. I think we would be limitless without our own self imposed limiting beliefs. 

How do you stay grounded and focused on your music amidst all the attention and recognition? 

I just do what feels good to my body and what pleases me. If you focus and put too much emphasis on the good praise, you rely on that for your dopamine and the moment you reach a dry spell or not as much praise and you expected you’ll be unable yo make your own dopamine. That’s why I just chill and do whatever makes me feel good regardless of what attention comes my way. 

How do you balance expressing your personal experiences and emotions through your music while also connecting with a wider audience

- I just channel and write what helps me understand myself and my feelings, if people like it, that’s a bonus, but I do it for myself first. It’s the only way. Otherwise you’re chasing 10000s of different audiences because we are all so different, we’re not going to love everything so make sure you love what you’re doing first. 

3 values that guide your life 

- Choosing kindness

- Resting without guilt or shame 

- And trusting my intuition 

Tips for finding your creativity on a tough day 

Don’t force it just flow, make yourself a nice snack and do something that you enjoy. If you can’t find something creative to do, celebrate the fact that you are creation itself and love on yourself. The flow will come when it’s meant to. 

Favorite song/music to wake up to

At the moment it’s algo contigo by Rita payes and Elisabeth roma 

'The Open-Hearted' album will be released on June 23, 2023.

shesaid.so UK Chapter Director: Lauren Elliott-Griffiths

We are thrilled to introduce our new Director for shesaid.so UK, Lauren Elliott-Griffiths. Help us give her a warm welcome to the shesaid.so UK team!

Hi, I'm Lauren and I work at Red Bull, looking after their media partnerships. Prior to that I was working for Live Nation. Music is a huge part of my life; when I was about 12 I would head up to the local skate park where local bands would play every Friday night and then when I was old enough, I would come up to London just to see my favourite bands play. My taste in music is varied to say the least but I love finding new artists and bands.

Outside of work, I am a qualified spin and level 2 fitness instructor, I love running - it's my aim to complete the big 6 marathons, skiing and surfing.

What are your top tips for finding your first music job?

I have always had a passion for music from trying to start a band in primary school, to going to the local skate club to listen to local bands play through to Friday nights spent at venues in London catching my favourite artists. I think taking that passion and pursuing, and not letting anyone tell you otherwise would be my top tip for how to get into the industry. It is one of the toughest but those are always worth the hard work to get there. Never let anyone tell you otherwise, if you have a dream and a goal in mind, just jump in with both feet, I truly believe that pays off. And my second tip would be to leverage anyone you know, start small, attend networking events even if they are out of your comfort zone, add people on LinkedIn that you believe would be a good connection and start to build it up. Those around you are there to support and push you forward. 

Women you admire.

Three women in my life that inspire me would be; my mum (she's one of the strongest women I know), my friend and mentor Teresa Palladino (she has gotten me through a lot in my career and is always my sounding board) and my friend Agi (who is one of the most positive and beautiful people I have ever met). 

Tips for staying grounded on a tough day.

My top tips for staying grounded on a tough day, are getting yourself outside, go on a walk or move your body in some way, a good coffee and a great soundtrack - music for me can instantly change my mood and has definitely gotten me through the toughest moments and the happiest moments in my life. 

What does community mean to you in one sentence?

Community to me is belonging, feeling supported and trusting that there is always someone there whether it's in tough times or happy times. 

Member Spotlight #43: Adel Hattem

This month for our Member Spotlight, we are thrilled to feature Adel Hattem; the CEO and Founder of DMusicMarketing, an agency that develops both non-Latin and Latin talent in the Latin American market. Based in Miami and across Latin America, DMM offers efficient, dynamic and all-encompassing solutions to its clients in order to overcome and conquer the intricacies of the region. 

Adel is a bicultural marketing specialist with 25+ years of experience in the music industry. She has held senior positions with industry giants - she worked as Marketing Director for Universal Music Mexico, Vice President of Marketing for Latin America at EMI and Marketing Manager at BMG Entertainment- before founding DMM in 2013. While working with the majors, Adel helped develop and set a footprint in the market for talent such as Arctic Monkeys, Placebo, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, David Guetta, Norah Jones, and Katy Perry. 

With DMM she now works with renowned labels like the Beggars Group, Domino Recordings, Ultra, and the Secretly Group, and has a diverse portfolio of artists such as Björk, Franz Ferdinan, Idles, Radiohead, Helado Negro, Ela Minus, The National,  The XX, Bon Iver, Interpol, Sharon Van Etten, Steve Aoki and Jungle among others. DMM has seen exponential growth in the last couple of years with a local team in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, and Miami. DMM continues to expand as new clients arrive, eager to explore and discover their impact in the Latin American region.

My name is Adel Hattem, I am the founder of Dmusic Marketing. I am originally from Mexico City and have been in Miami for 15+ years. 

A typical day in my life as the founder of DMM begins at 5 AM with an invigorating hour of Kundalini yoga. Following that, I prepare school lunches and accompany my teenagers to school. Three days a week, I prioritize my physical well-being by engaging in a workout session from 8 to 9 AM.

Once 9:15 AM rolls around, I kick off my workday. This entails a series of Zoom calls involving clients, media representatives, DSPs,, as well as virtual team meetings with our diverse team of 15 professionals situated across Latin America. Throughout the afternoon, I dedicate myself to answering emails that have accumulated throughout the day, while also staying in touch with our promotional team in Mexico and tending to clients based in LA or Australia.

As the evening approaches, my work pace gradually slows down, at this point, I shift my focus to preparing dinner for my family, enjoying the precious moments spent with my husband and children. Following our evening meal, I find solace in winding down with a book. 

What are some tips for getting a first job in the music industry?

Resilience and perseverance were key factors that played a pivotal role in my journey towards securing my first job at a label. Following the initial job interview, I demonstrated unwavering determination by consistently following up, effectively showcasing by passion and commitment to the industry,

Can you name a few women you admire?

I admire all the women in my life and all the women I know. I can see in each of them the success they have achieved and the challenges they overcome. I see the success of one is the success of all, and I believe that if we support each other, we can become the best version of ourselves. The teachings of one of the women that helped me in the past ten years (especially when I started my own company) are still very relevant and helpful in my daily life, although she passed a few years ago. I find particularly admirable her ability to blend ancient spiritual practices with modern technology and culture. She has been able to create a community that is inclusive and welcoming while also pushing the boundaries of what is possible in terms of personal growth and transformation. She has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and gender equality, both within the yoga community and beyond.  I also admire my mother in particular. I am forever grateful for the inspiration my mother has provided through her resilience, unwavering optimism and tireless work ethic. Her love and support have been instrumental in shaping the person I am today. 

What are some values that guide your life?

I dedicate myself to fostering an environment of empowerment and collaboration, constantly striving to provide support to my team. In my view the concept of competition pales in comparison to the value of constructing a community rooted in transparency and honesty. 

Do you have any tips for staying grounded during the day? 

• Deep breaths.

• Meditation, good diet, a good sense of humor and good people around you.

• Separate work from homelife, don’t take everything so seriously.

• Positive thoughts - even when life seems impossible always look at the positive.

What would be a piece of advice for younger self?

Don’t overfill your schedule or workload. Work a little less. Enjoy time and the present. 

Do you have a favorite song to wake up to?

Wake Up Boo! by The Boo Radleys.

What would be your most memorable experience whilst working in the music industry?

I have had so many incredible and memorable moments seeing emerging artists grow, fans using music as a healing tool and seeing executives grow and develop. One of the most memorable experiences in my life so far was rising above the gender expectations of my ex-superiors and colleagues from my last corporate role by starting my own business as a mother of three. I was told that I should no longer be working as I had children, and I wanted to prove to my own young kids at the time, that you can create your own reality. That if you love something enough and you dedicate yourself to it, you can achieve anything.

Connect with Adel on LinkedIn and check DMusic Marketing HERE.

Read more about the shesaid.so Miami Chapter and sign up HERE.

Music Insider: Antònia Folguera's Curatorial Vision at Sónar+D and Beyond

Antònia Folguera is a curator who excels in connecting the realms of digital culture, music, arts, science, and technology. With a diverse portfolio spanning festivals, conferences, podcasts, and radio shows, she fearlessly explores the frontiers of creativity and innovation. As the curator of Sónar+D, the Creative Technologies Conference affiliated with the renowned Sónar Festival, Antonia orchestrates a convergence of ideas, inviting visionaries from various disciplines to push the boundaries of art and technology.

Her influence extends beyond Sónar+D, as she actively participates in curatorial teams for the Eufònic Festival and STRP, fostering groundbreaking artistic expression and technological exploration. Additionally, as a co-founder of XRCB, the Barcelona Community Radio Network.

In this blog post, we delve into Antonia's remarkable journey as a curator, exploring her unique perspective, notable contributions, and her endeavors in digital culture. We also explore the exciting themes of this year's Sónar+D.

Can you share with us how you started your career in music? What motivated you to pursue this path?

Oh, well, I have to go way back when I was a teenager; I've always loved music, and I’ve always wondered how things work. If I have a piece of technology, I’d normally take it apart just to see what's inside (I kind of don't trust things that I don't know how they work). I've always been interested in music technology, and when I was little, I was wondering where certain sounds, e.g. a synthesizer come from. I would find information wherever I could when it wasn't obvious to me when I saw I don't know “Duran Duran” on TV; if this is not a guitar, what is it?

We are fortunate enough to have many local radios in Catalonia, and I started a radio show in my village. I knocked on the station’s door, and I said, “Hello, I'm Antònia. I'm just across the street, and I'd love to do a music show”, so they invited me to the studio and showed me how the equipment work - the mixer and the turntables and all of these things. And so, in about 20 minutes, I was making my show and kind of curating the music that I liked. And at some point, I started to talk about how the music was done.

Basically, I was trying to tell what I was learning to the people who might not know, and I think that I have done this my whole life on the radio, then later on TV and now in festivals. For me, there is not much difference between curating a radio show or a TV show and curating something that will happen on a stage at a festival. I think that the ideas can be exposed to the audience in different places and different formats. And I have been thinking about what formats can be used to present those ideas. I love the radio, I still work in radio, but I also like audiovisuals, I like film and video, and I think about how I can tell certain stories visually. That's how we, e.g. designed one of the stages at Sonar; we asked the artists and the scientists, can you tell us your story? A festival is our life context with which things happen in real-time - with an audience that's in the flesh, in the space with you and with the artists and the guest.

With the ever-evolving landscape of digital culture, music, arts, science, and technology, how do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in these fields?

I think people that have a communication or journalistic background are always actively searching and actively investigating and very actively listening sometimes because ideas can come from everywhere. But basically, the internet is the number one source for everything. I’m also trying to search “dark” corners of the internet for information where I can discover interesting ideas and interesting people etc. So I would say the number one source is the internet; the number two source is other events, other festivals, other conferences or other things that might happen. I don't know in my city, in my neighbourhood or around the world- like this is a very good source of information and inspiration. Also, the people that you meet everywhere, and sometimes people that you meet in places that you wouldn't think of. Suddenly you meet someone, and you're so well, who are you? What do you do? And then but little things spark your imagination. I would advise people who would like to work as a curator in a festival context; always go to places and meet people. I come from a radio background, and sometimes, my excuse to meet people is so that people tell me about what they do, so I set up an interview with them, record it and air it on the platforms where I work at.

How do you stay grounded on a challenging day?

I wish I had the right answer because it's very challenging sometimes; just to find that thing that will help help you focus or that will help you not to be too stressed. So for me normally music helps a lot. I like finding the right music for the right moment. Sometimes I'm very annoyed until I find the right song; if I'm not finding the right song, I try another one and another one. Music always helps. I also love dancing. I think that it's one of the best ways to relax and also to express yourself. I find that by dancing, I can express things that I don't know words or other things. I also like to do simple things like strolling around my neighbourhood. Go into the local bar around the corner, talk with people whose lives had nothing to do with what I do. This keeps me grounded in the physical space that I live in and that I interact with. I spend a lot of time on my computer because I like to spend a lot of time on the Internet. It's part of my life. It keeps me grounded just to get away from it and into things that are apparently not interesting at all.

Photo Credit; https://sonar.es

Sònar+D is known for exploring the intersection of art science and digital culture; what is this year's central theme?

At Sònar+D, we work around three to four topics which we articulate on the programme; this leaves room to breathe, to have more variety and to explore different perspectives. Exploring a topic and not being too strict about it gives richness to the festival, and so this year, we work on an important topic. It's the topic of the year, the topic of last year, which is Artificial Intelligence - a topic we've been covering since 2016. What we try to do every year is to see how artists are using this technology, how they appropriate it to push their artistic and aesthetic language and their views about the world using AI. We also reflect, think and explore the ethical implications of this technology, so every year, we invite someone who is an expert in the field of ethics and artificial intelligence.

This year we are focusing more on robotics, thinking about artificial intelligence with a body. We are inviting Kate Darling, who is a researcher at MIT. She is an intellectual property scientist who also specialises in robotics and ethics.; I think her talk is going to be super, super enlightening and will hopefully bring some perspective in this area. People are either worried or excited when they think of artificial intelligence, so this topic concerns us all.

We explore different topics from the perspective of creativity, and that's climate emergency. We are inviting a biologist that’s also a sound artist from Norway called Jana Winderen - she works in what people call “acoustic ecology”, and her expertise is in recording in aquatic environments - she records little crustaceans that live on eyes or giant mammals such as whales. She is one of these people with a huge, hairy microphone (it looks like they are fishing for sounds or hunting for sounds). Jana will show us how she works and what we discover through sound data. She will teach us in a way how we can listen to our back garden or balcony or the square around the corner with birds and different beings that perhaps we should pay more attention to. I think that her work is incredible.

There is this audio-visual Research Group here in Barcelona called Play Modes; they usually do large-scale installations. They work with light with video with different technologies like motors and all kinds of amazing things. And they are wondering, as artists who work with technology, what would happen if they consciously decide not to use electricity or to keep doing their job, you know, big large-scale light installations without computers.

We're going to have the writer and artist Claire L. Evans (singer of the Grammy-nominated pop group YACHT), that’s working with advanced and edgy technology in her own way. Lately, she has been exploring the overlaps between nature and technology; her talk is going to be visual, and it's going to feature imagery by the artist Sofia Crespo that works with AI, creating images that are inspired by biology.

Looking at some of the AI topics you are going to explore this year, which are the ones that you believe present the greatest challenge in terms of tracking and addressing; the ethical use of AI or copyright issues?

That's a good question that I really don't know where to start to answer. I think that these are both issues that interact together, and they kind of shape what culture, in general, will look like. They are also going faster than we thought, shaping who we are and how we behave in the world. We can, let's say, address questions and concerns in terms of; how to certify intellectual property, how you pay authors and artists for their work, or how you pay them for their work being used without permission, which is what is happening right now that many of these artificial intelligence tools are trained with, basically our data, what we've been vomiting on the internet for the last 20 years or work from artists that nobody has asked them whether they wanted to be part of this dataset. I would say property economy and also the different ways in which we will start to interact with the internet and with each other. I'm not sure at what moment.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Sònar is celebrating 30 years, so both Sònar and Sònar+D are going to be a party in celebration. And so I would invite everybody to come and celebrate with us!

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Connect with Antònia Folguera:

Twitter: @bzzzbip, Instagram: @bzzzbip & LinkedIn

Sónar, Barcelona

Thu, Jun 15, 2023 - Sat, Jun 17, 2023

https://sonar.es/en

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